STAR OF THE DESERT

If you're not familiar with pomegranates, perhaps it's time to take the plunge. That would be a plunge into water (keep your clothes on; this involves just your hands and your pomegranate) because getting to the heart of the fruit is probably the most daunting thing about eating a pomegranate. The simplest way to extract the arils -- a botanical term for a seed surrounded by a juice sac, which in this case is a tiny little seed and a tart, ruby-red sac -- is to score the pomegranate's leathery skin and peel it under water in a bowl. The arils will sink. The skin and membrane will float. Skim the top and strain the water and voila.

Another way to take the plunge would be to attend the annual Pomegranate Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 2 and 3 at the Old Logandale School at 3011 N. Moapa Valley Blvd., on the main drag in Logandale. Bret Staley, president of the Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce, said the festival will include pomegranate jelly, syrups, juices and other uses, plus "pomegranate-related items" and arts and crafts, entertainment and booths with other types of foods.

Why pomegranates?

"Because Moapa Valley's full of them," Staley said. "They do well. They love the heat. They're truly a desert item."

Indeed. Bob Morris, a horticulture specialist with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, said pomegranates originate in the Middle East/Mediterranean/Central Asia, which have arid climates similar to our own. As a result, he said, the trees do well in full sun in most any part of the Las Vegas Valley that's no higher than 3,500 to 4,000 feet.

"They're very easy to take care of," he said. "Make sure you fertilize in spring adequately, and there should be a little bit of thinning in the canopy to keep the branches from rubbing on the fruit and causing scarring."

Morris said the Wonderful variety is grown by Pom Wonderful, the biggest grower of pomegranates in the country. But while that may be the most attractive variety, he said the Sweet and Utah Sweet varieties are even ... well, sweeter.

This is prime pomegranate harvest time, with the fruits appearing in local supermarkets and being plucked from trees across the valley. But be sure you give them time to ripen.

Savvy shoppers, he said, will thump pomegranates "like you'd thump a watermelon." When the "thud" of an immature pomegranate has become a metallic ring, he said, the fruit is ready. Another sign, Morris said, is that the petal-shaped structures on the bottom will begin to flare out.

After harvesting, he said, pomegranates don't ripen further, but if you keep them in the refrigerator (or on a counter in a cool room) for three or four days after buying, the flavor will develop and become more rounded.

Like a lot of other foods, pomegranates have been touted as miracle cures for just about anything that ails you.

"There have been a lot of claims," acknowledged Aurora Buffington, a registered dietitian and a part-time instructor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. But, she said, some studies were limited in size, some involved only men and some have made extrapolations that may not be valid. Still, she said, they're promising, and will lead to further studies.

What is known is that pomegranates possess antioxidant qualities, she said, and may provide some cardiovascular benefits. Lower rates of heart disease, she noted, have been recorded in populations around the world that consume large amounts of fruits and vegetables, inspiring many Americans to attempt to do the same.

"Pomegranate juice can be part of that," she said. She cautioned, however, that the juices tend to be fairly high in calories, at 160 for 8 ounces. But varying the consumption of fruits and vegetables to include many colors -- and therefore many phytochemicals -- is a good approach, and "pomegranates are a great way to do that."

Nobody has to convince Bret Staley:

"A jewel of the desert, you might call them."

VEAL SCALLOPS WITH

POMEGRANATE-MARSALA

CREAM SAUCE

1 cup arils from 2 to 3 pomegranates, divided

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon salt, divided

4 veal scallops or boneless veal rib chops (about 11/2 pounds, 3/4 inch thick)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons Marsala wine

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Place 1/4 cup arils in a strainer and press with the back of a spoon to extract 2 tablespoons of juice. Set aside.

Mix together sugar, black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pat onto veal scallops. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the veal in a single layer. Brown veal without turning until there is a caramel color on the underside. Turn over; cook to brown the second side. Remove veal from pan and keep warm.

Add onions and mushrooms to skillet. Cover and cook over low heat until onions and mushrooms are soft and tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat; add Marsala and pomegranate juice. Return skillet to the heat to deglaze, and stir to keep onions and mushrooms from over-browning. Add cream and cook to reduce by one-third. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, white pepper and 1/2 cup arils; heat until bubbly. Return veal to the skillet with the sauce, mushrooms and onions. Serve veal, onions and mushrooms with sauce topped with additional 1/4 cup arils.

Serves 4.

ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

Salad:

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

1 red bell pepper

1 carrot

1 parsnip

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 large Romaine leaves

1/2 cup arils from 1 pomegranate

2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Pomegranate-honey vinaigrette:

1 cup pomegranate juice

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons honey

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon (or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon)

Garlic croutons (optional):

4 slices sturdy bread

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Vegetable salad: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut all vegetables except lettuce leaves into 2-inch pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper; roast until al dente, approximately 20 minutes.

Vinaigrette: Mix in a blender or shake all ingredients in an airtight container until well blended. Heat in a small saucepan and keep warm.

Garlic croutons: Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Mix olive oil and garlic. Toss bread cubes with oil mixture. Transfer to a baking sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Toast at 425 degrees until brown, turning once.

To assemble salad, place lettuce leaves on four serving plates and divide the warm vegetables among them; drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm dressing. Sprinkle with arils, feta cheese and garlic croutons.

Serves 4.

POMEGRANATE SEARED

SCALLOP SALAD

Pomegranate soy-ginger dressing:

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Scallops:

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, divided

Salt, pepper and paprika, to taste

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

11/2 pounds large sea scallops

Salad:

6 to 8 cups mixed greens

1/2 cup cucumber slices

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup arils from 1 pomegranate

Dressing: Mix all dressing ingredients with a whisk or in a blender.

Scallops: In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and ginger; toss with scallops. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Place scallops in the skillet in a single layer. Cook without turning until the underside is crispy brown and then turn and repeat. Sear in batches, if necessary. Cover, set aside and keep warm.

Salad: Arrange greens on four dinner plates; top with cucumbers and tomatoes. Divide the scallops onto each plate; garnish with arils. Serve with dressing.

Serves 4.

CITRUS POMEGRANATE TART

3 eggs

3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

3/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 to 2 large lemons

6 tablespoons orange juice from 1 large orange

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon orange zest

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

9-inch tart pan, lined with pastry and baked

1/2 cup pomegranate or currant jelly, melted

11/2 cups arils from 2 to 3 pomegranates

Garnish:

1/4 cup arils

1 cup whipped cream

1 medium orange, peeled and sliced

In a nonreactive saucepan, over medium heat, combine the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, lemon zest, orange zest and butter. Cook slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until butter melts and mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain through a coarse-mesh strainer placed over a bowl. Spread the mixture evenly in the pastry shell and refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 4 hours.

Over low heat, warm jelly until melted; carefully fold arils into melted jelly. Spread glazed pomegranate arils over tart; allow to cool for an additional 1 to 2 hours.

Garnish each plate with an orange slice, some whipped cream and a sprinkling of arils.

Serves 8.

POMEGRANATE CREAM-FILLED

CHOCOLATE ROLL

Cake:

3/4 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur

Frosting:

1/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup butter

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur

21/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Filling:

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

3 tablespoons pomegranate or currant jelly

3 tablespoons raspberry liqueur

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup arils from 2 to 3 pomegranates, plus more for garnish

Cake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 11-by-16-by-1/2-inch baking sheet and line with waxed paper, allowing 2 inches to overhang the short end of the pan. Grease top surface of the paper.

Sift together cake flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt; set aside. Beat eggs on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and thick, about 5 minutes. Add pomegranate juice, vanilla and raspberry liqueur. Gently fold in flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed with finger. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before assembling roll.

Frosting: Combine milk and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate; stir until chocolate is smooth and melted. Add raspberry liqueur and powdered sugar; beat until of spreading consistency. Thin with more milk, if necessary.

To fill roll: Turn out cake onto a cloth kitchen towel that has been dusted with powdered sugar. Remove waxed paper and use towel to roll cake lengthwise into a cylinder. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Mix jelly with raspberry liqueur. Unroll cake and spread with jelly mixture. Spread with one-third of chocolate frosting. Whip cream and fold in arils. Spread whipped-cream mixture on cake. Use towel to roll up cake, and place on a platter seam-side down. Frost with remaining frosting. Decorate with more arils and refrigerate until serving time. Serves 8.

Recipes from Pom Wonderful (for more recipes, see www.pomwonderful.com).

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0474.