Mediterranean Pomegranate Salad

A salad is only as interesting as you make it. Most people hate salad because they think dry lettuce with skimpy dressing that doesn't quite dress. At least that's the distasteful gustatory picture I get in my head. But alas, the veggies need consuming, so why not consume them in style? Most of the recipes I've put up so far are results of my boredom and unending desire to turn ordinary healthy food into something exciting. Pretty much all food is wonderful if you do a little tasting outside the box.

Now I'm not sure how authentically Mediterranean some of these ingredients are, but we'll roll with it because it sounds more appetizing. I decided I wanted something a little bit special for lunch seeing as I've spent the last many days at home avoiding going outside because of the oppressive cloud blanket that's been smothering the area since the last few weeks. What better way to pretend you're in a sunny place than with food?

<u>Ingredients</u>
- a handful of spinach leaves
- cucumber, about a 2-3" wedge, sliced and quartered
- half a tomato, diced
- 2 bocconcini balls, in pieces
- black olives, 5-8
- fresh pomegranate seeds, a generous garnish
- sunflower seeds, a good handful
- roasted sesame seeds, a good scattering
- a pinch of mediterranean sea salt spicing*
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil

1. Mix spinach, cucumber, tomato, bocconcini and olives.
2. As a garnish, place pomegranate, sunflower and sesame seeds, topping with mediterranean sea salt.
3. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top.
4. If you want a side dish, I had it with cream of mushroom soup (from a Campbell's can, sadly). It would probably be delicious with a tomato soup too, or some kind of spiced cold soup like gaspacho if it's a warm day.

Sesame seeds don't just belong on bagels, and they are sadly left out of a lot of recipes. In this it adds a great nutty flavour, and since they're so small, they cling to almost every bite and complement all the other ingredients. Although it's difficult to get a hold of most of the year, the pomegranate is absolutely wonderful with the balsamic vinegar. Its sweetness mixed with the subtle taste of the bocconcini helps to undercut the salty balsamic and herb mixture, making it an all around delicious treat for lunch. Definitely a salad I'll be having more than once.

*The mediterranean sea salt I use is of the Les soeurs en Vrac brand. It isn't just salt, but a mix of other herbs like dehydrated bell pepper, garlic and parsley. I get it at IGA, Metro, or Arpents Verts, but it's on an independent stand so it could be elsewhere.