Pomegranates are in season, so why not pick one up the next time you’re at the supermarket and use it in this easy seafood dish. There are numerous methods people give for peeling this fruit, from dunking them under water to going slowly around the fruit with a paring knife. The easiest, though, is to cut it down the middle and then start separating the seeds from the pith and the membranes. Juice, bright red and stain inducing, will flow no matter how you attempt to peel one, so be prepared beforehand to clean up some mess. The flavor is worth it.

Sole with Pomegranates

6 large sole fillets, about 7 ounces each, trimmed
3 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pomegranates, halved, seeds removed, pith discarded
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

[amazon-product]1862055610[/amazon-product]Dust the sole fillets with the flour. Heat the butter in a frying pan, then sauté the sole over medium heat until just turning golden. Scatter in the pomegranate seeds, pour in the wine. season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 1 minute. Turn the fillets and cook , uncovered, for 1 more minute. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

From “A Passion for Fruit” by Lorenza de’Medici

Q. If I want to prepare beets to get the best nutrition, how would I do it?

A: Beets are nutritious root vegetables, and their earthy, mildly sweet taste make them versatile ingredients for soups, salads, pickles and side dishes. Those who have only ever had sliced beets out of a can are really missing out.

One good way to preserve nutrition in beets is to cook them with their skins on. You may do this when you roast, boil or steam them. Doing this means you’ll lose less of the rich, red color, that indicates the presence of betacyanin, a powerful antioxidant.  Beets are also rich in folate.

If the beets come with the greens attached, cut the greens off about an inch above the top of the beet. Rinse the beet off, then cook it in one of the above manners. When the beets are just tender, take them off the heat (or steam) and let them cool a bit. The peels will slip right off.

Those beet greens that are clipped off are more nutritious than the beet itself. These are high in vitamin A, plus have more potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, and vitamin B than the root. Cook them as you would spinach, by steaming or lightly cooking in water. Drain them well, then toss in a little olive oil and season them with a few drops of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Beets also may be eaten raw — grated into salads or put through a juicer, for beet juice.

With this many uses, this really good-tasting root vegetable belongs in everyone’s shopping basket.