At this time of year, I seek out ways to make ordinary food more festive.  The other night we had a local organic rutabaga mashed with a little creamy yellow potato and garnished it with crushed pink peppercorns and pomegranate seeds. Pink peppercorns are not related to the black ones we usually use. They are actually the dried fruit (or seeds?) of a Brazilian plant. Sweet, fruity and slightly spicy flavor, their papery hulls are aromatic and flavorful, adding a little spark to the roots. The pomegranate seeds were a terrific counterpart, giving a very different texture and a complementary burst of flavor. My photo’s awful but the combination of tastes was memorable.

Categories: Turnips and rutabagasTags: Rutabagas and pomegranate, Using pink peppercorns