Pomegranate, walnut and cabbage salad- Ronda style.

In the hot summer months, most people here in Andalusia tend to stick to cold dishes during the daytime leaving the main meal for the cool of the evening, often preferring to eat barbeque style outside on the terrace or in the campo enjoying the cooler breezes that come down from the mountains. Unfortunately after a while it gets a little difficult to think of things to do with lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.

I found this recipe that is different from the usual mixed salad that gets served in most bars and restaurants in a locally published cook book, compiled by residents of Ronda. Its called Ensalada de la Serrania, which translates to Mountain salad.

The base is not lettuce but white cabbage, and it has an interesting salad dressing.

Ingredients:

1 kilo white cabbage
1 kilo walnuts in their shells
1 kilo pomegranates
1 dried red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 slice of bread
olive oil for frying
paprika,cumin,salt,pepper and vinegar to taste.

Chop and slice the cabbage into fine strips, place it in a bowl of boiling water and leave until the water goes cool, drain and place in a bowl.

Shell the walnuts and chop into pieces.

Peel open the pomegranates and separate into grains.

Soften the dried red pepper in hot water, meanwhile fry the garlic and bread in olive oil, and then in a pestle and mortar grind into a paste with the spices salt and pepper and add vinegar to taste.

Add the pomegranates seeds and walnuts to the cabbage with a little of the oil from the frying, then toss the salad with the rest of the ingredients, adjust the seasoning to taste.

Actually this salad would also be great in the autumn months when summer vegetables are no longer available. I could anyway eat pomegranates at any time of the year so I think Ill be making this one quite a bit over the coming months.