December

Blanch 'em, flake 'em, chop 'em, ground 'em, eat 'em.

What seasonal foods should grace your dinner table this month? Be creative with turkey, or inventive with that poor, derided vegetable, the sprout.

Reach for the stars

Tom Norrington-Davies brings parsnips, sprouts, carrots, cabbage and Jerusalem artichokes centre stage, so they can take pride of place on your Christmas table.

The sweet fruits of winter

Cranberries, pomegranates and quinces are magical ingredients around Christmas time, and their perfumed scent will fill your kitchen with goodwill, says Tom Norrington-Davies.

Celebrate... pomegranates

Ah! The seeds of a pomegranate are the jewels in nature's crown (and they're right tasty too!)

Native to Persia, and cultivated in the Mediterranean since the ancient times, the pomegranate – which means 'seeded apple' in Latin – is an exotic fruit that, throughout history, has never lost its appeal.

Its appeal certainly worked for Greek god Hades, ruler of the underworld, who tricked the innocent Persephone into eating six pomegranate seeds, which bound her to spend half the year underground – hence our winter. Which begs the question: if the scoundrel had only managed to get hold of a lime, would we be living in permanent sunshine? Mmmm.

Call us shallow, but the pomegranate is particularly attractive because of its looks. Not its tough exterior, but the casket of ruby jewels that are presented when one's sliced open. In more prosaic terms they're mere seeds – about 600 of them – although their tangy and sweet juice confirms their status as a fruit fit for kings.

More recently, this hardy fruit with its thick, red-hued skin, obtained the accolade of being proclaimed a superfood due to its sky-high levels of antioxidants. But enough of myths and health benefits – we say eat 'em because they're versatile, perfect for sweet and savoury dishes, and because they taste good.

some delicious. pomegranate recipes