In the usual order of things, one decides to have a party, and then figures out which dishes to serve. But in this case, it was a stellar pomegranate and olive relish that got the ball rolling. "We have to throw a holiday party so people can taste this!" exclaimed my partner, and pretty soon we were discussing the guest list between bites.
Inspired by Persian and Turkish salads, this company-worthy relish combines jewel-like pomegranate seeds with green olives and roasted pistachios, dressed up with good olive oil and pomegranate molasses. The combination is fruity and tangy with a delightful play of textures. (Walnuts are perhaps the most traditional accompaniment to pomegranates and olives, and you could substitute those if you wish. I'm allergic to walnuts and found that pistachios worked beautifully.)

For myself and other friends on gluten-free and vegan diets, I'm serving the relish on socca crackers. For everyone else, the plan is spoon the relish atop goat cheese crostini – the pairing that made Gregory do a little dance of joy before making party plans.

Pomegranate Olive Relish
Makes about 2 cups1 cup cured green olives, pitted
1/2 cup roasted pistachios
1 cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
Dash of lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarsely chop the green olives and pistachios to roughly the size of the pomegranate seeds or a bit smaller.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Depending on the flavor of the pomegranates and olives, you may need more or less lemon juice and salt.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to a day before serving.
Serve with crackers, bread, or pita chips. Delicious on crostini with goat cheese.
Related: My Favorite Way to Seed a Pomegranate
(Images: Emily Ho)
Kart Serving Tray b...

Comments (12)
Is there any substitute for pomegranate molasses, just in case I can't find it at my grocery store?
@ AnitaNo:
If you have a Trader Joe's, you can find unsweetened pomegranate juice which I just boil down to a thick syrup. Same idea.
@AnitaNo, yes, you can make your own pomegranate molasses, which is what I do:
http://www.thekitchn.com/diy-pomegranate-molasses-plus-7-recipes-165501
I'll admit, I not entirely convinced on the combo (although I'm sure it's delicious!) but this is worth a try-pomegranates and olives are two of my FAVE foods ;-)
Super cute appetizer! But to make the seeding of the pomegranates easier I would use containers of seeds sold by POM! You can find them in pretty much every grocery store around here, we find them super convenient, especially for making things like these.
Wow, I just know this would be delicious. And in holiday colors to boot! Thanks for sharing, I will definitely try it soon.
If you liked this you should look up recipes for "zeitoon parvardeh," a northern iranian dip/relish that is a pureed mixture of pomegranate, walnut, olives, garlic, and olive oil.
This is perfect for Chanukkah!
I just made this. Great Recipe.
I hope someone is around to answer this as I am making this over the weekend for a holiday party. Would someone please give an example of "cured green olives". I know my olives but for some reason, this explanation is throwing me off. What type should I get?
Thank you so much and Happy Holidays!
Just an update: I made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was indeed delicious. Served with goat cheese on crostini, as per the suggestion in the post. I didn't have pom molasses or pom juice and ran out of time to track one down, so I just sweetened with a little agave. I'm sure the original version is better but we still loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
What a great blend of flavours....
Thank you for sharing your recipe
I tried a variation by using black cured olives.