About the size of a large orange, it has a leathery skin with a blush of yellow and red. Inside there is a spongy pith which is intricately filled with seeds, which are in turn surrounded by a juicy, ruby red pulp. Eating a pomegranate can be a long process as each pip has to be individually extracted, the juicy pulp eaten away and then the pip discarded although they can be eaten if you find discarding them too fiddly. The easiest way to extract the juice is by crushing the seeds through a sieve with the back of a ladle. This can be used to flavour mousse, fool, ice cream or sorbet.
Grenadine is pomegranate syrup which is great in drinks and a good addition to the cocktail cabinet.
The green or yellow varieties of celery are available all year round and are plentiful in summer but it is the frost-hardy white celery that is available only in winter. Celery should have crisp long stems attached to a sound base and the leaves should be vibrant and green. The stalks need to be cut away from the base and washed thoroughly. It is a most useful winter vegetable in all its uses and, at a time when fresh herbs are scarce, its leaves can be used to garnish and flavour dishes. Chopped celery can also be used to flavour stuffings, soups, sauces and stews or within a bouquet garni for a stock.