If you don’t have pomegranate juice to deglaze the pan, you can simply use the sherry or Marsala. We left off the arils this time around, but their bright color creates a really good-looking side dish for the holiday season.
 
 
RECIPE: ZUCCHINI, MUSHROOMS & ONIONS
WITH TOASTED BREAD CRUMBS

Ingredients

1. SCORE 1 fresh pomegranate and place it in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve a cup of the arils from fruit and set it aside. Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use. If you’re not using bottled juice, prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*

2. HEAT oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and cook over high heat until slightly brown and softened. Add zucchini and mushrooms. Stir and cook quickly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. REMOVE vegetables from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add sherry or Marsala and pomegranate juice to deglaze the pan. Return vegetables to the pan.

4. TOAST bread crumbs on a baking sheet at 425°F until brown; mix with cheese.

5. TOSS bread crumbs with vegetables and add arils. Serve hot.

Nutrients Per Serving (1 cup): 119 calories, 3g protein, 18g carbohydrate, 4g total fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 67mg sodium, 2g dietary fiber, 15mcg vitamin A RE, 13mg vitamin C.

 
*One large pomegranate will yield 2 tablespoons of juice. Cut the pomegranate in half and juice with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.
 
 

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A couple of months ago, we noticed two cottony puffs of white mold growing in a jar of Smucker’s Concord Grape Fruit Spread. We wrote to Smucker’s asking if it was safe to eat, and what caused the mold. We got a response back, but it wasn’t to the questions we asked:

Thank you for contacting The J.M. Smucker Company with your inquiry regarding Smucker’s® Concord Grape Jam. We greatly appreciate and value the input we receive from our consumers and take very seriously any comments pertaining to product quality.

Susan
Consumer Relations Representative
Ref # 10145794

This week, mold appeared in a second jar of Smucker’s, the Red Raspberry Spread. So rather than try to re-contact the unhelpful customer service department at Smucker’s, we went online to search for the answers. Here’s an answer from the National Center For Home Food Preservation:
Q. What do I do if there’s mold on my jellied fruit product?

A. Discard jams and jellies with mold on them. The mold could be producing a mycotoxin (a poisonous substance that can make you ill). The USDA and microbiologists recommend against scooping out the mold and using the remaining jam or jelly.

Gee, you’d think Smucker’s might have warned customers against eating jelly with white mold—especially because it may well not have been their “fault” (see the next section). Perhaps they can take the information we found and paste it into a helpful customer service response.

Aside from the mold—and the lack of help from Smucker’s—the spreads were delish.

Typically, jelly and jam don’t develop mold on their own, because of the high acid of the fruit and the preservative action of the sugar. But mold spores can sometimes enter a jelly jar via contamination from a utensil that was previously used on another foodstuff—the bread for example. A microscopic piece of bread with a mold spore can adhere to the spoon or knife when you spread the jelly on the bread.

We refrigerate open jars, and we’re especially cautious of cross-contamination, using a separate spoon for the jelly. But it is possible that when we spread the first spoonful of jelly on the bread, it picked up a microscopic mold spore that got introduced to the jar when we went for a second spoonful.

So today’s tip is: Don’t double dip that spoon or knife. And toss out a jar with mold.

WHEN YOU CAN KEEP FOODS WITH MOLD

There are thousands, if not millions, of different types of mold, from beneficial ones like penicillium (which is used to make the mold in blue cheeses) to toxic ones. Experts warn that scooping out the visible mold is not a solution, since the mold shoots microscopic tendrils deep into the foodstuff.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you can save hard cheeses, firm fruits and vegetables by cutting out at least an inch around and underneath the mold spot. But the organization advises you to toss baked goods, bread, casseroles, grain, jams and jellies, legumes, meat, nuts, pasta, peanut butter, soft cheeses, soft fruits and vegetables, sour cream, yogurt and other foods.

The list of what you can keep is easy to remember because it’s so brief: hard cheeses, fruits and vegetables. Bid adios to everything else.

Even George H.W. Bush could be convinced to eat broccoli, when it’s tucked away as a surprise in a delicious corn muffin. Make them for brunch or lunch, with soup or a bowl of chili.

And, you can adjust the recipe to mild, medium or spicy!
 
 
RECIPE: SECRET FOREST CORN MUFFINS

Ingredients

1. HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 6 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups.

2. MIX muffin batter as directed on cornbread mix pouch. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into each muffin cup. Place 1 broccoli floret in each, stem side down, trimming stem if necessary for floret to fit in muffin cup.

3. SPOON remaining batter over florets, covering completely.

4. BAKE 15 minutes; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 1 to 3 minutes longer or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool at least 5 minutes before serving.