Aussie-American salad of Lamb and Pomegranate

Yes, folks, it's still summer, season of sun and mellow saladness.  It makes me wonder why I don't do more of this type of dish in the winter months.  Read on...

This is a lamb and pomegranate salad that is supplemented by small kipfler (fingerling) potatoes.  For some reason, pomegranates in Australia in January are all labelled 'Product of USA'.  The same applies to the common lemon - no matter where you see them in the shops (supermarket or grocer), they are all imported from the US.  Impact on global footprint aside, the fruits are sweet and full of juice.  Let's just hope the pomegranate and lemon travelled by sea, not air.

Salad of Lamb, pomegranate and potato
serves 4

Ingredients
juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tblsp olive oil
500g lamb fillet (I used lamb backstrap)
6 small kipfler or anya potatoes
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
80g baby spinach
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
1 pomegranate, seeds removed

Method
1.  Combine lemon rind, half the lemon juice, oregano and 1 tblsp olive oil in a bowl.  Add the lamb, mix and cover.  Put in refrigerator for one hour.
2.  Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender.  Drain, and when cool enough to peel, remove the skins and cut potatoes into thick slices. Place in a large bowl with the garlic, remaining olive oil and remaining lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to coat.
3.  Preheat non-stick frypan (or grill pan) to high.  Cook drained lamb fillets for 3 minutes each side.  Remove from heat and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
4.  Add spinach and tomato to the potato and toss together.  Put the salad on a plate and top with the sliced lamb.  Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Do you like my potato scrubber? It was actually labelled as a 'pot scrubber', but I took that to be an abbreviation for 'potato scrubber'.  It works beautifully on potatoes.
To get the seeds out of the pomegranate, hold half a pomegranate over a large bowl and whack the skin with the side of a wooden spoon.  The seeds should fall out easily. Very satisfying.

This is just the type of dish to remind you of summer.  And of our American friends....