Wheatless Wednesday: Green Olive, Walnut, and Pomegranate Salad

This unusual salad comes to us from food blogger Alexandra Stafford, who doesn't follow an exact recipe when she makes it (her notes accompany the recipe below). It's hearty enough to be a meal on its own, or, you can add some brown rice or quinoa to the mix to make it even more substantial. Tell us what you think in the comments!

Green Olive, Walnut, & Pomegranate Salad
3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped (I added more)
1/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (I added more like a cup)
2 small shallots, peeled and finely diced
1 red Serrano chile, seeded and finely diced (I used green)
1 tablespoon shredded flat-leaf parsley (or more)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon walnut oil (optional -- use extra virgin olive oil if you don't have walnut)
splash of pomegranate molasses (optional -- use a mixture of honey and lemon or brown sugar and cranberry juice instead, if needed)
juice of ½ lemon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Scatter the walnuts onto a jelly-roll pan and roast for 5-10 minutes, until deep golden brown. Pour the nuts into a tea towel and rub well to remove as much skin as possible. Chop the walnuts coarsely and toss in a sieve to remove any remaining skin or dust.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently. Leave to stand for 5 minutes or so before serving to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary -- add more lemon, olive oil, pepper, salt (just be careful because the olives are salty), etc.