Fuyu Persimmon Salad

¾ cup tangerine or orange juice
½ tsp grated tangerine or orange peel
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ cup orange-flavor liqueur (or tangerine or orange juice)
1 tbs lemon juice
4-6 firm fuyu type persimmons (5-6 oz each)
3-4 tbs pomegranate

In a 1-1 ½ quart pan, blend tangerine juice and peel with cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring, on high heat. Remove from heat and add orange liqueur and lemon juice. Use warm or cool; if made ahead, cover and chill up until next day. Stir before serving.
Rinse persimmons. The peel is tender to eat, but you can peel persimmons into “petals” if fruit is at just the right stage of ripeness for the skin to pull free rather than easily. To test cut a small slash under stem end and pull gently. If skin tears, immerse fruit in boiling water for 15 second and let stand until cool. Then test fruit again.
Set fuit, stem end down on individual salad plates. Cut almose but not quite through each persimmon, dividing it into 6-8 wedges. Then I fyou want to create a petal effect, slip the tip of a sharp knife under the skin at the apex of 1 of the wege cuts. Gently pull or cut peel free from top of fruit, then let it fall backward around fruit. Repeat for remaining wedges to complete the petal pattern. Spoon the tangerine sauce equally onto persimmons and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds. Makes 4-6 services.

Persimmon Wedges with Toasted Hazelnuts

Servings: Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

2 large Fuyu persimmons
Hazelnut oil
1 1/2 cups warm hazelnuts

Preparation

Cut persimmons into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Arrange on plate. Drizzle with hazelnut oil. Place hazelnuts in bowl. Serve persimmons with hazelnuts.

Bibb Lettuce Salad with Persimmons and Candied Pecans

Fuyu persimmons look like orange tomatoes and have a melon-like texture. Many farmers' markets and supermarkets carry them from October through December.

Servings: Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce (purchased or homemade)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 heads of Bibb lettuce, coarsely torn
4 Fuyu persimmons, peeled, sliced
1 cup (generous) crumbled blue cheese
Candied Pecans

candied pecans

Bon Appétit | December 2005
Servings: Makes about 2 cups.

Ingredients

1 large egg white
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecan halves (8 to 9 ounces)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with butter.

Whisk egg white in bowl until foamy. Add sugar, spices, and salt. Whisk until mixture is thick and opaque. Add pecans; stir until coated. Using forks, transfer nuts to sheet, spacing apart; discard remaining coating.

Bake nuts until deep golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet. Transfer to container; cover and store at room temperature. (Can be made 4 days ahead.)

Preparation

Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Mound lettuce in center of 8 plates. Top each with persimmon slices, then drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and Candied Pecans.

Belgian Endive, Fuyu Persimmon, and Baby Spinach salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Servings: Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 heads Belgian endive, core ends cut off and leaves separated
4 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and sliced
1 small head frisée, trimmed and leaves separated
1/2 pound baby spinach*
1 (4-ounce) piece Parmesan cheese, room temperature

*1/2 pound baby arugula can be substituted.

Preparation

In small bowl, whisk together stock and cornstarch. In second small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt.

In medium saucepan over moderately high heat, heat olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and sauté until soft, about 30 seconds. Stir in stock-cornstarch mixture and bring to boil. Reduce heat to moderate and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce mixture and return to boil. Remove from heat and refrigerate until cool.

On each of 8 plates, arrange 4 Belgian endive leaves and 4 slices persimmon around rim. In large bowl, combine frisée and baby spinach. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Divide among plates, placing one mound in center of each. Using vegetable peeler, shave curls of Parmesan atop each salad and serve.

Fuyu Grapefruit Salad

1. Cut 1 Fuyu persimmon in quarters.
2. Place 4 grapefruit segments between the quarters.
3. Top center with a heaping teaspoon of mayonnaise.
4. Serve on a bed of salad greens.

Fuyu Persimmon Avocado Salad

1. Alternate slices of Fuyu persimmon and avocado on a bed of salad greens.
2. Dress with a light spray of lemon juice.

Green Beans and Sweet Onion Salad with Persimmons and Preserved Lemon

I've been having fun this week with my new best friends sweet onions, preserved lemons and persimmons. This combination, with some crunchy green beans and my standbyes toasted pine nuts and honey-ginger-lime dressing, made a refreshing side to a simple grilled steak the other night. The colors were especially cheering and helped us believe that Spring is truly only weeks away that .

Green Beans and Sweet Onion Salad with Persimmons and Preserved Lemon. with Honey-Ginger-Lime Dressing
Serves 4.

• 1/2 lb green beans
• 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 4 dried apricots, sliced in thin strips
• 1/2 persimmon, peeled and sliced in thin crescents
• 4 T pine nuts
• 2 tsp blood orange zest
• 4 strips roasted red pepper
• 3/4" fresh ginger, peeled, minced
• 1 quarter of a preserved lemon
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 6 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T honey
• 2 tsp minced cilantrosalt, hot sauce to taste

Slice the onion thinly and soak it for about 30 minutes in water to cover with the 1/4 tsp sugar mixed in. Drain and set aside.

Trim and blanche the beans in rapidly boiling water about 3 minutes, 'til they are still firm but no longer raw. Drain them and plunge in an ice water bath to cool. Drain, toss in olive oil, hot sauce and salt to taste.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry sauté pan over high heat, stirring constantly, until they turn brown and start to char, 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on a paper towel.

Scrape out the pulp from the preserved lemon and discard. Cut the lemon rind in thin crescents.
Whisk the ginger, lime juice, olive oil and honey to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and hot sauce.

T0 assemble, lay a bed of the onions on each plate and top with a handful of the beans. Add the preserved lemon, apricot, persimmon and pepper strips, scatter on the pine nuts, zest and cilantro and drizzle with the dressing.

butter lettuce, persimmon, feta, and hazelnut salad

Fuyu persimmons are an inspired addition to winter salads. This one would make a lovely starter at Thanksgiving dinner.

Servings: Makes 4 servings.

• 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large head of butter lettuce or Boston lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 medium-size firm but ripe Fuyu persimmons, peeled, halved, sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Combine vinegar, shallot, and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Place lettuce in large bowl; toss with dressing. Gently toss in persimmons, cheese, and nuts. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Fennel and Persimmon Salad

4 Servings

Vinaigrette

• 1 small ripe pear
• 1/2 cup mild olive oil
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed, toasted (optional)
• Kosher salt to taste

1. Whirl pear in a blender until pureed.
2. Strain into bowl.
3. Whisk in olive oil, vinegar, shallots, mustard seed and salt.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

Salad

• 4 cups mixed salad greens, watercress and sliced endive
• 3 firm Fuyu persimmons
• 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted

1. Divide the mixed greens, watercress and endive evenly among 4 chilled salad plates.
2. Peel and thinly slice persimmons, arrange with fennel on greens and sprinkle with pecans.
3. Drizzle with vinaigrette to taste.
4. Alternately, toss salad ingredients with dressing in a large bowl.

Persimmon Salad

4 Servings

The Salad

• 6 firm ripe persimmons, sliced (Fuyu variety)
• 1 canned in the juice or water pineapple cut into 3" pieces 1/2 cup broken pecan pieces
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Place in bowl and mix together. Serve chilled.
2. Use more, up to a cup, if you prefer. Sodium level remains the same.

Avocado, Citrus, Jicama, and Persimmon Salad

6 servings

• 1 pound jicama
• 2 pink or red grapefruits
• 2 oranges
• 2 firm-ripe avocados
• 1 head red-leaf lettuce, rinsed and crisped
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• Persimmon dressing
• Salt

1. Rinse and peel jicama, then cut into 1/8- by 2-inch sticks.
2. Cut off and discard peel and white membrane from grapefruits and oranges. Working over a bowl to catch juices, cut between inner membranes and fruit to free segments, dropping fruit into bowl.
3. Pit, peel, and thinly slice avocados.
4. Line a platter or salad plates with lettuce. With a slotted spoon, lift fruit from bowl; reserve 2 tablespoons juice for persimmon dressing and the rest for other uses.
5. Arrange fruit, avocados, onion, and jicama on lettuce.
6. Spoon about 1/4 cup of dressing over salad. Offer remaining dressing and salt to add to taste.

Persimmon Dressing

6 servings

• 6 tablespoons Hachiya persimmon pulp
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons citrus juice
• 1/4 cup avocado or salad oil
• Salt and pepper

1. In a food processor or blender, whirl persimmon pulp, vinegar, sage, garlic, mayonnaise, and juice until smooth and blended.
2. With motor running, pour in oil.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Persimmon and Apple Salad with Walnuts

6 to 8 servings

• 1/3 cup walnut pieces


• 2 tablespoons orange juice


• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar


• 1 tablespoon olive oil


• 3 Fuji or other sweet apples, rinsed, cored, and
  thinly sliced lengthwise


• 3 firm-ripe Fuyu persimmons, rinsed,
  stemmed, and thinly sliced lengthwise


• Salt and pepper

1. Bake the walnuts in an 8- or 9-inch baking pan in a 350° regular or convection oven, shaking pan occasionally, until nuts are golden beneath skins, 7 to 10 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine orange juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Add apples, persimmons, and toasted walnuts and mix to coat.


3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Salad of Frisee, Radicchio, Pears, Pomegranate and Persimmons

Joanne Weir
Show: Cooking Live
Episode: Thanksgiving First Courses
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

• 1/2 cup dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer


• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar


• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


• Salt and freshly ground black pepper


• 2 large bunches frisee, ends trimmed


• 1 small head radicchio, torn into 2-inch pieces


• 1 Fuyu persimmon, cut into thin slices


• 1 Red Bartlett pear, halved, cored, and cut into thin slices


• 6 figs, halved


• 1 small pomegranate, peeled, seeds removed and separated


• 1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
  

1. In a small saucepan over high heat, reduce the wine until 1 to 2 tablespoons remain. Let cool.


2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, reduced wine, and olive oil and, season, to taste, with salt and pepper.


3. Place the frisee, radicchio, persimmon slices, pear slices, and figs in a bowl.


4. Add the vinaigrette and gently toss together.


5. Place on individual salad plates. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and walnut halves and serve immediately.