The chaos of two kids has simmered down a bit. We were able to pull off our Friendsgiving with minimal stress, which gives me the idea that we may actually have this down. Although things have evened out a bit, I am still trying to find time for the kitchen. I wanted to experiment with a few things this fall, but it needed to stay simple. So, I decided to play around with these two Persimmon recipes.
I love the look of this fruit. To be honest, I decorated with it more than I ate it before I tried these recipes. The color is amazing, and they pair perfectly with all the gorgeous seasonal fruits for the fruit bowl in my kitchen. Other than looks, Persimmon have taste going for them as well. They’re light, sweet and refreshing.
Let’s talk about this salad. I continued to eat it for several days after the first bite. It’s sweet, it’s tangy. If fall had a flavor this would be it. Everything about it is easy as well. No chopping. Just unload the leaves onto the plate and start piling on the good stuff. The only element that needs a knife is the Persimmon. Slice it into wedges – the perfect size to fit a piece into every bite.
Another super simple (and sweet) way to use Persimmon? Put it in a tart. It has an oatmeal based crust, perfect to hold the cinnamon, Persimmon blend. This recipe has all the right fall flavors in it as well. You can prepare this in advance because it can live in the fridge for a few days before serving. And anything I can do in advance works in my favor these days.
Both of these recipes were inspired by two blogs that I follow religiously. Salad from Half Baked Harvest. Tart featured on Beijo Events.
Persimmon Salad
INGREDIENTS
- flaky sea salt
- 3-4 cups mixed greens and arugula
- 3-4 fuyu persimmons cored + cut into wedges
- handful cape gooseberries
- 3/4 cups dried cranberries
- 8 ounces goat cheese, separated into chunks
- handful pomegranate arils
CRANBERRY BALSAMIC DRESSING
- 1/4 cup 100% pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt + pepper to taste
TO MAKE
- In a large bowl or on a large serving plate, combine the greens, persimmons, gooseberries and cranberries. Add chunks of goat cheese and sprinkle pomegranate arils .
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Add salt and pepper as needed and drizzle on salad.
Persimmon Tart
INGREDIENTS
- six ripe Fuyu persimmons
- two firm Fuyu persimmons
- one tsp cinnamen
- one tsp fresh ground nutmeg
- one tsp sugar
CRUST
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 6 graham cracker sheets
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted then cooled
TO MAKE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together rolled oats, graham crackers, sugar, and salt. Don’t over-grind the oats. If the oats are ground up too much, it will turn into oat flour. Pulse just until they are broken up. Add the melted butter and stir until the mixture comes together. Press into a tart pan until evenly distributed.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until crust is set and golden brown and slightly puffy. Use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to gently press crust into shell. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature before filling.
- Peel and pit all six of the persimmons. Slice them and add them to the cleaned food processor. Mix until the persimmons are completely smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix completely.
- Evenly smooth the persimmon mixture over the crust. Put into the refrigerator to set before serving. Cover and freeze if the tart is made in advance.
