This recipe was inspired by the beautiful fall fruit that has just arrived at the Farmer’s Market. I adore Fuyu persimmons with their haunting flavor. Fuyu persimmons are typically eaten out of hand, the way you would an apple. I loved combining them with pomegranates. The contrast between colors and flavors is unique and divine. I added a little bit of Mache to crown the dish and add another layer of flavor, color and texture.
To make this dish, I sliced the persimmon into thin slices, kind of like a persimmon Carpaccio if you will. I then scattered pomegranate seeds over the persimmon for color and texture. The greens are tossed with a basic vinaigrette, for a savory component and to contrast with the sweetness of the Fuyu Persimmon. To finish this dish, I drizzled the persimmon with a high quality, flavorful extra virgin olive oil and topped it all off with a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel.
*This would be a perfect starter for a Holiday dinner party. You could even make up a large platter of this salad and add it to the buffet table.
*If you can’t find mache, you could substitute Arugula or Watercress.
Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad
Serves 2
1 Fuyu Persimmon, peeled and thinly sliced into 1/8” rounds
¼ cup of Pomegranate Seeds
½ cup Mache or Arugula
Fleur de Sel
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Now is the time to break out the good stuff!)
Basic Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp. Vinegar, I like a mellow Champagne Vinegar for this dish.
2/3 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Whisk the olive oil into the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To assemble:
Place the persimmon slices in a concentric circle on a plate. Scatter the pomegranate seeds over. Toss the greens with a tablespoon or two of the vinaigrette to moisten. Place a knot of the greens in the center of the plate. Drizzle the Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the persimmon and garnish with a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel.
Enjoy!
Fall weather is upon us. What does this mean? Kale, Pumpkin, Squash and collard greens will be in your farmer’s market basket for the foreseeable future. If you live in the Bay Area, tomatoes will also be in your near future. One of the issues with getting similar products in your CSA basket every week is coming up with different (yet easy and quick) recipes to use. Soups and pasta dishes are a godsend on Sunday afternoons when I have foresworn the grocery store and limit myself to cook with only what I have on hand. Oh horrors! (I really hate to let food go to waste—one of my soap boxes, I know.) So, this past weekend we had two bunches of Kale, part of a Kuri squash and half a package of chorizo. Mmm…perfect…I can turn this into a riff of Portuguese Caldo Verde.
Caldo Verde has a thousand different variations, but it always includes some type of greens—collard, kale etc. I have had a love-hate relationship with kale for years. It all began when I went to Raw Vegan un-cooking camp a few years ago, We were fed raw kale for breakfast lunch and dinner. I’m talking soup, salad and kale kake. I knew that my relationship with kale would have to change when I got into my car, sniffed and realized that I smelled like kale.
Fast forward to the present, and I really enjoy cooked kale. Braised, stir-fried, I even like kale chips!
This soup was quick to make, loaded with nutrients, a little spicy and smoky from the chorizo and sweet from the pumpkin. It was perfect for a foggy San Francisco day.
Enjoy!
Kale, Chorizo and Pumpkin Soup
2 bunches of kale, destemmed and finely chopped in the Cuisinart.
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced.
A glug of olive oil for sautéing the vegetables.
2 cups of pumpkin or squash, diced into bite sized cubes. (You could use: Kuri, Kabocha or Butternut Squash. Sweet Potatoes would work here too.
6 oz, chorizo, removed from the casing and set aside.
8 cups Stock or water
1 tsp. Aleppo Pepper (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Pour the olive oil in a soup pot or braising dish. When the oil is warm, gently sauté the onion and garlic. Add the chorizo to the pot and crumble. When the chorizo is cooked thru pour off any excess oil that has accumulated. Add the kale, pumpkin, Aleppo pepper if using and stock. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 25 minutes or so until the pumpkin is very tender and starting to fall apart. (This will add substance to the soup.) Remove from the heat, taste, season and taste again. Enjoy!
