Life Ingredients

Although the fog was in, bits of sun peaked through to shine down upon the abundant fruits of the fall~persimmons, pomegranates, apples, brussels sprouts…even strawberries! We really are fortunate to have so much delicious produce year round.

What I have mostly noticed are the dried goods that are becoming available. Rather than fresh fruits, you find nuts~fresh walnuts still in the shell, almonds that are crunchy! …and a new-comer, honey. This made from all natural process and local bees is said to help support allergies as much of the honey contains the local pollens and so your body is able to build a slow immunity to the pollens that may plague you now:)

This week, we made a delicious salad of pomegranate, walnut and apple salad~and I can’t forget the persimmons! We shopped around, found all of our ingredients right there. You will notice that the recipe calls for mint~but we couldn’t find any and so just added a little extra flavor and thought nuts might do the trick…and they did.

Please enjoy.

November is a special time of year~the days are cooler, the nights even chilly.  The markets are remarkable different as each vendor reflects the fruits of late fall~Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  The colors have changed, the textures are firmer as fleshy fruit turns to root vegetables, squashes~and the warm winter foods that nourish us throughout the winter.

Although you may not be able to get to the market, there is an abundance of information about what’s in season, nutrition, or events that can be found online.  A great resource is CUESA~Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture:

http://www.cuesa.org

The following excerpt was taken from them.

What’s Special

Persimmons

There are several species of persimmon—some native to China and others to North America—but the Asian Diospyros kaki accounts for almost all commercial persimmon production. Both American Indians and settlers ate the fruits of the native Diospyros virginiana, and until Japanese immigrants introduced Americans to Asian persimmons (also known as kaki fruits), the indigenous persimmon enjoyed some popularity.

There are two distinctly different types of persimmon and many varieties of each type. Astringent varieties, like the acorn-shaped Hachiya, must ripen fully before they are eaten; their unripe flesh is tannic and causes an extremely unpleasant sensation in the mouth. These varieties are generally harvested when they are hard and ripened on countertops or windowsills. When they are ready to eat, their thin skin is a translucent orange, and their flesh is runny and gelatinous. Astringent varieties are often used in baking or preserving and can be dried to make the Japanese treat, hoshigaki.

Hamada Farms, which grows four varieties of persimmon, dries about 6000 Hachiyas every year using the traditional Japanese method. First, they hand clip the persimmons from the tree, leaving a “T” where the stem meets the branch. Then, they remove the leaf crown at the top of each fruit, peel the skin off with a potato peeler, and hang them to dry in the sun. The resulting products are dense and succulent treats covered with a white powdery substance that some mistake for mold. The powder is actually a sugar bloom that naturally surfaces, coating the fruit with a delicious sweetness.

Non-astringent varieties of persimmon, like the squat Fuyu, can be eaten when they are still hard. The fruit’s flavor is sweet and mild, and its texture is smooth. These varieties are perfect for eating out of hand, slicing into salads, or drying in thick rounds.