Persimmons... winter's perfect peach

Our frightful winter weather went on hiatus and sent in its place 'partly sunny with highs in the upper seventies'.

Exactly two weeks until Christmas and the weather report is highs in the upper seventies for the rest of the week!?! what are we supposed to do with this? what do I cook to feel the season when it is freakishly warm outside? The gingerbread cookies, roasted vegetables, oven on for hours, and stews of last week sound drastically out of place.
Now, I will concede that hanging the laundry out yesterday wearing a tank top was not all bad, but still, we are talking about what to eat! Expectantly, but admittedly a bit resistant, I searched the produce section for something fresh, seasonal, and ready in the raw. look at these beauties that found me.

hachiya, pear, and fuyu

Persimmons appear in cake recipes, quick bread recipes, and I believe at one point along the culinary road I saw them with Duck... maybe that was a dream.
Hachiya and Fuyu are the two most common varieties sold in our markets this time of year. Eastern North America has a native variety that grows to be only 2-6 centimeters long. These are sometimes called "simmons".
People prefer either Hachiya or Fuyu like they are political parties. Find a persimmon lover and I am sure they will have a preference, and a reason you should dislike the other.
I personally like them both (call me tolerant). The Fuyu has far less tannins than the Hachiya and therefore may be eaten when still firm. The Hachiya must be eaten when soft to make it palpable and safe. The Hachiya should feel like a super ripe peach when ready to eat. Some say not, but I think they need to be peeled because the skin sort of makes the mouth go numb. (It feels really weird.) The Fuyu may be eaten like an apple right out of hand. 

(minor commercial break... there are robins sitting on the clothesline straddling the legs of my corduroy pants... I first thought  about how cute they are, and then immediately thought about poo all over my clothes. hmmm. I hope this does not become a problem to be solved.)

Back to persimmons... After eying the lovely fruits in the store, I wanted a salsa.
If the weather has forced you out of winter stew, here is a breath of fresh air.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is beautiful, delicious, creative and Simple with a capital S.

Orange, Persimmon, Pear Salsa
makes 2 cups

1 red bartlett or d'anjou pear, a bit crisp is good
1 hachiya persimmon
1 navel orange
1 lime
1 tbsp minced red onion
pinch of salt

1. Cut pear into small dice.
2. Scoop flesh from the hachiya skin and cut into small dice
3. Peel and segment orange (cutting flesh away from the pithy white). cut into small pieces and try to get as much of the juice into the salsa as possible.
4. Add zest from one lime and squeeze juice from 1/2 of lime (about 1 tsp juice)
5. Add minced red onion. stir well. pinch of salt to taste.

I made this and served it with Fried Fish Tacos. It would be great over grilled fish such as Grouper or Snapper.

The salsa is a bit sweet with just enough tang of lime to make it lovely on tortilla chips or over a burrito if you do not do fish. It is just so pretty.

Speaking of pretty, we have had show stopping sunsets in our neck of the woods.

 

Is this a side benefit of spring in December?