Until these salads, I’m not sure I understood the purpose of the persimmon. They’re like a slightly sweet, mostly flavorless person at a party that always looks put together with their bright orange outfits and pretty little leafy bows on top, but when you talk to them, you realize that meaningful, deep conversation isn’t their strong suit. Perfectly pleasant persimmon, but does it really make the party a richer event? Alison sure thinks so. In fact, it’s the persimmon’s subtlety she praises. Perhaps I get what she means.
When it comes to standard vegetable salads, there’s a wealth of virtually flavorless leafy options to populate most of the bowl: romaine, kale, iceberg, spinach, butter lettuce, the list goes on. The leaves give us something to dress, something to pair toppings with. When it comes to fruit salads, what options do we have? Very few fruits don’t make a statement. In fact, I can only think of the persimmon.
There, that’s it! Persimmons can be the romaine of our fruit salads, at least for the two months a year when they’re in season! To take advantage of their limited seasonality, Alison provided us with two somewhat similar, but truly tasty salad recipes. Even Jordan said both salads top his list for the project.
< Quick interjection about Alison’s salad recipes -- I think I accidentally chose to make the salads I’d like the least at the beginning. For the first few months, it felt like most every salad I made struck out. It wasn’t so much the recipes themselves, I can see merit to them and why they were included in the book. The flavors just didn’t do it for me. They were usually more acidic and less balanced with salty and sweet. I didn’t want to save the leftovers. But in the last two months or so, every salad has been a hit. >
Both persimmon salads are lovely, I think I prefer the Persimmon and Pear one a bit more - I love the combination of sweet/spicy nuts and strong, salty cheese with crisp fruit.
A few notes about Persimmon and Pear Salad with Spicy Pecans and Blue Cheese:
Be sure to buy Bosc pears like Alison suggests. They’re typically a firmer pear that keeps its shape - perfect for plating in a salad. They’re also perfectly sweet and tangy.
I’ve never liked blue cheese. The smell is too potent and the taste too funky. Alison calls for a firm blue cheese so I bought the smallest block I could find. Much to my surprise, I could tolerate, and even slightly enjoy, the thin shavings of this hard cheese. If you also have a hard time with blue cheese, maybe the stiffer kind will be better? (The smell is still awful though, be forewarned.)
The pecans were easily the best part, and so easy to make. Saute pecans in maple syrup and Aleppo pepper until bubbling and sort of “fuzzy” in appearance (Alison’s term, not mine, but it’s true!). Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Chop once cooled.
A few notes about Vinegared Apples with Persimmon and White Cheddar:
Not much different from the first salad, except no nuts, and less strong of a choice of cheese. If you’re super, super opposed to blue cheese, I recommend making the other salad and swapping blue cheese for sharp white cheddar. Now you’ll have the best of both worlds!
Both salads are doused with white wine vinegar and drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper, which, together, unify the other ingredients.
182 and 183 recipes cooked, 42 to go.
