Pickled: November 2011

Fuyu persimmons have become my cute little, bright orangey-red, pudgy new friends lately.

I was gifted a bag full of them a few days ago... and may I say, I love food gifts.

I've never eaten or cooked with a Fuyu persimmon before, so this was a fun week. I ate a couple straight up like an apple; made pumpkin and persimmon scones the other day and then today I conjured up what I'm calling Ginger-Spiked Persimmon Pudding Bread. Ginger-spiked because I saw a few recipes that called for about a 1/2 teaspoon of ginger and I just thought that was poppycock ... I like to use that word when I'm feeling sassy. It's been one of those days.

There are a few things I am not shy with in recipes... garlic being the first one (don't worry, you're safe for this recipe at least)... ginger being the next runner up. It's far too delicious, spicy, fall-ish, warming and medicinal to be stingy with so I wanted to make sure you get ginger when you take a bite of this subtly, sweet bread. Pair ginger with persimmons --- which strangely and wonderfully remind me of an apple, a cantaloupe and a pumpkin all at once --- blended into a pulp and mixed into a cakey-bread batter, well, it's just goodness all around. What really spikes this tasty dish up is by serving it up with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and then sprinkling crushed, crystallized ginger over the top... doesn't that sound like it would be adored on the table during the holidays?

So back to persimmons. Do be sure to get the Fuyu or Hachiya variety since they are non-astringent and definitely sweeter. Or, get the astringent kind and learn the true meaning of "pucker." You'll want to make sure they are ripe and then to peel the skin; however, if you get the Fuyu variety like I did, then they stay firm even when they are ripe, so, don't hold your breath.

This bread recipe is infused with several autumn spices to whisk you right into the heart of fall. In addition to ginger, there is cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and allspice, which just marry so well with persimmons. Though, don't be intimidated by them or shy with them because persimmons can be enjoyed in so many other ways... even in smoothies, as a pureed fruit topping for pancakes, stirred into oatmeal, in a creamy pudding, into muffins, sliced fresh and added to salads, etc. Actually, I am about to find out because just as I pulled the bread out of the oven and used up the last of them, I got a knock on my door letting me know, there was another bag full of persimmons on the way. I have out-of-town friends staying with me this weekend and you can guess what is on the menu!

On the therapeutic food front, when you think of persimmons think of:

potassium
vitamin A (eye health, disease fighting)
vitamin C (building our immune system for the colder months ahead)
good source of fiber (digestive health)
their cooling and moistening benefits as they may help dry conditions in the body and when the weather is dry as well
anti-oxidants, the polyphenolic kind and similar to the properties in green tea... think of cancer fighting, anti-inflammatory and vascular/heart health

Change up your fruit this fall and have a little fun with persimmons. If you are using them and have any recipes that you especially love, would ya share?