I adore winter food. Deep, complex flavors, contrasting textures, and the very vitamins and minerals we need to get through a long, dark season. I love that these fruits take so long to ripen: they absorb all of the goodness of summer, growing and developing over the hottest months and then sweetening as the sun declines. What a beautiful natural poem!
Over Thanksgiving I received about a half-bushel of persimmons from a very generous family friend. These are some of my most favorite fruits ever, but a half bushel was a lot - even for me! - to get through! What to do with these lovely fruits, other than eat out of hand or slice into yogurt? I came up with a gorgeous and delicious salad recipe, perfect for local, seasonal fruits and vegetables this time of year, and exactly what I need to get me through short days and a virus-prone office!
Luscious winter fruits in sunshine colors, ready for salad making!
Winter Sunshine Salad
- Cut 1 persimmon in half and remove the leaf cap, then slice into the size segment you want in a salad. I do thinnish slices to the center, so that I can see the body of the fruit in each slice. Put all of these into a medium-sized bowl.
- Peel 1 mandarin orange and segment (cut segments if you'd rather have smaller pieces). Place in same bowl as persimmons.
- Take about 1 cup of parsley and chop small. Toss into the bowl with the fruit.
- Toss in the same bowl about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.
- Now, isn't that beautiful? For the finishing touch, drizzle on some basalmic vinegar (I use Skylake Ranch pomegranate basalmic - from our very own rural northern CA!) and freshly-milled Oliview Farm olive oil! Maybe a sprinkle of salt, and you're ready for lunch!
This salad is packed full of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and ready to bust your winter blues and bring sunshine to your table and your tummy! Enjoy the beauty and bounty of winter!
- Elizabeth
Winter Sunshine Salad ready for tomorrow's potluck!