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persimmons
Posted on October 26th, 2009 1 comment
It is the beginning of persimmon season here in Central California. The orchards and the markets are full of this delicious and unusual fruit. There are 2 varieties of persimmons, the Hachiya and the Fuyu. The fruit of the Hachiya is ripe when it is very very soft and almost feels rotten. Otherwise it is very puckery. The fruit of the Fuyu variety stays crunchy. The softer variety is delicious in puddings, cakes, ice cream, and can be eaten raw, scooped out of the skin.. The crunchy variety can be eaten sliced like an apple, peeled or not peeled. It is good in salads, both vegetable and fruit, or made into a crisp.
Try this recipe and just substitute Fuyu persimmons for the pears.
I found this site when researching persimmons. I tried the peanut butter snack. I liked the two flavors together but the PB did kind of overpower the persimmon, but a fun little snack, especially for kids or the kid in you who likes little sandwiches.
I have yet to get any Hachiyas to ripen enough for the ice cream but soon…Be adventuresome and let me know what you try.
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home sweet home
Posted on October 20th, 2009 2 commentsTuesday, October 20, 2009
I have been on vacation in Pennsylvania and New England. It was a great trip and I am oh so glad to be home. It was good for this Californian to get a dose of beautiful changing leaves, chilly weather, a bit of snow.I made some good realizations. I almost take it for granted the good food I eat. Almost everything is organic, hardly anything comes from a box or can, and a lot of it is raised and produced right here in California. I spent many days at the residence where my mother lives and they are at the opposite end of that spectrum! “Good” food according to the USDA guidelines but that certainly doesn’t meet my idea of good food… nothing organic, mostly overcooked, under seasoned. They do have to make many people happy which is pretty impossible! I also became painfully aware of the importance of my way of eating for my health. My digestive system is not too happy with the 10 days of being off the wagon. Time away from the kitchen, too, is always a good reminder of how much I love to cook. I missed it.Today I went grocery shopping and got things to make my tummy healthy and happy again… beets, avocados, organic chicken, really good tortillas, kale, arugula, kombucha, persimmons. Let the cooking begin! I will report back soon with the results.
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Soup’s On!
Posted on October 20th, 2009 2 commentsTuesday, October 6, 2009
I have been thinking alot lately about comfort food. What does that mean ? For much of my life, food has not given me comfort. I have had ( and still have moments of) a very UNcomfortable relationship with food. It has seemed more like my enemy. Comfort is an emotion and food at its worst, has been a vehicle for numbing anything I might have been feeling. I found some interesting research here. It has taken me many years of therapy, many wonderful meals with loving friends, and my work as a personal chef to get to the point where I can actually enjoy eating, that I can love something I am eating, that I can feel some comfort from it. Soup is one of those things. Since I am basically non dairy, I enjoy “creamy” soups made from coconut milk. The subtitle of this post could be the evolution of a recipe. In my wanderings around the internet, I found this blog and recipe, which was inspired by someone else’s recipe and blog. Of course, I made adaptations and now it is something completely different but related. Sort of like me and some of my family!
Coconut Milk Winter Squash soup4 c water1 T vegetable bouillion1 can coconut milk1 chopped onion1 T finely chopped fresh ginger1 T finely chopped lemongrass ( I recently found a jarred variety!)2 cloves garlic, minceds and p to taste1 c or so of cubed winter squash ( I used Green Kuri)large handful of chopped kalehandful of chopped celery2 c chopped cooked chickenI had some already roasted chicken, so this came together quickly. Put everything together in a large saucepan and cook until vegetables are tender. ( about 10 minutes)Hearty, Healthy, Comforting.
