Persimmon salad with prosciutto, fennel and white balsamic vinaigrette
Juicy, salty, zingy, fresh
Published originally on my blog on 5 December 2013
No, the title of this post is not referring to the ancient Greek mythological human race from Homer’s Odyssey named Lotus-eaters, but to S and me. (Lotos is the Greek name for persimmon).
Since the beginning of autumn, when persimmons made their appearance at the markets, bagfuls of the orange-hued, plump fruit came into my kitchen weekly, to say the least.
We love eating fruits; in salads, desserts, savory dishes of all kinds, and throughout this autumn season our meals have been filled with dishes bejeweled with seasonal fruits.
As with several other fruits and vegetables, I first tasted persimmons when I moved to the Netherlands six years ago. I have no memory of eating them while in Greece, and when I finally tasted the shiny fruit, I was immediately addicted to its unique flavor.
Persimmons are an unexpectedly succulent, full-flavored and sweet fruit with a smooth flesh. With or without their glossy skin, they are best eaten when they are fully ripe and juicy. Eaten raw for breakfast, in salads or even roasted, they are simply wonderful.
I prefer to have them when they very soft and squidgy, cutting them in half and scooping out their flesh with a spoon, or eating them just as they are, skins and all, like an apple. In salads, I like them thinly sliced, skin on, and when I use them in cakes or desserts I tend to use their pulp.
In this salad, the persimmon is particularly interesting as its sweet taste and soft texture pairs uniquely well with the liquoricy fennel, the crisp peppery rocket, the salty and meaty prosciutto, and the rounded sharpness of the white balsamic vinaigrette.
It is always worth trying new flavors.
Small or great pleasures, as with everything worthwhile in life, don’t come to you unless you seek them.
