My friend Heather is in the process of moving from Boise to Los Gatos and normally I’d do an intervention – siting that she must be temporarily insane to give up the clean air, easy access to mountains and rivers and a bounty of friends for the high cost of living, traffic and pollution of California, but as there’s love at the other end, I know it’s a battle I’ll lose.
Meanwhile she’s trying to reassure me that it’s not so bad down there and one very successful way she’s doing that is by sending me text messages with photos of the beautiful, inexpensive produce she picks up at roadside stands near her new house. Ok ok… she has my attention especially since here in Idaho it’s been cold now for awhile and I’d be lying if I said that the thought of eating fresh figs and citrus practically right from the tree isn’t amazingly appealing.
A big treat for me this time of year are persimmons. I love that they are crunchy and sweet and such a bright burst of color when life is seeming a little gray. While Heather is busy rubbing it in that they are everywhere down there, they are a bit of a splurge here (running about $1 each) but then again maybe that’s one of the reasons they are so special.
Heather was back in Boise for the holidays and was having a little cocktail party. When I saw this recipe for Persimmon Bruchetta I knew exactly what I was going to make. Good luck in the next chapter of your life Heather and I’m thinking perhaps you should get that guest room ready!
- Crusty baguette, sliced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Coarse ground black pepper
- Flaky sea salt
- 4 ripe but not too ripe Fuyu persimmons
- ½ cup fresh ricotta
- ½ cup fresh tangy goat cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or mint if using pistachios
- ¼ cup light colored honey, warmed
- ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts or pistachios, coarsely chopped
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush bread with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, and bake until crisp and lightly browned.
- Cut the persimmons into lovely juicy orange petals. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice.
- Whisk together ricotta, goat cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest and rosemary.
- Dollop cheese mixture on warm toasts. Lay slices of persimmon on each toast, and sprinkle with coarse pepper and sea salt flakes. Drizzle with warm honey and sprinkle with toasted nuts. Garnish with rosemary or mint sprigs.
