Produce Spotlight: the Persimmon

Happy Friday New Roots Organics foodies!

This week’s produce is sure to be a treat. Featured in this week’s bins is the exotic Persimmon. Bright orange for Halloween, it may need a day or two on your counter, but this variety called Fuyu are firm when they are ripe. Originally from China, the Persimmon came to the United States in the 1800s and today is grown rapidly throughout California. This brightly colored, glossy orange red skinned fruit is an excellent source of vitamin A, a good source of vitamin C, and rich in fiber.

If you’ve never had a persimmon before, you may wonder the best way to eat it. Persimmons are a very versatile fruit and could be in just about any type of dish. You can slice them like a tomato, they are very pretty that way, and should be slightly crunchy & sweet! They will decorate a plate and be a tasty compliment to a sharp cheese! Do not eat the skin though, it has a very astringent, drying quality. Check out these other great ways to eat a persimmon:

1. Wash persimmons, remove core and leaves, and slice or eat whole

2. Add firm persimmon slices to salads

3. Mix cubed persimmon with grapes, pomegranate seeds, cubed apple, and sliced kiwi for a colorful fall salad

4. Top hot or cold cereal with cubed pieces of bright orange persimmon

5. Make salsa with a twist – add chopped persimmon, onion, tomatillo, cilantro, and chili Serrano and mix together

What’s New This Week: Along with persimmons, our menus this week will include Carnival Squash. This squash is pretty, a lot like Sweet Dumpling with a sweet orange flesh, tastes like squash! We will also be having mixed Heirloom Fingerling potatoes. They are dense and creamy in texture, and typically require slightly longer cooking time than other potatoes. And lastly, we’ll be having Chojuro Asian pears! These are a real treat from our friend, Dennis O’Neil of Dry Slough Orchards. He has a small orchard and since his crop was rather small this year, he is selling almost exclusively to us!

Have a great weekend and a safe, happy Halloween! Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and Twitter. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions! We love to talk. 🙂

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