Stone Fruit: The Naked Truth

Although San Franciscans are still sporting fleece and down jackets, the arrival of the first stone fruits in Bay Area farmer's markets hints that summer is near. Apricots, peaches, nectarines and cherries are already brightening foggy market days. There is much to look forward to in the coming months for those who cherish the fragrance, flavor and beauty of the fruit of the trees.

Fresh, raw and naked is the best way to enjoy summer stone fruits. Quality fruit is bred for flavor, not shelf life or cosmetic perfection. Smaller fruit with a few blemishes may be far superior in taste and nutritional value to oversized picture perfect commercial produce. Farmer's markets provide the opportunity to sample different varieties of fruit and to consult with the vendors about how to select, ripen and store it.

Transport your fruit home from the market with care. Separate very ripe or slightly bruised specimens immediately; fruit salads and smoothies can be made with them in minutes. Many stone fruits can be held at room temperature for a few days or more. Don't wash the fruit until you are ready to eat it. Place fruit on a clean dry surface, leaving a little space between each piece.

Check the fruit daily and set aside the ripest to be eaten that day. With proper handling, your collection of stone fruit can be savored all week at peak flavor. Simply wash and nosh! When the next market day arrives you will be eager to replenish your supply of some of nature's finest creations.

Almost Spring: Citrus - Mango Smoothie

Plum blossoms, blood oranges, Minneola tangerines, Ruby Red grapefruits and Lunar New Year signal the arrival of Spring in San Francisco. Farmer's markets are flush with colorful fresh citrus fruit, perfect for creating delicious smoothies like this citrus- mango combo, which can be made in a minute or two.

Dried mango slices are a versatile all- season pantry staple. When re-hydrated and blended into smoothies, they add velvety texture, valuable nutrients and a subtle tropical flavor. To re-hydrate, place a handful of mango slices in a glass jar and add water to cover. Mangoes will be soft enough to use in about an hour but can be stored in the fridge for up to three or four days in the jar of water.

Citrus - Mango Smoothie

2 or 3 medium blood oranges or Minneola Tangerines
3-4  mango slices, re-hydrated
1/2 cup mango soaking water

Use any combination of citrus.
Remove peel and seeds, slice into chunks.
Place citrus, mango slices and water in blender and process on high until smooth. If needed, add a little more water.  Serve immediately.  (Yields about one serving).

Fuyu Gaki! (Winter Persimmon)

The fuyu persimmon season began early this year in Northern California. Vendors at my local farmer's market inform me that the crop is plentiful and of high quality but the season will be short, so now is the time to gather a generous supply of persimmons for the winter. 

Store fuyus in a cool place (not the fridge where they will get mushy). Fuyus keep well and will continue to ripen and soften a bit as their color deepens. The deeper the color the sweeter the fruit!  Be patient! Eat a nutritious delicious fuyu gaki smoothie every day to ensure good health this winter.

Fuyu Gaki Smoothie:

To make a single serving smoothie, place one cut up fuyu and one cup plain, unsweetened almond milk in blender and process until smooth, adding a little more almond milk if mixture is too thick. Garnish with freshly ground nutmeg.

Serve in a bowl.  Meditate on the beautiful orange color of the Fuyu Gaki, the Winter Persimmon!

Persimmon Season: Will It Be Sweet?

"Will it be sweet                                         
this Japanese persimmon
the first in my hand?"


Shibu karo ka
shira nedo kaki no
hatsu chigiri?

--- Chiyo-ni
(1703- 1775)



Chiyo-ni  was one of the foremost haiku poets of the Japanese Edo period (1603- 1868). Her work was particularly revered for its poetic quality of "shizen to hitotsu ni naru"  or "oneness with nature". It is said that she composed this haiku while contemplating the future of her recent marriage.

Persimmons are inspirational for their beauty but also for their taste, and one of the sweetest moments of the year for me is the appearance of the first persimmons in local produce markets. It is my annual ritual to spend a November morning on the chilly streets of San Francisco seeking out the most perfect persimmons to store up for the coming weeks of winter, when throughout the dark days, rows of ripening orange fruit brighten my kitchen.

Whether Chiyo-ni's marriage was sweet, or bitter like an unripe persimmon is unknown. Perhaps hints can be found in her poetry, which she began writing at the age of seven. By seventeen,  her talent for writing clear, pure haiku was well known. In her later years she took vows and lived the contemplative, austere life of a Buddhist. Perhaps even then she permitted herself an occasional taste of the sweet fruit of the persimmon tree.
                                                                           

Note: Previous posts contain extensive details on how to select, store and eat Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons. To access them, click on the "persimmons" label on the right hand column of the blog. My favorite persimmon recipe is below:

Persimmon Smoothie

1 Fuyu persimmon
1 cup nut milk or soy milk, plus extra as needed
fresh nutmeg, grated

Wash the persimmon and remove the calyx. Cut into a few pieces and remove any seeds. Place fruit, nut or soy milk and nutmeg in blender and process until smooth, adding a little extra nut or soy milk if too thick.  Serve immediately, garnished with a little more nutmeg, or store up to a few hours in the fridge.

 

Sublime Strawberry Smoothie!

The key to this sublimely delicious, refreshing and healthy smoothie is the simplicity and quality of the ingredients.  Many summer fruits are quite perishable and smoothies are a convenient way to make use of them before they spoil. In this recipe, the strawberries provide the dominant flavor; dates and banana add sweetness and body without obscuring the bright strawberry essence. Sunflower seeds or cashews lend additional thickness and high quality nutrients. Using a frozen banana creates a thick, luxurious smoothie but you can use a fresh banana if you don't have any frozen ones on hand. The recipe yields one generous serving, enough for a light meal.



Sublime Strawberry Smoothie:

2 medjul dates, pitted
2 tablespoons raw, unsalted sunflower seeds or cashews
1 cup or more nut milk or soy milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 handful very ripe strawberries, hulled
1 large banana, frozen
cinnamon powder for garnish 


Place dates, sunflower seeds or cashews,  nut milk and vanilla in blender and process thoroughly until very smooth. Blend in strawberries.  Cut frozen banana into four or five pieces and blend in one or two pieces at a time until mixture is just smooth, adding a little more nut milk if needed. To preserve thickness of the smoothie, don't over blend.  Serve immediately in a chilled glass or dessert bowl, garnished with a pinch of cinnamon powder.

Variations:  Other very ripe summer fruit such as apricots,  blueberries, raspberries or blackberries may be substituted for the strawberries. Use what's season and ultra ripe for best results!

How to freeze a banana: Select ripe banana, peel and wrap in waxed paper.  Press on the wrapped banana a bit to flatten before placing in freezer to shorten freezing time.

Antique flag: 1814 

Winter: A Persimmon A Day

Persimmon enthusiasts require no special inducements to consume this superb fruit, which is now in season in Northern California. But for those less familiar with persimmons who hesitate to expand their fruit repertoire, it may be an added incentive to know that persimmons are among the healthiest fruits ever cultivated.

Rich in beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin as well as vitamin C, folate, potassium, manganese, copper and phosphorus, the persimmon ranks high as a super food which is also affordable and easy to incorporate into one's daily diet. Its plentiful nutrients are especially beneficial during the winter months when the supply and variety of fresh fruit is limited and cold weather viruses are making the rounds.

The Japanese Fuyu persimmon pictured above is a non-astringent variety which is edible when firm. Fuyus may be stored in a cool place and allowed to ripen gradually; they will continue to deepen in color and sweetness while softening only slightly. With proper handling, Fuyus will keep for weeks, long after the harvest is over.

Persimmon season is short. Demand for the crop is modest and it is not a highly commercialized fruit, so the number of persimmon orchards in California is still small. When you spot persimmons in your produce market, you might want to take home a good quantity before the harvest ends, which can happen rather abruptly, usually sometime in mid December.

At their most nutritious when eaten raw, persimmons are excellent eaten out of hand or sliced into salads; they travel well for portable snacks. But my very favorite way to enjoy them is as a persimmon smoothie, which can be made in seconds. Simply cut up a persimmon and process in a blender with nut milk or plain soy milk until smooth; add a little nutmeg if you wish. Serve in a bowl or glass; you'll need a spoon to savor this sublimely luxurious winter delight!

Note: See persimmon smoothie recipe in a previous post titled "Perfect Persimmon Smoothie".

Citrus Squeeze: Minneola + Blood Orange Juice

One of the great pleasures of late winter in Northern California is the abundant supply of a wide variety of fresh citrus fruit such as Minneola tangelos, navel and Valencia oranges, Rio Star grapefruit, Cara Cara oranges and blood oranges. There are infinite ways to enjoy this annual citrus bonanza but one of the most delightful and simplest is to make a glass of fresh squeezed juice. My favorite combination is Minneola tangelo and blood orange juice; this energizing blend creates a beautiful ruby red drink with a delicate aromatic flavor.






Minneola Tangelo + Blood Orange Juice:

2 Minneola tangelos
1 blood orange

Wash fruit, cut into halves and squeeze by hand. Serve immediately in a glass; sip very slowly! Makes one serving.







Brazilian stainless steel hand powered citrus juicer, circa 1991.

Hachiya!

Persimmon season is here, and the first Hachiyas and Fuyus are arriving in the markets. These are the two persimmon varieties most familiar to North Americans, at least by sight if not by name; Hachiyas are tall and pointy, shaped like a big acorn; Fuyus are flat and squat, resembling a tomato in shape.

The most important fact about Hachiya persimmons is their astringency; they contain a high percentage of tannins which slowly disappear as the fruit ripens. Eating a partially ripe Hachiya is a very unpleasant experience and many people never eat another after encountering the intensely bitter astringent taste of incompletely ripened fruit. (This does guarantee that Hachiya aficionados get to horde more fruit for themselves).

However, a perfectly ripe Hachiya is one of the most delicious fruits on earth; it is worth learning how to correctly judge its ripeness in order to enjoy this exceptional treat. The Hachiya must be totally soft from tip to stem in order to be edible, so soft that ripe ones are almost impossible to transport home from the market undamaged.

It's best to purchase Hachiyas which are firm or just slightly soft. Select those which are deep orange in color, smooth and free of breaks or bruises in the skin. Some Hachiyas have darkish spots from sun exposure as in the photo above, but this pigmentation does not detract from the quality of the fruit. If the skin of the persimmon is intact, it can be allowed to ripen for as long as necessary without spoiling.

Store Hachiyas at room temperature in a location where you will be able to monitor their progress daily. If you have purchased a good quantity at the height of the season, most likely the individual persimmons will ripen at different rates. Very ripe Hachiyas can be held for a few days in the fridge but for optimal flavor, plan on using the fruit as soon as it ripens.

The persimmon season is short, so if you find good quality fruit in your market, don't delay. Once you've tasted your first ultra sweet velvety Hachiya persimmon, you'll want more. Gather your persimmons today, or wait for next season!


Decadent Hachiya Dessert

This recipe creates a beautiful luxurious dessert in seconds. Blend very ripe room temperature Hachiya persimmons with soy or nut milk and flavorings until smooth. Serve immediately in small glass dessert bowls.

2 Hachiya persimmons, calyx removed
1 cup soy milk or nut milk (+ a little more if needed)
1 pinch each: nutmeg, cinnamon, powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Note: Serves 2 slightly greedy persimmon lovers.

Apricot Smoothie: Summer in a Glass

Apricots are among the first stone fruits to appear in produce markets in late spring, soon to be followed by peaches, plums and nectarines. Fresh fruit smoothies are a seasonal delight, simple to make and redolent of the flavors of summer. All that's needed to create an energizing light meal or snack is a handful of very ripe fruit, some nut milk or soy milk and a blender.

Apricot Smoothie

1 + 1/2 cups apricots, halved and pitted
1 + 1/2 cups fresh nut milk or plain soy milk

Place ingredients in blender and process until smooth; you may adjust the ratio of fruit to nut milk to your taste. Serve apricot smoothie immediately in chilled glasses. For instructions on how to make fresh almond milk, see earlier post titled "Raw Almond Milk" listed under the label "nuts & seeds". When you'd prefer a thicker more substantial smoothie, add one or more of the following:

raw cashews
medjul dates
banana

Medjul dates will sweeten and thicken the smoothie. Soak a few medjuls in fresh water in a clean jar over night; they will be easy to blend. Dates will keep for several days in the fridge; add liquid from soaking to smoothies.

Rio Red Grapefruit: Citrus Paradisi

Citrus Paradisi? Yes, "Citrus of Paradise" is the botanical name for grapefruit, and if you've ever tasted the Rio Red variety, you know that it really is a paradisaical fruit. With its pink blush exterior and deep ruby red, juicy sweet interior, this fruit bears little resemblance to the acidic white and pale pink varieties which once dominated the grapefruit market.

Rio Red season is just beginning, and citrus aficionados are already perusing local produce markets for the first fruits of this year's harvest. Good quality Rio Reds will be available for at least another few months; at the height of the season they will be plentiful and reasonably priced. Select fruits which seem heavy for their size, which indicates lots of juice. Rio Reds keep well and continue to sweeten after picking, so don't hesitate to buy in quantity.

Little preparation is needed to enjoy this fruit; simply cut up some room temperature Rio Reds and serve in a bowl. Fresh squeezed Rio Red juice is dangerously habit forming. If you have some Minneola tangerines on hand, squeeze one or two and a Rio Red for a superb citrus juice blend. Or cut up a couple of Rio Reds and toss with a spoonful of your favorite nut butter. This light quick meal will leave you feeling energetic, healthy, and a little bit closer to paradise.

Note: For those who must refrain from eating grapefruit because of interactions with prescription medications, don't overlook the excellent navel oranges, Minneola tangelos, Satsumas, Clementines and other seasonal citrus fruits which are now plentiful and delicious!

Fuyu? It's A Persimmon

The Japanese Fuyu persimmon is gaining recognition among fruit lovers in the west as one of nature's finest winter treats. Now is the time to stock up on a supply of Fuyus; if handled properly you will enjoy them for the next six weeks or longer. When stored in a cool place (not in the fridge) Fuyus keep well and will continue to ripen and deepen in color, flavor, and sweetness. Select fruit which is unbruised and deep orange/red in color; the intense pigmentation indicates the presence of valuable essential nutrients.

Edible when firm or soft, the Fuyu contains very low levels of tannins and is never bitter or astringent. (Hachiyas are the high tannin persimmon; more about them in a future post). Although persimmon breads and puddings are popular in American kitchens, I prefer to eat persimmons uncooked in order to appreciate their subtle flavors and to derive maximum nutritional benefits.

There are no limits to Fuyu eating possibilities. Slice and serve sprinkled with a little lime juice; toss with pear slices and a few pomegranate seeds or other fruit, add to a leafy green salad, or blend with nut milk for a luxurious smoothie. Fuyus make convenient travel and snack food; take a few to work, school or on the plane to eat with a handful of almonds or walnuts. Some of nature's best fast food grows on trees and it's yours to enjoy this winter.

( See "Perfect Persimmon Smoothie" for an easy and delicious smoothie recipe; find more persimmon lore under "Persimmons, Food of the Gods").

Winter Super Citrus Juice

Home made citrus juice is a delicious and healthy winter treat which takes only moments to make and tastes nothing like store bought juice. Use any combination of good quality citrus which you have on hand. During the winter citrus season, look in the market for Minneola tangelos, blood oranges, navel oranges, and ruby red grapefruit. You don't need a fancy expensive machine to make this juice; I use a little $8.00 stainless steel hand juicer imported from Brazil. It requires a bit of muscle to squeeze juice by hand but by the end of citrus season your biceps will be stronger and your body healthier. This recipe for Minneola/blood orange juice is my seasonal favorite.

Minneola / Blood Orange Juice

2 Minneola tangelos
2 blood oranges

Wash fruit, slice into halves, and juice. Serve immediately in a glass. Drink slowly and enjoy the beautiful ruby red color and vibrant flavor of this juice.

Winter Produce Paradise

Winter is citrus season in California. If you prefer to eat produce which is in season and locally grown, this is the time to experience the fabulous variety of citrus fruits which are now at their peak. In addition to the familiar Valencia and navel oranges, don't miss out on the small satsuma tangerines and clementines which are sweet, intensely flavorful, easy to peel, and usually seedless. Kids love these; they travel well to school and work, and offer important nutrients of the highest quality. Tangerines and tangelos are much less acidic than other citrus fruits and are well tolerated by most people.

Minneola tangelos are a hybrid, a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit. Minneolas are larger than most tangerines and full of delicious bright orange juice . You'll never drink store bought orange juice again after tasting fresh squeezed Minneola juice. Blood oranges are another extraordinary citrus fruit which will soon arrive in the markets; they're wonderful sliced and tossed into a leafy green salad. But my favorite way to use blood oranges is as juice. Take a few minutes to squeeze a few blood oranges, sit down to enjoy a glass of deep ruby red juice, and remember the words of Woody Guthrie:

"California's a Garden of Eden, it's a Paradise to live in they say..."

Perfect Persimmon Smoothie

Persimmons are nature's autumnal gift to serious fruit aficionados. Stock up now on persimmons and you'll have many weeks of delicious, nutritious eating to look forward to, long after the late summer fruits disappear from the scene. Ripe persimmons contain an impressive range of high quality nutrients which will contribute to maintaining good health during the winter months. I've been refining my persimmon smoothie recipe for years; this deceptively simple formula is positively divine! (Yield: one serving).

1 fuyu or hachiya persimmon
1 cup nut milk plus more as needed
1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg*

Wash and trim the persimmon, then cut in half and remove any seeds which may be present. (Many persimmons contain no seeds at all).
Place persimmon, nut milk, and nutmeg in blender and process until smooth, adding more nut milk if you prefer a thinner smoothie. (You may substitute plain soy milk for the nut milk.)
Pour into a bowl, garnish with a little more nutmeg if desired, and eat with a spoon.

*Note: Whole nutmegs are available in natural food stores. Scrape the nutmeg carefully with a sharp knife to obtain desired amount, or use a hand grater.

Persimmon Selection and Storage:

Fuyu and Hachiya are the two persimmon varieties most commonly found in American produce markets. Fuyus, which are short, squat and shaped somewhat like a tomato, are a non-astringent variety; they are ripe and ready to eat when they are a deep orange color but still firm. Hachiya persimmons have an elongated acorn- like shape and contain high levels of naturally occuring tannins, which make unripe Hachiyas harshly astringent and completely inedible. However with thorough ripening, the tannins disappear and the Hachiya attains a delicious sweet flavor.

Fuyu persimmons can be stored for weeks in a cool room (but not in the fridge). As they ripen, their color will deepen and they will begin to soften, at which point their flavor is at its very best. Hachiyas ripen somewhat unpredictably; keep a close eye on your stash and use when the fruit is very soft from the tip to the leafy stem end (which is called the calyx). Ripe Hachiyas may be kept for a few days in the fridge. Both varieties make velvety rich smoothies which are low in calories and high in nutrients.