Last Christmas, I introduced persimmon to our holiday dinner menu. I made a Persimon®, Blueberry and Pomegranate Salad, and it was a huge hit with my family. It was such a refreshing salad and the flavours were incredible together.
I think it’s safe to say that my family really enjoys the sweetness of persimmon. I really love the versatility of the fruit. I love it in salads, hors d’oeuvres, entrees, and desserts. Really, the possibilities are endless. What I really love is sweet and savoury dishes, and with Persimon®, there are so many options! If you haven’t had the opportunity to try persimmons yet, Persimon® Says can tell you how to enjoy a Persimon!
Persimons from Ribera del Xúquer are different from other persimmons. Persimon® is ripe and ready to eat when firm while hachiya or other persimmons varieties can only be consumed when they turn soft and ripen.
This year, I wanted to include persimmon in our holiday dinner menu again. This time, I wanted to attempt an appetizer. I am excited to say that Grilled Persimon® Crostini with Manchego and Wine Reduction is now another family favourite. Even my seven year old daughter can’t get enough of these flavourful appetizers!
So simple, yet elegant, the Grilled Persimon® Crostini with Manchego and Wine Reduction are the perfect hors d’oeuvres for any holiday dinner party or gathering. Though the original recipe calls for spinach leaves, my seven year old insisted on using kale. They were delicious even though we made the little alteration.
Grilled Persimon® Crostini with Manchego and Wine Reduction
¼ cup (50 ml) sugar
5 whole peppercorns
half cinnamon stick
16 slices of baguette
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 Persimon®, topped and sliced into 12 wedges
1 cup (250 ml) spinach leaves
50g (2oz) Manchego cheese, shaved
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 4000 F (200°C).
Place all of the ingredients for the wine reduction in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half, approximately 15 minutes.
Brush each bread slice with olive oil and place on a bake sheet. Bake for 5 minutes.
Heat a grill pan on high and brush with olive oil. In batches, grill the Persimon® wedges
2 minutes per side.
To assemble the crostini place a few leaves of spinach on the crostini, top with Manchego cheese, followed by a grilled Persimon® wedge. Drizzle with wine reduction and serve immediately.
Tip * Instead of the reduction try melting a 1/4 cup (60 ml) of apricot jam in a saucepan and drizzling over the crostini.
Makes 16 servings.
Source: www.persimonsays.com
I think this is by far my favourite way to enjoy this delicious fruit.
What I really like is that Persimon® from Spain are always ready to eat and do not need to be ripened like other persimmons. They are ripe when firm! I love the sweetness when ripe AND the firmness that enables the fruit to keep their form in salads, when grilled, cooked, and even just to be eaten like an apple.
Just an aside:
#TRYAPERSIMON CONTEST
There’s an exciting contest on right now! You can win 1 of 3 $100 gift cards. The contest begins on November 23rd, 2015 at 6:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) and ends onDecember 14th, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time).
To qualify to win, the recipe and entry must also meet the following criteria:
Steps:
- Make a Persimon® recipe from our site or your own appetizer, main, dessert or drink recipe using Persimon® persimmons (the Rojo Brillante variety)
- Tweet a photo of the dish/drink using #TryaPersimon and @PersimonSays
- Follow @PersimonSays
For complete contest details, visit http://persimonsays.com/tryapersimon/.
Disclosure – I am writing this post for Persimon® Says, however all thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.
Oops! I meant I had to make it! Auto-correct did that!
That looks so good that I adequate it raises weekend. Everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing it with us!