1 large ripe Fuyu persimmon ⅓ cup olive oil ¼ cup red wine vinegar 3 tablespoon toasted pine nuts 1 ½ teaspoon finely shredded blood orange peel, or orange peel 2 tablespoon blood orange juice or orange juice 1 tablespoon honey ½ large shallot, cut up ½ teaspoon Dijon-style mustard Dash ground cinnamon or gound allspice Dash freshly ground black pepper
Prepare Pine Nut-Persimmon Vinaigrette as directed. Place in an airtight container. Seal; chill for up to 3 days. Fuyu persimmons: Short, squatty, eaten when crisp, are the ones to use in this salad. (The acorn-shaped Hachiya must ripen to a gelatinous softness to be edible and are the ones usually used for baking.) Fuyu persimmons are enjoying a burst of popularity, with October through December being their prime season-so substitute sliced and seeded papayas or mangoes if persimmons are unavailable.When selecting Fuyu persimmons, look for ones that are yellow-orange in color and firm to the touch. Fuyus will stay firm for two or three weeks at room temperature. Eventually, after about three weeks, they will soften somewhat like the Hachiya. At this stage, some people feel the Fuyu’s sweetness reaches its peak. Their crispness can be prolonged by refrigeration if the temperature remains close to freezing (32°F) but once the fruit is returned to room temperature, it will soften. Surprisingly, persimmons stored at normal refrigerator temperature, about 40°F, will actually deteriorate faster than if stored at room temperature (55°F.)
