Fall Persimmon Salad

I've had a few fuyu persimmons hanging out in my fruit bowl for a couple of weeks now.  I have to admit, I'm not a big enough fan to enjoy eating them straight up.  Unfortunately, most baked goods that contain persimmons call for the much pulpier hachiya persimmon, so I was running out of ideas of how to use these guys.

Then it came to me.  The fuyu persimmon is sweet and crunchy, much like an apple.  Apples are great in salads along with nuts, cheeses, and other such things.  Inspiration struck.  I turned to the Barefoot Contessa for the dressing idea, and decided to build a festive, fall-oriented salad.  There are so many delicious flavors in the bowl, that even if you're not a huge persimmon fan, I promise you'll enjoy it.  And if you are, well, there's no question.

Note - use a good quality blue cheese for this recipe, one that tastes good on its own, so that you don't botch the flavor of the salad with a nasty cheese.

Fall Persimmon Salad

serves 2 as a main course

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces diced prosciutto

5 ounces mixed baby greens

2 fuyu persimmons, peeled, cored, and chopped

1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted in a dry skillet and chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

the dressing:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a small skillet over medium-high heat, cook the prosciutto until crispy.  Set aside to cool.

2.  Combine the greens, persimmon, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese in a large salad bowl.  Add prosciutto when it's not too hot.

3.  Make the dressing by whisking all ingredients together, streaming in the oil last, or by putting all ingredients in a salad dressing shaker and shaking vigorously.  Pour just enough dressing over the salad to coat the greens (don't drench them), then toss everything together.  Serve.

Enjoy!