I'm Seasonally Confused

I have had so many great recipes to share lately that I never got around to sharing my adventures with persimmons. Well, it is now March, the time of asparagus, citrus, and green beans. The brief life of persimmons has long been over. These persimmon recipes are a nostalgic look back at the past winter and fall.

I had a bag of Fuyu persimmons, which you can read about here. My first adventure with persimmons was a crisp. I followed Dinners and Dreams Persimmon and Crisp recipe, only omitting the dried cranberries (not because I didn't think it would be delicious, just didn't have any). This was a simple, homey desert that allowed the exotic (to me) fruit shine.

Here are the ingredients for the fruit portion of the crisp. I love honey!

Ingredients for the crisp topping.

This just makes me smile. It's a sunset in a pan.

Yum! Simple, homey, and let's the fruit shine.

My Persimmon and Parsnip Stir-Fry is one of the best meals I have made this winter/fall, alongside my Peanut and Yam Curry and Pappa al Pomodoro. This stir-fry had two keys to its success: multiple textures and the balance of flavors. I use a variety of textures like soft persimmon, crispy parsnip, crunchy broccoli and included more toothsome chicken. The balance and layers of flavors was created by using spicy, citrusy red chile pepper, sharp ginger, earthy parsnip, and sweet persimmon. Onion and garlic round out all my stir-fries. The element that ties everything together is the miso.

My first time cooking with chicken at home in years. I was home alone and feeling sorry for myself so I splurged. This one chicken breast became 2 meals and would have become a third. Look for my Kitchen Misadventures to find out what happened to the third portion.

 There was a time when I was afraid of miso. It's alive, after all. Before experimenting with miso at home, my one experience with miso was a bowl of miso broth at a sushi restaurant. I thought it was...interesting. I kept coming across recipes that use miso and finally decided to give the stuff a try. My first miso adventure was with chickpea miso. The co-op in Corvallis has a huge variety of misos in bulk, including chickpea miso, which is great if you just want to commit to a little bit. No more chickpea miso for me. Eating my chickpea miso broth was like slurping bean cooking liquid with some extra earthiness.

I tried again with some Westbrae Organic Mellow Red Miso. I have fallen in love and going we are still going strong, three tubs later. If you are unfamiliar with miso, the only adjectives I have are earthy and funky.

 

This was one good looking meal.

Turns out, that earthy funk goes great with persimmons. To create the rest of the sauce, I just used my standard stir-fry trifecta: soy sauce, rice vinegar, and Sriracha sauce. Enjoy!

P.S. I can't wait to try Dinners and Dreams version of cobbler with quinoa topping.

**As you can see in the photo, some of my persimmons still had a green tinge and most were very firm. I stored my persimmons in a paper bag until they were softer.

Persimmon and Parsnip Stir-Fry

by Ace Nation

Keywords: stir-fry chicken miso

6044523

Ingredients (serves 2 hungry adults)

For the Sauce

• 2 teaspoons miso
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• Sriracha, to taste

For the Stir-Fry

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/3 pound chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2-3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 fresh red chile, such as Fresno or red jalapeno, seeds removed, and minced finely
• 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced into half-moons
• 1 cup broccoli, including the stem, cut into small pieces
• 3 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut into similar-sized pieces as the rest of the vegetables

Instructions

For the Sauce

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl or cup until combined. Set aside.

For the Stir-Fry

Heat oil in a wok or high-sided skillet over medium heat.

Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onions to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, adding garlic after about 5 minutes. Cook until onion is translucent and beginning to brown.

Add chile pepper and parsnip to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.

Add ginger and broccoli to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is just beginning to become tender, about 4 minutes.

Return chicken to the pan and add persimmons. Very gently stirring, cook until chicken and persimmon is just heated through.

Add enough stir-fry sauce to coat all ingredients. Serve immediately over rice.

Enjoy!

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