Salad Of Frisee Radicchio Pears Pomegranate And Persimmons Food

PERSIMMON AND POMEGRANATE SALAD WITH CRUMBLED RICOTTA AND POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the watercress, frisée, persimmons, and shallot. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, tossing with your hands to dress the salad lightly and evenly. Divide the salad equally among chilled plates. Top with the ricotta and pomegranate seeds.
• Pour the pomegranate juice into a small pot and set over medium-low heat. Cook until the juice has reduced to 1/4 cup and is thick and syrupy, roughly 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a small mixing bowl or mason jar, combine the cooled pomegranate syrup, champagne and balsamic vinegars, and olive and canola oils; season lightly with salt and pepper. Whisk or shake to blend and dissolve the salt.
• Persimmons
• Persimmons are one of those fall fruits people often don't know what to do with. It's important to understand there are two kinds of persimmons: Fuyu (the kind you can eat right away), which is small and somewhat squat, and Hachiya (Japanese), which is shaped sort of like an acorn. Beware; if Hachiya persimmons are not completely ripe, they make your tongue do funny things! For this recipe I use Fuyu, which you can eat when firm, are crisp and sweet like an apple, and are really easy to work with. The shiny, pumpkin-colored fruit ranges from pale golden-orange to rich reddish-orange. Generally, the darker the color, the sweeter the taste.

PERSIMMON AND POMEGRANATE SALAD

Steps:

• Cut the tops from and peel: 3 ripe medium fuyu persimmons.
• Slice them thin or cut into small wedges, removing any seeds you find. Arrange the wedges on a plate.
• Hold, cut side down, over a bowl: 1/2 pomegranate.
• Pound on the back of the fruit with a large spoon to dislodge the seeds. Pick out and discard any white pith that may have fallen out with the seeds. Sprinkle the seeds over the persimmon wedges.
• For a simple vinaigrette, mix together: 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
• Stir to dissolve the salt and then whisk in: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
• Taste and correct the salt and acid as needed. Spoon the vinaigrette over the fruit and serve.
• Variation
• Toss 4 small handfuls of lettuce with half the vinaigrette. (I prefer lettuces such as arugula, frisée, escarole, radicchio, or Belgian endive.) Arrange the lettuce on the plate and then arrange the fruit and nuts, if using, over the lettuce. Pour the rest of the vinaigrette over, and garnish with toasted walnuts.

FRISéE, RADICCHIO, AND FENNEL SALAD WITH MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Spread pine nuts in a small baking sheet and bake until pale golden, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
• Using mandoline, thinly slice fennel bulb crosswise, beginning at base, into a large bowl, stopping about halfway up bulb (reserve remaining bulb for another use). Toss fennel with radicchio, frisée, and mint.
• Whisk together oil, vinegar, shallot, Dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• Toss salad well with vinaigrette and pine nuts. Season to taste, if necessary, with salt and pepper.