Winter Greens with Persimmon and Vanilla-Citrus Vinaigrette

I enjoy this salad from mid-Autumn to the end of the year. The flavors, colors and textures make it a perfect candidate for any holiday meal.

I like combining winter greens – mild lamb’s lettuce, young spinach, robust rocket and a touch of spicy watercress or lemony purslane. The point is to combine different flavors in the salad so every bite is new and exciting. Mixing mild and assertive flavors helps to achieve this goal. I’ve also made this salad with just a nice batch of freshly harvested salad spinach leaves, and it worked great.

There are many different varieties of persimmons that are available during the cooler Autumn months. Generally, they fall into two broad categories: Hachiya and Fuyu. The Hachiya variety is soft and jelly-like, with incredibly high levels of tannins that make them inedible until they are fully ripened. The Fuyu is reminiscent of a pear. It is usually harvested underripe, then allowed to develop at room temperature. The flesh is firm, with a beautiful vanilla-like flavor. This is the type of persimmon to look for when making this salad.

I highlighted the subtle vanilla flavor from the persimmon with a fruity vinaigrette I scented with ground vanilla beans. And to compensate for all that sweetness, I added chunks of salty Bulgarian feta cheese – replaced today with crumbled tofu feta that works remarkably well as an alternative. Tofu feta is increasingly easier to find in health-food stores in larger metropolitan areas worldwide. Making your own is also simple and ends the problem of finding some. Here’s my recipe.

Difficulty: simple
Yield: makes about 4-6 servings