To me, the best part about fall is the persimmon. How i've long awaited it's sweet return! Appropriately called 'fruit of the gods' by ancient Greeks, these little fruits are rich in antioxidants like catechins and gallocatechins (which you always hear about when reading about health benefits of green tea) and betulinic acid (an anti-tumor compound). They also have a good amount of the antioxidants lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which is a carotenoid known to help prevent age related macular degeneration, as well as the minerals potassium and manganese. The American variety of this fruit is only edible once it's ripe...which means holding out until fall each year, and then basking in the goodness of these fabulous little orange delights for as long as you can. The shorter squat ones (shaped more like a tomato) are called Fuyu. They tend to have less of an astringent quality so can be eaten while still firm. It will have the crunch and texture of an apple. You can also wait for softer fuyus which will be juicy like a nectarine. Persimmons are great eaten alone, or can be added to salads, entrees, desserts, and breads. If you've never had a persimmon, i would encourage you to scout some out at your local farmers market, and make sure to pick the fuyus which you can bite right into. I've had some not so hot experiences with the hachiya's (a larger acorn shaped persimmon) which are so astringent when under ripe that your mouth drys up and shrivels around the fruit. Hachiyas can only be eaten when very soft and ripe. You'll want to remove the outer tannic skin, remove the seeds, and scoop the fruit out of the flesh.
This Morning's Muslei: Persimmon Muslei with Banana Nut Milk
You'll need a Blender, Cutting Board, a Knife, and a Hammer :)
1 medium to hard fuyu persimmon
1 ripe banana (divided in half)
about 10 raw whole almonds
1 tbsp raisins
3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup nuts (walnuts, almonds, or cashews) for the nut milk or you can use 1/4 uncooked oats and make oat milk if you prefer
a medjool date (or sweetener of choice; a packet of stevia or agave would suffice)
cinnamin
(coconut flakes optional)
(Makes one hearty serving)
Muslei Makin' :
Wash your persimmon and trim a circle at the top to remove stem. Cut in half, lay each half flesh side down and cut into small chunks. Place into your cereal bowl.
Take 1/2 the banana, cut into slices, and add to your bowl
Add the raisins to the bowl.
Place your almonds on a towel, cover and strike gently several times with the hammer to crush.
Top your muslei with the crushed almonds
Milk Makin':
To a blender add the almond milk, the 1/4 cup of nuts (or alternatively oats if you've chosen), 1/2 a banana, a few dashes of cinnamin, and a small date or the sweetener of your choice (date/agave/etc). Blend Away.
To serve:
Muslei is already in the bowl. If you've chosen to use the coconut flakes, put them in a small serving bowl as well. Place the milk in a small milk pitcher so that your guests/family members can serve themselves. Pour the banana nut/oat milk over your muslei, optionally topping with some coconut flakes. Eat up, savoring and enjoying the nuances in each bite.
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