The glory of persimmons, plus Ivéta scone mix and lunch at Assembly
For sheer eye-appeal nothing quite matches the beauty of persimmons hanging from autumn trees like so many vermillion lanterns. Fascinating to behold, the satin-skinned fruit (the official fruit of Japan, mind you) can be perplexing to approach. The super hard, elongated, deep orange-colored Hachiya persimmon needs some serious ripening time until it can be used. This is not a fruit to be consumed in its raw state. But the more user-friendly Fuyu persimmon—rounder in shape, shorter in stature—makes a beautiful addition, even in its raw state, to salads and cheese plates. My aunt’s persimmon tree worked overtime this year and the results are ripening in at least a half dozen pantries all over Santa Cruz. When they get good and ripe—very soft to the touch and almost transparent looking—they will form the fragrant background for the tea cakes and breads I plan to bake during the holidays.
Persimmons are wonderful in place of pumpkin puree in quick bread recipes, or as a secret ingredient in muffins, pancakes and other seasonal items. Or, you can simply put them on your window sill and let them decorate your life.
Bake Off
Shopper’s Corner now carries a full line of the mighty Ivéta Scone Mix, including my favorite Blueberry version ($5.99). This is the sort of product that will make you a big hit at breakfast time and at tea time. Or snack time … And about Ivéta’s Fudgy Cookie that I went crazy about last week—did I mention that this addictive bit of very chewy chocolate insanity is also gluten-free? That’s why it’s so chewy. No flour. Big fat pecan sitting in the middle. Two bucks. Barely sweet. An adult chocolate cookie.
Assemble This!
My friend Bev and I like to meet for lunch at Assembly these days. That way, we can check in on that little POPUP space next door to 1108 Pacific Avenue and see what’s cooking on our way into the big dining room. Mortal Dumpling was offering fat steamed bao with saucy green beans last Thursday between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. And through the end of the year, you can try out truly designer breads from the new Manresa Bread pop-up shop every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 4pm. Get in line now!
Meanwhile, back at Assembly, we behaved shamelessly (lots of “oh my God!” and “ooooooo”) over two seasonal dishes that showed off the kitchen’s outside-the-box approach to seasonings and textures. Beverly had a beautiful bowl of roasted mushroom ragout with hazelnuts, zucchini and parsley, topped with a fried egg and crispy polenta triangles on top. Along with thick slabs of the house bread, and a fistful of butter topped with salt crystals, it was one of the better dishes either of us had enjoyed all year. My salad was another sensuous, stylistically complex creation I’m coming to expect from Assembly. In one of those large-scale bowls came a layer of baby spinach, thin carrot slices, fat toothsome barley, and pistachios. Green beans added more crunch and a generous helping of roasted pulled chicken breast was intertwined with every bite. But the real secret of this lovely creation—aside from plenty of interesting food groups living in a single bowl—was a vinaigrette laced with the pungent flavors of fresh-grated turmeric and ginger. The entire salad was elevated into something quite special by that dressing, and I might try my own version one of these days, since I’ve seen fresh turmeric root available at New Leaf. The bread was worth the indulgence. On a rainy day—what a great lunch!
PHOTO: Persimmons can be a holiday-baking substitution for pumpkin puree.
