Recipes
Quick Persimmon "Ice Cream"
When you find a good price at the farmers’ market on Hachiya persimmons—the heart-shaped kind that must be soft before you eat them—buy some for the freezer. Let them ripen at room temperature until they are completely soft, then put them in the freezer, whole and unwrapped, where they will keep for weeks. When you crave a creamy dessert, you can take them out, cut them in chunks and puree them, fully frozen, in a food processor with buttermilk or half-and-half to make a velvety “ice cream.”
It’s a treat to have a frozen dessert that is so low in calories and so quickly made, but it can’t be made ahead. Whip it up, spoon it into balloon wine glasses, and serve with gingersnaps. For a quick breakfast or lunch, use the same procedure but add enough buttermilk to make a smoothie.
From Fresh from the Farmers' Market.
- 2 ripe Hachiya persimmons (about 1 pound total),
frozen hard - 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or half-and-half
- Approximately 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Rinse the persimmons briefly, then quarter them carefully with a heavy knife and remove the stems. Halve each quarter crosswise. Do not allow the persimmons to thaw. Put the chunks in a food processor with the sugar and process until the persimmon is broken up into small pieces. With the motor running, add the vanilla and the buttermilk or half-and-half through the feed tube. Puree until smooth, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides once or twice. Add lemon juice to taste and puree again. Serve immediately with gingersnaps.
Serves 4
