my friend ryan brought some fuyu persimmons to share at horn-o-plenty and, as usual, once the night was over, most people were too shy to claim them. persimmons tend to be the passed-over cousin of more popular fall fruits like apples, pears and pomegranates, which is sad, because they’re delicious! i have an unfair bias though, we had a tree in yard where i grew up, so we ate them every year.

if you’re timid about persimmons, here are some words of encouragement: just one has half the us rda of vitamin a, they’re a great source of vitamin c and dietary fiber, and their texture and sweetness allows you to use them like a mango, without all the pesky strings.

after shopping through some recipies, i decided to modify an ice cream idea into a persimmon dessert.

spiced persimmon ice cream

ingredients
2 cups whole or 2% milk, chilled
2 fuyu persimmons, chopped
2 tbs raw wildflower honey
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground anise
1 small pinch nutmeg

instructions
if your ice cream maker has components that need to freeze ahead, make sure they’re frozen and ready to go.

add all ingredients to your blender and puree until mostly uniform [find the delight in particulates, they add character]. taste to make sure you like the sweetness and modify if you wish.

pour blender contents into your ice cream maker and run it until the mixture reaches a thick slush consistency. spoon into a container and store in the freezer.

to serve, spoon into dessert cups and garnish with a persimmon wedge. or dust the top with ground cardamom. or add ground pistachios or pine nuts—go to town, garnishing is all you, baby!

more fun with persimmons

from epicurious:
persimmon salsa
persimmon cranberry sauce
fuyu persimmon relish
fuyu persimmon and avocado salad
prosciutto with persimmon pomegranate and arugula
lemon-glazed persimmon bars

from thekitchn.com
persimmon salad with ginger, mint and yogurt
persimmon tart
dried persimmon rounds with cinnamon

from wasabi prime
persimmon & rosemary tart with a persimmon & rosemary bellini