Autumn Persimmon Salad

Just because the weather is starting to cool doesn't mean I stop craving salads. I just shift the produce and accents to match the season. Persimmons appear at my market right around the time the first jackets come out, and their auburn color and sweet, crunchy bite make a simple bowl of greens feel autumnal without being heavy.

The key is choosing the right variety. Unlike oblong Hachiya persimmons, which are inedibly astringent until pudding-soft, puck-shaped Fuyu persimmons are best when they're still very firm. That firmness lets you slice them thinly enough to distribute through a salad, so no one bite is overwhelmingly sweet.

To balance the fruit's gentle sweetness, I lean on contrasts. Blue cheese adds umami and creamy heft, walnuts bring toasty crunch, and dry-cured ham supplies an umami-packed punch. These meet the mild bitterness of a baby leaf mix and the persimmon's sweetness, so every forkful combines sweet, crunchy, salty, creamy, and crisp elements.

For the dressing, I whisk olive oil with kabosu, a Japanese citrus that tastes like sour orange. If you can't find it, lemon or lime will give a similar tang, while calamansi or Meyer lemon adds a more floral note. I go light on the salt in the dressing so the cheese and ham don't overpower.

The result is a Persimmon Salad that tastes like fall: clean, balanced flavors and a texture that stays lively to the last leaf!