Persimmon Salsa
This dish came together as a happy and hungry compromise. All summer long, I put together elaborate taco spreads while my boyfriend whipped together equally elaborate margaritas. The variations of each Mexican inspired feast were endless, with only two true constants: tequila and a hand diced stone fruit and tomato salsa. Perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes, sweet onions and still firm peaches or nectarines would be meticulously diced and mixed with garlic, olive oil, jalapeno, and lots of lime. The salsa was perfect with every taco, and was always better the next day.
One night some two months later we were hungry and impatient and had no structured plans for dinner. We had tortillas in the fridge and various leftover odds and ends and so, taco night it would be! Tomato season had abruptly ended, and our ritual couldn’t be complete without the irresistibly juicy, spicy, and fruity mix. I looked in the fridge and saw two persimmons lacking purpose. In that moment a brand new - and arguably more delicious - salsa was born.
Make sure you’re using fuyu persimmons, not the oblong astringent hachiya’s. The beauty in this recipe is that you can steer the destiny of your final product in two very different directions by making simple modifications to your chosen herbs and spices. If you’re going the route of taco night, or want to bring your salsa to a gathering to be served with chips, season it with toasted and ground cumin & coriander, and use lots of cilantro. I had great success serving this same salsa caprese style on a stale bread bruschetta by omitting the spices and using basil and parsley in lieu of the cilantro. Try that, too!
Ingredients
5 persimmons, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic (germ removed), minced
Zest of one lime and juice of 3
Extra virgin olive oil (enough to get everything nice and juicy)
3 small jalapenos, seeded and minced
Salt and pepper
A handful of chopped parsley, basil or cilantro
Optional spices:
A pinch of urfa or aleppo pepper
½ teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander
Directions
Add persimmons, onion, garlic, and jalapenos to a medium mixing bowl. Mix till well combined. Coat the mixture in olive oil - you want every nook and cranny to look glossy. Add lime zest, juice, salt and pepper to taste, and any chosen spices. Give it a good mix and correct the seasoning with more salt, pepper or lime if needed. Add your herbs, give it a final stir, and enjoy however you’d please!
Note: this will feed 6-8 people as a snack at a dinner gathering, or as a condiment for a taco feast. I prefer making a large batch, even if just for my small household, as it keeps beautifully and has a tendency of magically getting more and more delicious as the days go by. If you wish to make less, this recipe is quite flexible and can easily be scaled down.
About the Author
Vilda Gonzalez is the Food Editor at The Thirlby, an avid home cook, and studying to become a holistic nutritionist. She is the founder and chef of Sol-Eir, an ongoing series of alchemized food and beverage experiences. Her mission is to rewire our collective relationship to what eating well truly means; with the highest regard of respect for our body, our community, and our earth. She believes that food should be delicious, flavorful, and indulgent, but it should also be deeply nourishing, regenerative, and inherently healthful. Vilda also works with individuals to strengthen their personal relationships with food through means of intuitive cooking and connection.
