We got a food box delivered this week. It was from our local fruit and vegetable shop. Among the items were 2 persimmons. I had tasted these before when a friend of a friend had a bumper crop, but they did not appeal. This time I decided to cut them in half and slow roast them. They were tasty.
I did notice that they had a sticker on the skin saying “Sweet variety” so perhaps the former ones were more of a vegetable- and I tasted them raw. So I think a sweet persimmon tree could be a winner. My former hairdresser on Phillip Island gave me a recipe for persimmon pudding that I think was by Stephanie Alexander so that might be worth chasing up too.
The other dish I have been enjoying in this cooped-up world is a home -made gnocchi. I got the recipe from taste.com.au but now I just guess the amounts and it works well.
And if you want an easy soup it’s hard to go past lentils. They make a tasty, nutritious and filling lunch. Here is my recipe. Soften a chopped onion in a little oil on a medium heat, stirring until it becomes translucent. Add about 2 cups of red lentils and a cup of water. Stir and add another cup of water as it cooks. Keep stirring and add another 2-4 cups water, (or enough to make the consistency you like). Make sure you stop the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Add a few drops of Worcester sauce for flavour, along with half a teaspoon turmeric powder if desired. After about 20 minutes add some spinach- (I often use frozen spinach for this), and a handful of grated carrot. Heat gently for about 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of natural yogurt, and pepper.
