Persimmons
Information from http://www.seedtosupper.com/persimmons.html .
Most of the world calls persimmons kaki, or caqui in Spanish. In the United States, we call them persimmons after the Algonquin Indian name for the native American persimmon or Possum Persimmon. The genus name, Diospyros, means “food for the gods.”
The persimmon is a source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B-2, Niacin, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Potassium, Phosphorus, Iron, and Copper.
The persimmons in your share this week are an Asian variety, which is larger and sweeter than the species native to America. For best flavor, leave out on a counter, unrefrigerated, and let the persimmon ripen until it is soft-ripe.
The skins can technically be eaten, but can be tough, so generally one removes the skins with a potato peeler or sharp thin knife. If baking the persimmon, leave the skin on.
Persimmon Fruit Salad
Coarsely chop into a salad bowl: 1 apple, 1 banana, and 1 orange. Add pulp and pieces of 1 persimmon, and a dash of salt.
Buttercup or Kabocha Winter Squash
Information from http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch10.html .
Kabocha squash is sweeter and less fibrous than many winter squashes. Also known as the Japanese pumpkin, it was the squash of choice in that country because of its flavor and pleasing texture. A California grower began to supply Japan with this squash about 14 years, thus its entry into the United States.
Kabocha is a source of beta carotene (it has a lovely bright orange color), vitamin C, iron, potassium, folic acid, calcium, and trace B vitamins.
Kabocha Squash with Maple Syrup
1 Kabocha Squash
2 Tbs. Butter
3 Tbs. Maple Syrup
Salt & Pepper to taste
Pre-bake the squash in at 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes to make it easier to cut in half. Cut squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Lightly oil or butter a cookie sheet and place squash cut-side down on the pan. Bake at 400 degrees until the flesh is tender, 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the squash. Scoop out the squash into a mixing bowl, and add the butter, maple syrup, and the optional salt and pepper. Mash and taste, and add more maple syrup or salt and pepper if desired.
Note: Wrapping the Kabocha in aluminum foil (shiny side on the inside), allows the skin to also bake. The skin is very nutritious and soft enough to eat along with the inside. In fact, Japanese and Southeast Asian cooks prefer to eat the skin of the squash, rather than discarding it.