Equipment
Ingredients
The Greens
- 100 g mixed greens, washed and dried
- 50 g dandelion greens, washed and dried
- 15 g fresh mint, leaves picked from stems
Fruit and Nuts
- 300 g fuyu persimmon
- 50 g hickory nuts
Sumac Vinaigrette
- 30 ml maple syrup
- 30 ml apple cider vinegar
- 45 ml sunflower oil
- 5 g sumac, ground
- 3 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 275 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 25 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 14 g
- Sodium
- 322 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Potassium
- 328 mg
- Calcium
- 82 mg
- Iron
- 2.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 37 mg
- Phosphorus
- 66 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 159 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 99 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.17 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 18 mcg
- Water
- 84 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place hickory nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant, tossing frequently to prevent burning. Remove from the skillet immediately and let cool.
Tear any excessively large dandelion greens and mixed greens into bite-sized pieces. Combine them in a large mixing bowl with the fresh mint leaves.
Remove the leafy tops from the Fuyu persimmons. Slice the fruit into thin, half-moon wedges. Drizzle the slices with half of the maple syrup and gently toss to coat, creating a sweet, honeyed glaze.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, ground sumac, and kosher salt. Slowly whisk in the sunflower oil in a steady stream until the dressing is fully emulsified and thickened.
Pour the emulsified vinaigrette over the greens. Add the glazed persimmons and toasted hickory nuts. Toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated. Plate and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- To maintain the requested vegan dietary profile, this recipe uses maple syrup rather than honey to achieve the requested honeyed persimmon texture. This also honors pre-colonial indigenous North American sweetening methods.
- Hickory nuts have a wonderfully rich, buttery flavor reminiscent of a pecan and walnut hybrid. They can be difficult to source commercially, so pecans or black walnuts make excellent native North American substitutes.
- Sumac provides a vibrant, tart, lemony flavor. Because its acidity is less sharp than citrus juice, it pairs beautifully with the bitter compounds in dandelion greens.
- If your Fuyu persimmons are slightly underripe, let them sit at room temperature for a day or two next to an apple or banana to accelerate the ripening process.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Incredibly bitter, chalky mouthfeel when eating the persimmon
Cause: An unripe Hachiya persimmon was used instead of a Fuyu persimmon
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure you purchase squat, tomato-shaped Fuyu persimmons, which can be eaten while firm. Acorn-shaped Hachiya persimmons are extremely astringent until completely soft and gelatinous.
Dressing separates and pools at the bottom of the salad bowl
Cause: Oil was added too quickly to the vinegar mixture, breaking the emulsion
Fix: Remove the greens, gather the pooled dressing, add a tiny drop of water or mustard, and re-whisk vigorously until smooth
Prevention: Stream the oil very slowly while whisking vigorously
Cultural Context
This salad honors the indigenous foodways of North America, where wild persimmons, hickory nuts, and foraged greens like dandelion have been harvested for thousands of years. Sumac, derived from the dried berries of the Rhus species shrub, has long been used by Native American communities to impart a tart, acidic brightness to foods and beverages in place of non-native citrus.
