Panzanella with Persimmon

I was at the grocery store (an almost daily occurrence) and noticed that persimmon is totally having a moment.  Like, marketing people gone buck-wild, kind of moment.  Persimmon is the new kale?  Well, maybe not, but there sure is a lot of it out there.  It does have a short season, though, so if it’s not already gone, it will be shortly…at which point you’ll have to save this recipe for next year.  That’s asking a lot…I suppose that’s why you’ve got Pinterest.

Wanting to jump on the persimmon bandwagon, I thought it would make sense in a panzanella.  Traditionally, panzanella is pieces of stale crusty bread tossed in dressing with tomatoes and basil.  Since I picked up sweet persimmon at my grocery store, I ventured into a sweeter style of panzanella, using corn bread and mint.

I switched on the camera so you can follow the recipe step by step, though try not to shoot yourself with the dressing like I did.  Enjoy the video and the full printable recipe is posted below.

*Original Recipe by Joanie Simon (JoanieSimon.com)

Panzanella with Persimmon

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• Author: Joanie Simon
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

A sweeter take on panzanella with persimmon.

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Ingredients

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• 1 – 9x9 prepared cornbread
• 3 ripe sweet persimmon, chopped
• 8 oz aged cheddar, cubed
• 1/4 cup mint, chiffonade
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs whole grain mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 cup oil (EVOO or grapeseed)

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Instructions

1. Cut the cornbread up into 1 inch cubes and spread out over a baking sheet.
2. Bake cubes in a 300F oven for 10 minutes.
3. Rotate cubes and continue baking another 5 minutes until cubes are slightly crisped on the outside.
4. Place cornbread, persimmon, cheddar and mint in a mixing bowl.
5. Combine garlic, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and oil together in a jar. Cover the jar and shake to emulsify.
6. Drizzle dressing all over the bread salad. Toss and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the dressing to soak into the bread.
7. Serve garnished with extra mint and shaved parmesan cheese.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: Italian