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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Persimmon breakout

One of the coolest things about an old forest is the idea that underneath the suffocating vines and elderly trees are plants just waiting to bust out of jail. This morning during our exploration of Awbury Arboretum in Germantown, executive director Gerry Kaufman pointed out this persimmon tree, obviously an older specimen. I was so taken by the bark. It reminded me of bicycle chains, chunky and textured in shades of black and silver.  It seemed the perfect color scheme for this frosty day and scene. Gerry pointed to more than 20 narrow, whip-like saplings nearby. After this part of the property was cleared, he said, suddenly lots of new persimmons popped up. Persimmons need full sun and air circulation to grow and until this place was cleared out, they had neither. Gerry looks forward to an eyeball-level persimmon crop. Imagine. There are few colors in nature to compare.

I've never eaten a persimmon that didn't turn my mouth inside out from its acidity. It's all a matter of timing. You need to get them at just the right ripeness. But I did make persimmon cookies once, a recipe from a friend's Italian grandmother. It was a bit of a mess but they were cake-like and delectable. Pureed persimmons are also used for puddings and sorbet - what color! - and  cakes, breads, brownies and flans, each sounding better than the one before. Recipes often call for a dollop of rum or brandy, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg and the more exotic coriander. Add a little brown sugar, some walnuts, and you've got yourself a heavenly mix.

Meanwhile, enjoy some interesting bike-chain bark.  

Posted by Virginia Smith @ 3:02 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About Virginia A. Smith
Ginny Smith, a Philadelphia native, worked as a reporter at newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Ohio – with six short months at the end of the Bulletin tossed in – before returning to Philadelphia in 1985 to join the Inquirer. Her favorite beats here have included Center City, roving around Pennsylvania (and getting paid for it!) and alternative medicine. She’s also been City Editor and Pennsylvania Editor. Ginny has been happily writing – and learning - about gardening fulltime since 2006. She’s won two silver medals of achievement from the national Garden Writers Association and in 2011, Bartram’s Garden honored her with its Green Exemplar award for her stories about “the region’s deeply rooted horticultural history, cultural attractions and bountiful gardens.”
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