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Spring Gardening Tips for a Flourishing Garden
As the vibrant colors of spring burst forth and the air fills with the sweet scent of blossoms, it's the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and tend to your garden. Whether you're a seasoned gar...
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Recipe: Spicy persimmon brunch cake tastes, smells delicious
Persimmon season always makes me think of Jean Brine, Sacramento’s Persimmon Lady. Back in 2010, this retired state worker wrote the definitive persimmon recipe book to answer any query about what to do with too many persimmons. Titled “Perfectly Persimmon,” her spiral-bound cookbook contains 1,010 recipes for persimmons. The 440-page book features persimmon ideas for both Fuyu and Hachiya varieties, and everything from appetizers and salads to desserts and sauces. “When you speak of persimmons, the only thing that comes to 90 percent of people is, 'Oh, I love persimmon cookies!’ ” Brine said in an interview after her book was released. “But that's just a drop in the bucket of what you can do with persimmons.” Looking for something different to do with my Fuyus, I turn to her cookbook often during persimmon season. My persimmons are now at the super-ripe and mushy stage, perfect for baking. This breakfast cake is hardy enough for a frosty morning and smells wonderful baking in the oven. Brine’s cookbook is still available on Amazon. If you have a plentiful supply of persimmons, it’s an excellent addition to your kitchen library.
Spicy Persimmon Brunch Cake Makes 9 servings Ingredients: 1-1/4 cups pureed persimmons 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened 1 cup sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon grated orange rind ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind ½ cup chopped walnuts Powdered sugar
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-inch baking pan. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together persimmon pulp and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add persimmon mixture; stir well. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Gradually blend flour mixture into the persimmon/butter mixture. Stir in orange and lemon rinds and chopped nuts. Spoon batter into baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool at least 10 minutes before removing from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Adapted from “Perfectly Persimmon” by Jean Brine (Morris Press Cookbooks, 2010).
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A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.
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Garden Checklist for week of May 19
Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.
* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
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