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Well, I thought
to squeeze in my one last persimmon recipe before June ends… I personally discovered persimmon while
I was living in Japan... and once I did discover them I was all crazy about
their texture, color and smell. They are also one of Australia’s best kept secrets
and they are available from late February to early June. Persimmons are visually
stunning and full of natural sweetness, one of those rare gifts of nature that
will tantalize your senses.
When choosing persimmons, ensure the green calyx is in place
and the fruit is brightly colored, glossy and firm. They may have some minor
blemishes, but this will not affect the quality of the fruit. While firm,
persimmons are still very delicate; therefore ensure you handle them carefully
to avoid bruising.
Nutritionally, persimmons rate better than many fruits. They
are a great source of dietary fibre; contain high levels of vitamins A and C,
potassium and beta-carotene as well as some calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and
iron. They are also fat free, making them a guilt-free pleasure you can enjoy
as often as you like!
The natural sweetness of persimmons pairs well with both
sweet and savory dishes, and this is where I have paired them with sun-blushed
bananas, kalamta olives and coriander.
Simple, seasonal and elegant
Serves about 4 people
You Need
Method
Step 1. Spread
out the persimmons and the bananas on a metal tray and leave by the windowsill
on a good sunny day for most of the day light to sun-blush, (also please make
sure that your house is warm) or dehydrate them for 6 hours at 105 F.
Step 2. Have all
of your produce in front of you when they are ready with 2 white plates. Divide
the sun-blushed persimmons evenly, and with a teaspoon divide the olives evenly
on top of the persimmons. Garnish with the coriander and lean on the banana grisini against the canapé like the image.
Enjoy the simplicity
of Botanical Cuisine.
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 Apples often hog the autumn/winter spotlight when it comes to seasonal fruit, but they don't upstage pears when it comes to taste or nutritional value. Delicate and elegant, their buttery soft flesh and slim stem makes it worth the extra effort to enjoy them when they're perfectly ripe. Another reason why eating locally and in season is so much fun.. Pears are a plan-ahead fruit. They don't ripen well on the tree — becoming mealy and brown at the core. Instead, pears are best picked when they're mature, but still under-ripe, and allowed to ripen at the market or in the home. Look for fruits with smooth skin and an intact stem.
Ripen them at home at room temperature in a plastic bag poked with holes or in a loosely closed brown paper bag. Refrigerate them once they're ripe. Some markets will sell ready-to-eat pears, but before you buy these, make sure they're carefully, individually wrapped and aren't stacked up more than two levels high. The pressure from the other fruits will likely bruise the flesh of a ripe pear. For the same reason, when you pack them up to take home from the market, make sure they're on top of the bag.
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Recently I have been getting a lot of enquires about whether I would take on projects as a food stylist &/or photographer. Of course, I understand that when you want to incorporate photos into a cookbook, magazine, eBook or website you will require a professional and artistic feel to the images - which is best achieved through working with an experienced photographer and stylist who can work with you on your project brief and provide timeless, quality, high resolution images unique to your needs. After all, before reading the words on your page people first look at the images and the images are representative of what you have to offer … So, the answer is yes, I am now available to take on projects as a food stylist &/or photographer for your cookbook, magazine, eBook, website, blog or any other medium. Just drop me a line to discuss your project: omidjaffari@me.com
(Depending on the requirements of your project, I am available to work with you via the net wherever you are based in the world. For shoots requiring specific location shots, I am currently based in Melbourne, Australia, though would be open to travel where required.)
www.triedtastedserved.com / www.shiitakeblog.com
Press & Media tts@triedtastedserved.com or omidjaffari@me.com
Our very first Botanical Cuisine Potluck in Melbourne last Saturday went really well and I want to send out a big thank you to the many people who made it along (despite the torrential rain!).
To begin, all 40+ attendees introduced themselves & their dishes… Wow, what a feast of so many mouth-watering concoctions!… After that we all tucked in and stuffed our faces with all the good stuff… At around 5pm, we cleared the table for the Surprise Seasonal Box Challenge… For this, three work-stations were set up, each with one chopping board, one knife, and one seasonal box of mystery ingredients (containing 6 different types of produce, most of which were very kindly provided by Peninsula Fresh Organics: 1 turnip, 1 beetroot, 1 bunch of silver beet, 1 persimmon, 1 green apple and 1 field mushroom). Additionally, there was also a central container accessible to all three work-stations containing coriander, dill and fennel, coconut oil, Celtic sea salt, a few kitchen implements, and display platters.
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What I like about Botanical Cuisine philosophy (focused on all things artistic and heirloom - where organic, seasonal, rustic, simple, fresh produce is enough to please the eyes and the palate) is that it allows me to travel around the country and chase as many, Organic Seasonal Farmers Market as possible. What a pleasure, to wake up early hours of the morning and go through your morning routine while knowing in your mind the elation of your days schedule. This morning I am off to check out the Mornington Peninsulas picturesque village called Mt Eliza, ‘The Mt Eliza Farmers’ Market is going to be at precinct on the 4th Sunday of every month (except ANZAC Day – 25th April 2010).
“ Mt Eliza farmers’ market plays host to authentic growers and producers from the Mornington Peninsula and Regional Victoria alike. Come and meander through the picturesque village whilst being seduced by the sights, smells and flavors of our market atmosphere.”
Getting there was easy; I took the train from Flinders Station the Frankston line, which it took me about an hour to get to Frankston. Then the bus number 788 and got off at Mt Eliza village. I have to admit I did arrive a little late, but once I was there it was an immense bliss to be amongst so many dedicated farmers who share so much passion and devotion to their organic seasonal produce.
Amongst so many beautiful stalls at the market, there was one titled: “Mt Eliza Primary School, Kitchen Garden”, run by a lovely lady called Michelle. Her philosophy is to grow herbs in small-recycled boxes within 40-mile radius from the market. The children grow even some of the herbs, what an exquisite idea as an educational tool for the children. Wish I was thought how to grow herbs back at primary or even high school for that matter, and the great thing is that they have children’s activities which are the highlight of the morning and more information is listed on their website: www.mtelizafarmersmarket.com.au
 
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 You can put together this recipe anytime during autumn (that’s Fall for you northern hemisphere folks) at almost no cost. If you have a green apple tree at home and can get along to the farmers market and pick up a couple of ripe persimmons and some fresh herbs, then there’s no reason why Topless Persimmon Ravioli couldn't be served at your place tonight. It literally takes less than 15 minutes to make and about 30 minutes extra for you to lounge around while the ravioli develops its full flavour and texture. Botanical Cuisine represents a fresh, seasonal, organic culinary love affair while still giving you time to relax!
 We - the Melbourne crew - who represent the Botanical Cuisine Potluck, are getting excited about the upcoming event on Saturday, 5th June 2010, 15:30 - 18:30, at The Natural Health Meeting Room, 78 Ormond Road, Elwood, Australia. Here’s a map incase you’re not sure how to get there. We’ve put this potluck together for all of you experienced & not so experienced raw foodists to come & enjoy the culinary experience of Botanical Cuisine. What is Botanical Cuisine? Well, it is raw food, pure and simple. It is the use of fresh produce (seasonal, local & organic wherever possible). It's light & nutritious with minimal use of nuts & seeds & NO dehydration. What to Bring: A Botanical Cuisine inspired living food dish to share. PLUS BYOPCC (bring your own plates, cutlery and cups). Optional Cost: Gold coin donation to the TTS Bali Project This is a unique opportunity to meet vibrant, friendly people in a relaxed atmosphere. All welcome! Though numbers are limited due to space... Look forward to seeing you there!
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English is my second language
…as raw food might be your second culinary language.
I don’t know if you have noticed, but most of the raw food chefs out there are people who started out doing something else as a career.
Some were corporate business people others worked as managers or writers, and so on
and so forth. I mean there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and I applaud
any individual who gets inspired by the art of healthy living and changes their
life around. Taking such a huge step is admirable and we sure need as much raw
food goodness as we can get. I guess what I’m getting at is that, for me, my
raw Cheffing career has taken an opposite turn.
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It is true that I did make an attempt to move back to Montreal about a month ago to start a life that comes with stability and peace... a place that you could finally call home.
But it seems that Victoria has something else for me, especially at Mt Martha. Yes I am back at Mt Martha; Lucy's world where the clouds are puffy and autumn rain reminds us how everything in nature and in us is alive. The smell of the gum trees, the view of the ocean and of course how else would you want to spend such exhilarating moments then with a good friend. After all, what's life without sharing the ecstasy of such moments, whether good, bad, high or low it is all part of the same language, the language of what I like to call "Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Soup" translated, reflected with much love, appreciation and kindness through the presence of Lucy (aka xox SmoothiGirl).
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How
delightful to see another fantastic Purely Delicious Magazine edition...
and for Rebecca Carlson allowing me to be part of it. Most importantly,
she has also allowed me to showcase my next raw food culinary movement: “Botanical
Cuisine”.
Thank
you Rebecca
My first Botanical Cuisine post... you know, I recently asked a close friend of mine for whom I have been making dishes for the past 7 years, "What do you think of Botanical Cuisine?" She said to me boldly, "Omid, you have never really made comfort food. Your style is all about tasty, fresh, zesty, stylish food... and so Botanical Cuisine is for sure right up your alley. Except, how are you going to make really tasty food without nuts, seeds and dehydration??" "Wait and see", I told her... and then came the beetroot!
Now, if you think I have an obsession with radish, wait until you see my love for beetroot... When the name is mentioned I start to feel my saliva glands activating and my mind gearing up to create recipes immediately... When this happens, you know you have a deep-seated connection to beetroot! What I love about these gems is that they are great all year round but especially during winter due to their earthy taste. When they are mixed with ginger, nama shoyu or even some kudzu, it gives you that warm feeling during those cold evenings. But of course, beetroot is best during spring and fall which is what we are getting into now either for my northern readers or my southern readers...
In spring I love them for their freshness, but yet they are still earthy & cozy... I use them in canapes, as a base, like in the recipe called
When in St Germain that was published in Purely Delicious Magazine
In fall, I juice them and use their juice to 'dye' my desserts to add that gorgeous red color which goes well with the similar natural colours emerging in this gorgeous season. Other aromas such as vanilla beans, star anise, cinnamon or coconut cream, flavors will go well with the earthy taste of beetroot juice in desserts like my Pears "Poached" in Beetroot Juice.
When in St-GermainSo, here it is, my first Botanical Cuisine Canape recipe for spring! So, you can enjoy the seasonal products that mother nature provides us for this lively time of the year. However, it is important for me to mention that for all of the recipes year-round I will be using honey & natural sweeteners, cocoa, oils, spices, herbs and the occasional citrus. I will do my best to make sure that even these are seasonal, though I will be using these ingredients in order to make some dishes more accessible for all pallets.
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