sharing raw, vegan recipes and advice
To me, the best part about fall is the persimmon. How i've long awaited it's sweet return! Appropriately called 'fruit of the gods' by ancient Greeks, these little fruits are rich in antioxidants like catechins and gallocatechins (which you always hear about when reading about health benefits of green tea) and betulinic acid (an anti-tumor compound). They also have a good amount of the antioxidants lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which is a carotenoid known to help prevent age related macular degeneration, as well as the minerals potassium and manganese. The American variety of this fruit is only edible once it's ripe...which means holding out until fall each year, and then basking in the goodness of these fabulous little orange delights for as long as you can. The shorter squat ones (shaped more like a tomato) are called Fuyu. They tend to have less of an astringent quality so can be eaten while still firm. It will have the crunch and texture of an apple. You can also wait for softer fuyus which will be juicy like a nectarine. Persimmons are great eaten alone, or can be added to salads, entrees, desserts, and breads. If you've never had a persimmon, i would encourage you to scout some out at your local farmers market, and make sure to pick the fuyus which you can bite right into. I've had some not so hot experiences with the hachiya's (a larger acorn shaped persimmon) which are so astringent when under ripe that your mouth drys up and shrivels around the fruit. Hachiyas can only be eaten when very soft and ripe. You'll want to remove the outer tannic skin, remove the seeds, and scoop the fruit out of the flesh.
For more recipes and entries like this, visit my blog: "A Grateful Life" at www.meredithgnau.blogspot.com
I have been inspired by a couple of the recent recipes containing pumpkin and whipped this up for lunch. It's the first time I've used raw pumpkin and it has a wonderful sweet and clean taste.
After the pumpkin soup I came up with this pumpkin pudding. It became more delicious than the soup. It doesn't need water, so it tastes more intensive. It is ready in a few minutes, and makes a wonderful, easy, and light winter supper!
I didn't expect this pizza to turn out so wonderfully! With the vast array of colours and textures, it's truly a delightful meal, especially if you didn't plan anything. The hemp seeds resemble cheese due to their creamy texture and white appearance. Feel free to make adjustments as you like.
This is a delicious raw vegan alternative to cooked candy apples for the Halloween/autumn season!
You can see the original post of this recipe on my blog, "barefoot and frolicking: a space for musing on living and raw foods":
http://barefootandfrolicking.blogspot.com/2009/10/candy-acorn-apples.html
