This salad is super-easy to make, and it takes advantage of the crisp Fuyu persimmons that are widely available in the Fall; those are the crisp round cute ones, not the long astringent ones that my grandfather use to slurp down when they turned black (eek!).
The combination of the sweet persimmons and dates with the salty blue cheese and the crunch of the toasted almonds is addictive.
A bonus: persimmons and dates are great sources of antioxidants and fiber.
Serves 4-6
8-10 oz baby spinach, washed
1 Fuyu persimmon, halved and sliced thinly, or chopped
1/3 cup medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup raw almonds
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Heat a heavy frying pan without oil, and add the almonds. Toast nuts until they’re fragrant, but watch them – they burn really easily.
While the almonds are toasting, add the remaining dry ingredients into a salad bowl.
Add the almonds when they’re cooled – hot almonds will wilt the greens, which is fine if you like your spinach wilted.
Add olive oil and vinegar to taste and toss salad.
