Persimmon Grilled Cheese

Growing up we had a lot of persimmons in the house. This was mostly due to the persimmon tree in my grandparent's yard. But the persimmons were the Hachiya variety. A few dozen would be placed on the picture window sill coaxing them into ripeness. We would cut them open and enjoy them and my mother would make multiple batches of persimmon bread for the freezer which we enjoyed throughout the year.

The persimmons that showed up in the box recently were Fuyus and I'm less familiar with them. But then I saw this recipe and I knew I had to make it.

Here's an excellent quick guide to persimmons.

The recipe comes from Bay Area writer and chef Eric Gower. He writes occasionally for the San Francisco Chronicle. He has a unique approach to food and he infuses everyday cooking with some global flavors and approaches.

Persimmon Grilled Cheese:

• Gouda - original recipe called for goat gouda which I couldn't find at Whole Foods so I used a cow's milk gouda
• Chevre - I used a plain chevre
• Fuyu persimmons - slices of ripe, peeled persimmon
• Bread - the better the bread the better the sandwich
• Butter - see above
• Black Pepper - a dusting of freshly ground pepper

The results were excellent. The creamy gouda complemented the milder chevre. The cheese flavors mixed nicely with the crisp, fruity persimmon. The Irish butter added a soothing extra element. It all worked well together.

(Updated Feb. 7, 2024)