Asian Pear Salad 
4 cups of mixed greens
1 head of radicchio, shredded
2 Asian pears, diced in 1/2" pieces
1-1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Clean the greens and radicchio, tear into bite-sized pieces. In a salad bowl, combine greens, radicchio and pears. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar and mustard. Add oil in a steady stream while whisking. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Toss salad. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Serves 4.

Sammye Munson's Texas Fig Preserves
4 quarts ripe figs, stems removed
1 cup water
8 cups sugar
Lemon slices
Cut stems from figs and rinse fruit. Combine water and sugar in a large pot. Heat. Add sugar and lemon slices. Cook over medium heat about 30 minutes until figs are transparent. Pour into sterilized jars, and close with lids. Makes about 5 pints.

Jujube (Asian Date) Nut Bread 
Pour 1-1/2 cups boiling water over 1 pound pitted Jujube (Asian dates).  Cover and let soften.
1 cup white sugar 
3 cups white flower
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans nuts
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the flower, soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  Mix sugar, eggs, melted butter and vanilla.  Stir in the flower mixture, the nuts and then the jujube water mixture.  Pour into two 4 x 9 inch well-greased bread pans and bake for 1 hour at 325 degree.  It will be lightly browned, and the bread will pull away from the pan slightly.  Let cool before slicing.  Makes two loaves.

Susan's Pioneer Pumpkin Recipe

Ingredients:

Small to medium pie pumpkin

Several tart apples

Maple syrup

Directions:

Cleanly carve a circular top off pie pumpkin.  Save top.

Clean pulp and seeds from inside as well as from the top you just removed.

Peel and slice enough tart apples to fill pumpkin.  Apple chunks can be large.

Poor maple syrup over apples until coated, at least one cup for a small pumpkin.   

Replace pumpkin lid, place in shallow baking pan. 

Bake at 300 for a minimum of two hours, more if needed depending on size.  Pumpkin skin will brown slightly and meat will become soft.  To test you can remove the lid and check the inside with a fork.  Apples will be mushy.

To serve, slightly cool and remove top.  Scoop out some apple and pumpkin meat with a large spoon.  The pumpkin will be very soft and should separate easily from the skin.  This can be eaten as is, served with ice cream, or spread on graham crackers.

Persimmon Smoothie
1 cup frozen persimmon pulp
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 cups water
1/4 cup honey, or more to taste
2 or 3 ice cubes

In the fall, when persimmons are ripe, peel them and freeze the pulp in 1-cup plastic containers.  When ready to use, remove pulp from container and cut into 1" chunks. Combine persimmon pulp, lime juice and water in blender. Add honey a little at a time while blending so it will dissolve.  Then add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serves 2.

Nutrient Analysis per Serving: Calories- 183, Carbohvdrates-50g, Protein-1g, Cholesterol Omg, Sodium-9mg, Fiber-3g, Fat-Og ( 1% ofcalories from fat)

Preserved Whole Persimmons
Put a thin layer of sugar in the bottom of a jar, then a layer of whole ripe persimmons, then a layer of sugar and so on until the jar is full.  The sugar will dissolve and form syrup.  Press the upper fruits down under the syrup or add more syrup to the jars.  Seal and store until used.  The syrup may be drained off and the fruits served like dates, which they will resemble in appearance and flavor.

Persimmon Juice
Take a real cold ripe persimmon and bite a small hole in the end and suck the juice.

Persmmon Fruit Salad
Sliced Asian persimmons
Sliced avocados
Grapefruit sections 

Make a vinaigrette mixture of 2 parts oil, 2-part vinegar.  Moisten fruit slightly with dressing and top with walnuts or pecans. 
Serve on bed of red lettuce.

Persimmon Jam
Persimmons tend to lose their subtle flavor when cooked or mixed with fruit with a more dominant flavor and pure pulp, when cooked  alone it stiffens like hard-boiled eggs.  You can make jam with it using the no-cook procedure often used to preserve the fresh flavor of strawberries.

Mix one quart of persimmon pulp with 3 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Let stand until all of the sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes.  Mix ¾ cup of water with a package of fruit pectin.  Bring to a boil and boil for one minute, remove from heat and stir in pulp.  Continue to stir for 10 minutes, then pour into jam jars. 

Since it is uncooked it must be kept in the freezer and refrigerated after opening.  The small amount of lemon juice enhances persimmon's natural flavor so the result is flavor that is very near that of ripe persimmon.

Persimmon Butter        
Cook persimmons and strain.
Add ½ teaspoon soda to each cup of pulp.  
Cook to almost desired consistency and flavor with spices, such as, nutmeg, cinnamon, grated lemon or orange rind. Butter can be sweetened however, not necessary.  Cook thoroughly and put-up as usual.

Persimmon Raisin Cookies
½    Cup softened butter
1     Cup sugar
1     Egg
1½  Cups all purpose flour
½    Teaspoon ground cinnamon
½    Tablespoons teaspoon nutmeg
¼    Teaspoon cloves
¼    Teaspoon salt
1     Cup persimmon Pulp
1     Teaspoon baking soda
1     Cup raisins

1     Cup chopped pecans 

Cream butter, gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs and beat well.  Combine flour, spices and salt to creamed mixture.  Mix well.  Combine persimmon pulp and soda.  Stir well, add to creamed mixture. Stir in raisins and pecans.  Drop dough by tablespoons on to greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until done.  Usually yields about 3 dozen.

Persimmon Nut Cake
2       Ripe persimmons         
½     Teaspoon cinnamon
3      Teaspoons soda    
½     Teaspoon cloves
1      Teaspoon baking powder    
2      Cups raisins, or 1 cup dates and 1 cup raisins
2      Cups flour  
1      Cup pecans
1      Cup sugar 
¼     Cup melted Crisco
1      Teaspoon salt 
2      Teaspoons vanilla

Mix persimmons with soda and baking powder.  Let stand a minute.  Sift the dry ingredients together.Add raisins or dates and nuts; when coated with the dry ingredients add persimmons and vanilla.  Blend.Bake in a greased and wax paper lined 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan at 325°F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cake will be better if left to mellow for a few days.

Persimmon Instant Snow Cone
Put persimmon in freezer until frozen.  Remove from the freezer and run hot water over the persimmon, peeling comes off easy.  Place peeled, frozen persimmon in a dish, cover with plastic and thaw till the following morning.  It will be about 75% defrosted and will be like a snow cone for breakfast.

Persimmon Ice Cream
Put through a ricer:
4   Ripe Asian persimmons
Add:
2   Tablespoons sugar
6   Tablespoons lemon juice

Whip until thickened, but not stiff, and fold in 2 cups whipping cream. Still-freeze in a mold or in foil-covered refrigerator trays.

Baked Almond Persimmon Pudding
1½  Cups sifted flour
½    Teaspoon salt
1½  Teaspoon baking soda
½    Teaspoon ground cinnamon
2     Eggs
1¼  Cup sugar
1½  Cup sieved persimmon pulp
½    Cup butter
¾    Cup milk
1     Cup raisins
½    Cup chopped almonds
1     Can whipped cream

Resift flour with dada, salt and cinnamon, Beat eggs until light. Beat in sugar.  Stir in persimmon pulp and melted butter. Add flour mixture alternately with milk.

Persimmon Bread
1½       Cups sugar
1          Cup persimmon pulp
1 ½      Cups sugar
½         Teaspoon cloves
½         Cup oil
2          Eggs
1 ½     Teaspoon nutmeg
½        Teaspoon cinnamon
1 ¾     Cup flour
½        Cup raisins
1 ½     Teaspoon soda
¼        Teaspoon baking powder
½        Teaspoon allspice

In a bowl, add the oil and sugar and mix well.  Beat the eggs and add to mixture.  Sift flour and add spices and raisins. Add to mixture.  Pour into a loaf pan and fill 2/3 full.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until cake tester comes out clean.

Persimmon Pie  
2    Cups of persimmon pulp

            1    Beaten egg
1    Cup whole milk
½    Cup sugar
1     Dash of salt
1     Tablespoon cornstarch
1     9 inch unbaked pie crust

Mix persimmon pulp, egg and milk.  Combine sugar, salt and cornstarch. Mix well. Stir into persimmon mixture. Spoon filling into piecrust. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 50 minutes.

Baking tip: If you bake your, piecrust approximately 5 minutes before filling it, the crust will not get soggy. It will be necessary to prick the crust or weight it down before baking. 

Persimmon Pudding
Beat together:
2 cups of pulp, put through a colander
3     Eggs
1¼  Cups sugar, white or light brown
1     Cup all-purpose flour
1     Teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1     Teaspoon baking soda
½    Teaspoon salt
½    Cup melted butter
2½  Cups light cream
2     Teaspoons cinnamon
1     Teaspoon ginger
½    Teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 

Preheat oven to 325°  One cupful raisins or nutmeats may be added to the batter.  Bake the pudding in a greased 9 x 9 inch baking dish about 1 hour or until firm. 

Lemon Glazed Persimmon Bars
1   Cup persimmon pulp
1½ Teaspoon lemon juice
1    Teaspoon soda
1    Egg
1   Teaspoon salt (optional)
1   Teaspoon cinnamon
½  Cup salad oil
1   Cup sugar
1   Package (8 oz) of pitted dates (finely chopped)
¾  Cup unsifted flour
1   Teaspoon nutmeg
¼  Teaspoon cloves
1   Cup chopped pecans
Glaze:
1   Cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
2   Tablespoons lemon juice

Mix the pulp and lemon juice with soda and set aside. In a large bowl, lightly beat egg and add sugar, oil and dates.  Combine flour and spices and add alternate with the persimmon pulp. Mix just enough to blend and add the chopped pecans.  Bake in a greased floured jelly roll pan for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool for 510 minutes.  Mix the glaze ingredients and stir until sooth.  Spread over the cookies and let cool, Cut into bars.

Persimmon Date Squares
½  Cup chopped dates
½  Cup chopped walnuts
½  Cup flour, plus 2 tsp.
¼  Cup butter
1   Cup brown sugar
2/3 Cup persimmon pulp
1   Teaspoon Vanilla
2   Eggs
½  Teaspoon baking powder
¼  Teaspoon  baking soda
½  Teaspoon cinnamon
½  Teaspoon nutmeg
¼  Teaspoon ginger

Mix dates, walnuts, and 2 teaspoons flour and set aside.  Melt butter and stir in brown sugar, pulp, and vanilla.  Beat in eggs, flour, baking powder, soda, and spices and mix well.  Stir in floured dates and nuts and pour into greased 8 x 8 pan.  Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm with whipped cream.

Persimmon Wine
Persimmons make a fine, slightly fruity wine, use ripened fruit.  The large, red domesticated Asian persimmons make the best wine with a delicate, amber color.  To be sure the fruit is non-astrigent, freeze them first before you use the fruit.
3      Pounds ripe persimmons
2½   Pounds finely granulated sugar
1     Tablespoon acid blend
½    Teaspoon pectic enzyme
7     Parts water
1     Crushed Campden tablet
½    Teaspoon yeast nutrient
1     Packet Montrachet, Pasteur Red or Champagne yeast

Wash the persimmons cut into quarters and mash the seeds out with your hands.  Mash the pulp well, put in primary, add half the sugar, acid blend, yeast nutrient and crushed Campden tablet.  Add one-gallon water.  Stir well to dissolve sugar, cover, and set aside.  After 12 hours add pectic enzyme and recover.  After another 12 hours add yeast.  Ferment 5-7 days, stirring daily.  Strain through a nylon sieve.  Don't be concerned if fine pulp gets through the straining, it will precipitate out.  Add remaining sugar, stirring well then transfer to secondary while leaving about three inches headroom.  Fit air lock and set aside.  Rack every 30 days until wine clears and no additional lees are laid down, about  4-6 months.  Stabilize only if you feel the need to sweeten the wine before bottling.  This wine should age in the bottle one year.

[Adapted recipe from Dorothy Alatorre's Home Wines of North America]