This is a recipe that if you are fortunate to receive or have large amounts of this special produce should be made with care and given with love. It is literally so good you can eat this by the spoonfuls! It has just the right amount of sweetness. I don’t even like Persimmons, or so I thought. This will be used in many recipes from a cheese cake to a turkey glaze, so stay tuned, and get creative using this in your own recipes! This was truly a blessing and joy to make. Our Meyer lemon tree is almost ripe, and the juice in the lemons worked well to bring some tartness to the super sweet persimmons. We picked the persimmons from a ranch in Knights Ferry that my aunt so graciously lets us visit anytime. The persimmon tree has been there for ages and is a sight to behold as you wind your way down to the valley on the ranch. The boys helped pick a bunch. We eagerly tasted one, big mistake. Not quite ripe, I liken it to eating a bitter cotton ball! The persimmons set out a week they became mushy soft, which is what you want for this variety, also known as Hichiya, before you try to eat or bake. They were super sweet in a delicate way. Little did we know we came upon a fortune, as at the grocery store persimmons were going for 2$ each! My sweet neighbor, Barbra, brought us a large bag of pomegranates from her beautiful tree, these are the best I have ever had. Store bought does not compare, I can barely taste the seeds in these there is so much fruit inside. I thought combining these two seasonal fruits into a Jam that will serve as a gift and an ingredient in holiday baking would be festive and appreciated!
Ingredients:
(You can triple this recipe to give as gifts for Christmas)
- 1 C Persimmon Puree (6 large persimmons)
- 1/3 C Sugar (or to taste, depending on how sweet fruit is, can also be left out)
- 2 Tbsp Water
- 1 Tbsp Corn Starch
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 C Fresh Pomegranate Juice
Directions:
Peel persimmons into blender. I find it easiest to use my hands and kind of mulch out the innards. Seed the pomegranates by cutting in half and using a large wooden spoon to whack until seeds fall into bowl.
Will seem messy at first but once you get the hang of this it will go fast. Make extra and freeze the juice for later or for drinking. Puree Persimmons until smooth. Using juicer juicepomegranate seeds to extract juice. (Or use store bought!) Place puree in sauce pan, add sugar and pomegranate juice over medium heat until incorporated. Add water and corn starch in separate bowl and whisk until dissolved. Whisk into puree. Add lemon juice. Boil on low until thickened, approx 15 minutes. Let jam cool to room temperature and pour into sterilized jars. Can if desired, or store in refrigerator. Enjoy and share the love!
We loaded up the kids to visit the ranch and do some berry picking. Was made all the more exciting as this is rattle snake season- Yikes! Safe to say dad did most the picking! When visiting my parents on the coast we made black berry pie with black berries picked behind pops gallery. That was little more leisurely experience! Either way, using your fresh picked blackberries in this simple dessert the whole family will love! I use my 
This is my favorite way to cook. Letting creativity and spontaneity come together, using everything I have from the garden or extra vegetables after a trip to the farmers market. Easy, simple and never again to be replicated. This is true joy, you will find me in no happier state. A warm pan simmering, smiles and nourished bellies, all feels right and my heart is full. Perhaps it is my yearning for fall, as the kids gear up to go back to school, and sweet potatoes are on my mind! It is time to thin my carrots in garden, and this is an excellent way to use those tiny carrots. Not much prep involved, just cut roughly and throw in what you’ve got! Try and keep tomatoes the main ingredient, sweet potatoes second and after that use to your heart’s content. Carrots, peppers, herbs, celery, onion, garlic all make great choices. I then add my 
Place in blender and blend until smooth. Pour the now smooth mixture into pan and heat. Add yogurt and cheese, stir over medium heat to incorporate. 
Add maple syrup and nutmeg to taste, as well as salt and pepper as desired. Serve over favorite pasta and enjoy! 
home, and, “you have enough going on.” Silly men, don’t they know that will only make me try harder! Kids loaded up, we got what was left of any vegetables at the nursery (for a 50% discount as most of it was wilted away) and headed to our spot; shovels, gloves, hoes and vegetables in back. We got to work. I have never been so proud of my children’s little hands. Lilly had a blast getting dirty and petting the cows. Our little garden may not survive. It may not be enough to share with all the employees, it may not bring people together, and it may not work out. In more ways than one. But our job is to have faith, to take care and create where there is none, and to give of ourselves. To love who we are now and where we are at. To not depend on others to create an opportunity or place blame on them when there is not. It is within each of us and we can do this through the smallest things. A garden, a painting, a word, a meal. Rather than staying at home being unhappy at my husband for not creating an opportunity for me, I decided to do this myself. It may be silly but I felt pretty damn good doing it.
Our cucumbers are growing out of control! This is an excellent way to use cucumbers, tomatoes and other veggies in you garden for a fresh easy dinner. Make extra and save to bring a neighbor in need! I chose to use our small yellow pear tomatoes to add a golden color and mild taste that doesn’t over power the cucumber. You can also use other tomatoes, but I love the color and lightness that these tomatoes add to the soup. Serve cold with a spring of mint for a refreshing summer meal loaded with nutrients. My kids love this soup and it makes me happy to know they are getting a good serving of vegetables hidden in this creamy broth. I use our raw yogurt for a creamy texture, a great taste and for the health benefits. You can add a few other seasonal veggies you may have in your kitchen or garden; celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper etc, but keep the main focus on the cucumber!
These cook up in a snap and are easy to assemble. I used pretzels because I ran out of Panko, (my favorite; a japanese style bread crumb). The pretzels tasted great with the pork and added a nice crunch. You can use anything you have on hand for the breading; breadcrumbs, Panko, crackers, pretzels. I always like a challenge to avoid another errand just for an item or two, and feel very resourceful and creative in using what I already have! It doesn’t always work as planned, but it’s fun to try! The pork is marinated in my 
This Recipe is for a bread machine, but can be used without one as well. (Bread machines are amazing you can make any sort of dough and either bake right in the machine or in the oven.) This recipe uses almond four (courtesy of 
2 c Bread Flour
the Art to Feed 