Toast Tuesday: Persimmon Bruschetta Holiday Appetizer

This persimmon bruschetta makes for a delicious holiday appetizer. Forgo out-of-season tomatoes and try this combo of fresh persimmon, cashew cream cheese and chives.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Dec 19, 2017 (Last updated Sep 13, 2021) by Hannah Sunderani

Toast Tuesday: Persimmon Bruschetta Holiday Appetizer

Happy Holidays!! Here is a beautiful a persimmon bruschetta recipe to share as a delicious holiday appetizer: Persimmon Bruschetta. It’s made with toasted whole wheat bread, smothered in cashew cream cheese, and topped with freshly sliced persimmon. Then sprinkled with fresh chives, salt flakes and pepper. Oh-fa-la-la-la this toast this was a holiday appetizer HIT in our home!

I wanted to share this plantbased recipe with you before the holiday season is over because it’s a perfect bruschetta style appetizer to make for your loved ones. I freaking love this recipe because, it’s DEAD easy to throw together (and we all know how busy this time of year is), it’s unique and special, and the flavour combination is to die for. Hallelujah! I can’t preach this wonderful holiday appetizer enough, you’ve just got to try it.

If you’ve never tried persimmon you are in for a treat. Persimmon is certainly my favourite winter fruit. I hadn’t tried it until moving to France, actually, where it’s sold in abundance during the winter months – it’s so popular. But it north america it seems to be a little more on the exotic side, and I often have people asking me what it tastes like or where to buy it. I think of persimmon as beint a winter peach. Over time it gets softer, plumper and more juicy. You could just bite right into the beautiful fruit and slurp up all those sweet juices. Unlike the peach however there is no pit. So you can really slurp up the entire thing. I skin is edible as well, but some people like to peel it. I suppose it’s a bit like an apple in that way where some poeple would rather it peeled, so I say it’s comme tu veux. For me the skin adds extra nutrient benefit so why not get it in ma belly!

As for where to find them. The persimmon originates from China, and so it’s you can likely find them at asian grocers. But a quick trip to Longos today also revealed they also have them there. So hurry down the grocery store tonight,  and grab those pretty persimmons to ensure they have time to ripe for the holidays.  As for checking when they’re ready to eat. You sort of want to check them like you would an avocado. They will be softer to the touch at the top and bottom and little more firm around the centre. But honestly (just like peaches) they’re good both hard and soft so really you can’t go wrong cutting into one of these joyous winter fruits. But for optimal taste use the guidelines described above. 

Although delicious on it’s own (at this point I’m eating three persimmons a day) I I love it topped on toast for a persimmon bruschetta appetizer.  The are no better combined flavours than some yeasty whole wheat toast, spread with savoury cashew cream cheese, topped with sweet and juicy persimmon and sprinkled with fresh chives. Add a little salt and pepper and it just enhances all the flavours. And rest assured the vegan skeptics will love this too.  I served these last week to my vegan skeptic mother and got the stamp of approval, she LOVED them!  Plus there is something about persimmon bruschetta that just screams unique and different. So why not show off a bit this Christmas with your originality for an appetizer to remember. John Oliver also made a joke about persimmons being a tad showy, and to that I say touché John! Christmas is all about getting a little fancy. ;). So let’s go ahead and make these chef approved too!

Anyways since I am totally jet-lagged. We arrived home for the holidays at 3 a.m. this morning after a 25 hour long journey (and many cancelations and delays). So I am pooped! And so before I go for a quick snooze  I’ll leave you by saying: This Christmas, I give you persimmon to stuff yourself!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good nap!

Persimmon Bruschetta

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This persimmon bruschetta makes for a delicious holiday appetizer. Forgo out-of-season tomatoes and try this combo of fresh persimmon, cashew cream cheese and chives.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Serves 6 people

Ingredients

Cashew Cream Cheese

  • 1 cup raw cashews soaked in water overnight
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • water splashes, if needed

Maple Spice

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper flakes
  • salt

Other ingredients

  • 6 slices whole wheat bread
  • 3 persimmons chopped into small chunks
  • pinch fresh chives chopped (for topping)
  • pinch sea salt and pepper to sprinkle

Instructions

  • Begin by making your cashew cream cheese: in a blender add soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Optional to add splashes of water for blending, if needed.
  • Make maple spice: Combine maple syrup, melted coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper flakes and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
  • Toast bread and top each with a thick layer of cashew cream cheese. Generously add on chopped persimmon to each. Drizzle with spiced maple syrup. Sprinkle with chopped chives, sea salt and pepper .

Notes

Note: Cashew cream cheese will keep in fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutritional information is a rough estimate.

Approvals

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg
DID YOU

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