I met this persimmon salad at Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco, and I’ll admit my first impression was that it was a bit fresh. In a good way, fortunately.
Let me start with a quick word about the restaurant – wow. Ha! Now here are a few more words: the staff hit the perfect balance of welcoming and professional, and the food was bright, creative and incredibly delicious. Every once in a while my mind flicks up an image from that meal, like a slide, and I’m back – sitting with good friends, watching mozzarella turn from a doughy mess into a soft balls, listening to the sounds of a restaurant filled with happy diners, taking my first bite of this salad.
Ok I’m back. Obviously, if you want the real deal, you should go straight to the source (come on, East Coasters, we have a spare room), but for a cheat that will still make you incredibly happy, here’s how it goes:
First you get some arugula – if possible the nice, small kind. Add some baby spinach if you’d like a slightly bigger salad and the arugula is overwhelming. (That’s what I did in the one pictured above.) Slice in a Fuyu persimmon and some Ricotta Salata. Toss lightly with meyer lemon olive oil and a little salt and fresh ground pepper. Then you’re going to want to be sitting down, because the first bite will knock your socks off. Where has this salad been all your life?