Persimmon and Brie Mini Sandwiches

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I know it’s been persimmon-palooza around here for a while, but this will likely be the last persimmon recipe until next Fall. I had some left over persimmon after making this salad for Thanksgiving, so I sliced them into wedges and made these little appetizer sandwiches, which people seemed to really like! You could use any kind of cheese, really…but do make sure you choose Fuyu persimmons (the squat tomato looking ones that are eaten when crunchy and don’t leave a pasty taste in your mouth like those soft oblong ones). If you can’t find persimmons, you could also use pears or apples. This is an easy cocktail hour snack to serve before dinner, and can easily be made ahead. Enjoy!

Persimmon Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving

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Happy Thanksgiving! Jonathan and I left the woods for the beach and we’re spending the holiday weekend with my family in Santa Barbara. I am blogging for Better Homes and Gardens now, so I tried their New Cranberry Sauce recipe this year and it’s delicious! It has onions, garlic and persimmon, which give it a fantastic flavor. For more photos of this dish and my beachy Thanksgiving, check out today’s post on the Better Homes and Gardens website.

Persimmon Squash Salad

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Persimmons are my favorite autumn fruit and I was so excited to share this recipe on Design Sponge on Friday- it’s a great, alternative Thanksgiving side salad. Trees around the Bay Area are bursting with persimmons right now and my friend, photographer Topher Simon, let me come over and pick from (and photograph!) his tree. Be sure when eating persimmons raw you choose the Fuyu variety- they are more squat and crunchy. The other more oblong variety leave a pasty taste in your mouth when eaten raw- they  are meant for cooking with.

Check out the Design Sponge post of this recipe for more photos and detailed instructions. Enjoy!

By Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast

Opening Night at Umami Mart

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Thank you so much to everyone for coming out to my opening last night at Umami Mart! I had so much fun! A special thanks to my good friends Kayoko and Yoko (UM owners) for hosting The Forest Feast in Oakland. We celebrated with snacks from the blog (Gorgonzola Grapes, Radishes with Butter and Stuffed Dates) and toasted the new book deal with glasses of The Forest Feast’s signature cocktail, The Skylonda. My photos, greeting cards and furniture I designed (using a photo I took of an orange tree) will all be on display, and for sale, through the end of January at Umami Mart (815 Broadway, Oakland). Cheers! And happy weekend…

Quinoa with Squash, Peppers & Figs

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Quinoa with butternut squash, red bell peppers and figs! A simple, colorful, autumn dish. Serve warm or at room temperature. (A great side for Thanksgiving!)

By Erin Gleeson for The Forest Feast