Persimmon & Squash Salad

Fall is here!

I love going into the market and seeing all of the fall produce.

squash

cranberries

asparagus

persimmon

pomegranate

pumpkin

I saw organic persimmons and I had to grab some....not knowing what I was going to do with them.

This is what came to be:

Organic Persimmon & Acorn Squash Salad

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash ( or any kind you like)

1 persimmon

2 small heads butter lettuce

1 small yellow tomato

1 tsp dulse flakes

ground blk pepper and salt to taste

soaked and dehydrated assorted nuts

( soak a mix of nuts and seeds overnight and dehydrate for 10 hrs on 110 degrees:

almonds, walnuts, pumpkin, sunflower seeds)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

evoo ( light sprinkle)

* organic when possible *

- cut and clean squash

- season with a little salt and pepper

- bake @ 400 until tender- about 25 mins

- wash and chop greens

-chop persimmon & tomato

-remove skin from squash when done

assemble....

all ingredients in a bowl

and enjoy the colors and taste of this Fall season!

Health benefits of persimmon fruit

• The fruit is low in calories (provides 70 calories/100g) and fats but is rich source of dietary fiber.
• Persimmons contain health benefiting phyto-nutrients flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants likecatechins and gallocatechins as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.
• Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zea-xanthin and cryptoxanthin. Together, these compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
• Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps prevent "Age-related macular related macular disease"(ARMD) in the elderly.
• They are also a very good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant (especially native Chinese and American persimmons; provide 80% of DRI). Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
• The fruit is good in many valuable B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin...etc. These vitamins act as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body.
• Fresh Persimmon fruits also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI), and phosphorus. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese, and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells.
  
  -http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/persimmon-fruit.html

xoxo