Partners in this culinary ensemble include a variety of elements that support vision, brain function, and the immune, nervous, digestive, and cardiovascular systems.
Ingredients (for 4 servings): persimmons – 3; mandarins – 2; mozzarella – 240 g; pumpkin seeds – ½ cup; walnuts – ½ cup; cranberries – ¾ cup; arugula or spinach – 2 handfuls; maple syrup – 2 tablespoons; cranberry or pomegranate juice – ¼ cup; lemon juice – 1 tablespoon; balsamic vinegar – 1 tablespoon; olive oil – 1 tablespoon; ground black pepper – to taste; salt – to taste.
Mix and toast the walnuts and pumpkin seeds in a skillet, drizzling them with maple syrup. Transfer to a separate dish, season with salt, and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped persimmons, mandarin segments, greens, and cranberries (fresh or dried). Add the mozzarella and the nut and seed mixture. Toss to combine.
For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Season with pepper and salt. Dress the salad and serve to applause.
Life Hack
If your mandarins turn out to be more tart than you’d like, there’s a quick way to sweeten them: pop them in the microwave for half a minute on high. Just 30 seconds is enough to turn under-ripe mandarins, oranges, or grapes sweet. Another method is to place unpeeled mandarins in the oven at 50°C (122°F) for 5 minutes, then plunge them into cold water. There are also signs to help you distinguish sweet mandarins from sour ones while shopping. A sweet fruit will feel heavier because it’s juicier, and its skin will have a reddish hue. Sour mandarins are usually less vibrant and lighter in color.