HOSIGAKI

Twice a month this Mad Meat Genius manages the Richmond Farmers Market. One fantastic perk of being involved with the market is coming home with the freshest in season produce. Persimmons are in the market right now There are two different varieties of persimmons the Fuyu and Hachiya. The Fuyu variety can be eaten crisp like an apple. The Hachiya needs to be fully ripened to the soft stage before it can be eaten.The Japanese have a method of drying the Hachiya called Hosigaki and is considered a delicacy. These persimmons are air dried and believe it or not periodically massaged. This is a labor intesive process hence a high price tag if you can even find them. This sounds like a good experiment for me.

As some of you may know I am a big fan of the late great Huell Howser. He is my inspiration for this experiment. He toured a persimmon farm and they created Hosigaki. There is a link below if you would like to watch this episode. The process is fairly simple. You peel the Hachiya persimmon. A string is tied around the stem. The stringed, peeled persimmon is hung in a dry warm place. The first week they are left alone. Then for the next several weeks they are then gently massaged until they are dried to the desired texture. This can take up to two months. I have done the initial steps. Stay tuned and hopefully we will have created Hosigaki.

Huell Howser and Hosigaki

BACON AVOCADO

Yes you heard correctly; 'Bacon Avocado". We have come across this special fruit several times at local farmers market. Is this some Monsanto freak fruit? It does sound intriguing. Is it possible we will not have to cook bacon for our guacamole? There is one way to find out. We purchased several rock hard bacon avocados from the market. I asked the farmer:'Does it taste like bacon?'.She replied, No, It is a strain of avocado that was developed by James Bacon. That pretty much burst my bubble. Let's give them a try anywhoo.

It took 5 days in a paper bag to soften these green globes. When ripened the outer skin is still green not like the Hass variety which turns black. The inner flesh is a light green with a larger pit than  the Hass. We keep referring to the Hass because everybody is familiar with them. The flavor is buttery and creamy. I would say the flavor is slightly sweeter than the Haas. Overall this is a very tasty avocado. I am a little relieved it does not taste like bacon. It was fun and tasty to give them a try.

MULBERRIES

“All Around The Mulberry Bush The Monkey Chased The Weasel”

Super Food; Cancer prevention, life extension, blood tonic, kidney strengthener, liver cleanser, anemia treatment, cold & flu prevention, premature gray hair remedy or great tasting berry. To be honest I have never saw a monkey chase a weasel or tasted a mulberry until now. Contrary to the nursery rhyme the mulberry is grown from trees. They are making an appearance at local Farmers Markets. Two varieties, blond & red, and different sizes are there for the offering. We picked up a mixed basket to give them a try.

The texture is soft like a blackberry. I would compare the flavor to a blackberry also. The reds were sweeter than the blondes. Ms. Goofy compared the flavor to peach or apricot. They are delicate and would be great on top of your morning cereal. We decided to make some mulberry corn bread.

The weather has been sizzling with summer like temperatures, so instead of heating up the kitchen we opted to cook our corn bread in our trusty black iron dutch oven. We used a simple recipe that works well in our outdoor ovens. This fruity corn bread was a ‘Super Food’ winner. We may have gained some health benefits but truth be told it was darn tasty!