Persimmon Caprese Salad

The answer to "what can I bring?" for Friendsgiving.

‘Tis the season for texts like: “Excited for the party! What can I bring?” Between Friendsgiving feasts, Christmastime open houses, family gatherings, and the dreaded office holiday lunch, there’s no shortage of occasions calling for food that travels well. Friends, it’s potluck season.

Enter: this persimmon and mozzarella salad, an in-season-now variation on the classic tomato caprese.

Think of it as more of a show-stopping appetizer than a traditional leafy green salad—though you can easily fluff it up with extra radicchio and arugula if you like. Instead of the usual basil, we’re infusing olive oil with fresh sage, creating a fragrant dressing while transforming the leaves into a crispy garnish. It’s a twofer situation.

Pomegranate arils bring juicy bursts of sweetness and a festive ruby-red hue, while toasted pistachios add crunch and a vibrant green color. Swap in other nuts or seeds—pepitas, pecans, or hazelnuts would all shine here. It’s a maximalist’ salad with layers of flavor, texture, and holiday flair.

Note: this recipe was originally developed for an IG partnership with Bi-Rite Market. This post is not sponsored. I just love the recipe and wanted to share it with you!

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Persimmon Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

Fried Sage Dressing:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses

Salad:

• 6 cups baby arugula

• 1/2 head radicchio, chopped

• 8 oz. (1 large ball) fresh mozzarella

• 2 persimmons, sliced

• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

• 3 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachios

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Dried chili flakes, to taste 

• Flaky sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil & sage over medium-low. Cook until sage is crisp, swirling pan occasionally, about 10 mins. Use a fork to remove sage, draining on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Cool oil completely.

2. In a bowl, whisk vinegar, pomegranate molasses, reserved oil, salt &  pepper. 

3. In a large bowl, toss arugula and radicchio with a little dressing & salt. 

4. Arrange on a serving platter. Shingle mozzarella and persimmons on top. Top with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, fried sage & urfa chili. Drizzle with more dressing, season with chili and flaky salt.

   Makes 4-6 appetizer servings

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Persimmons!

If you’re unfamiliar with persimmons, look for the fuyu varietal that looks (ironically) like an orange tomato. You can eat them while they are still firm, or a bit soft. The more oblong hachiya variety is best enjoyed when completely soft and juicy. I love them for snacking and baking (try James Beard’s persimmon bread!) Persimmons have a softly-sweet flavor, that’s a bit like an apricot.

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Make Ahead/Make it Travel:

• Everything can get prepped up to 2 days in advance. If making for Thanksgiving, do this on Tuesday or Wednesday.

• Make the salad dressing & chill in fridge. An old jam jar is perfect for this.

• If making a day in advance, keep the fried sage covered in an airtight container at room temperature. It may lose it’s crispiness - bake it in the oven or toaster briefly to re-crisp.

• Chop radicchio, slice persimmon & mozzarella, deseed pomegranate and store each component in separate airtight containers in the fridge.

• Toast and chop pistachios, cool and store in an airtight container at room temp.

• Just before eating, toss the greens, arrange the mozz/persimmons + garnish.

• You may need to bring the dressing to room temp and stir it/shake it if it solidified in the fridge.

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• A client had this festive countertop spray in her kitchen. I picked it up the next day. It makes me feel like Buddy the Elf cleaning my kitchen.

• Speaking of Target, order ahead/drive up is my key to not overspending and sticking to a list.

• Aside from Aesop Resurrection hand soap, this is the IT toilet paper I see in cool girl’s bathrooms. TMI, or just the right amount of info?

• I make mulled wine every year for the holidays, with bourbon or brandy, oranges, apple cider, maple syrup or brown sugar. Do you want the recipe? Stocking up on my local spice shop’s mulling spices + cheesecloth.

• Years ago, I was in Austin interviewing for a job (spoiler: I took the offer in the Bay). I was dining solo at Emmer & Rye, when I spotted my food stylist girl crush

  Olivia Mack McCool
  across the bar, also eating alone on a biz trip. I introduced myself and we finished our meals together. Her Chicken Meatballs in Vodka Sauce are a must-make.

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