Fuyu persimmons can substitute for summer
tomatoes. Top photo by Jirkaejc | IST.
Bottom photo courtesy Good Eggs | San
Francisco.

Eating seasonally, a practice that has always existed in culinary meccas like France and Italy (and existed everywhere by default prior to modern transportation and food technology), is an idea that’s been promulgated for some 40 years in the U.S., first by chef and restaurateur Alice Waters. The the “farm-to-table” movement and subsequent awareness of sustainability and carbon miles continue to underscore the need to change the on-demand desires of American consumers.

 
Seek them out not only as hand fruit, but to substitute in recipes for out-of-season fruits.
 
WINTER SUBSTITUTES FOR SUMMER FRUITS

Some do better when frozen than others, and fruits, frozen at their peak, are an option. But if you want fresh-to-fresh, here are some good substitutes:

Perhaps the most missed fruit or vegetable is the fresh tomato, a staple of salads and sandwiches. Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog, residing in the produce capital of America, writes:

“Even in balmy California, farmers market tables once straining under the weight of plump tomatoes and juicy peaches look comparatively sparse, bearing dusty tubers and hearty greens instead.

“I’d never dream of making classic tabbouleh† in winter, when only mealy tomatoes shipped halfway across the globe can be found in markets.”

Her solution: Substitute persimmons for bland imported tomatoes. The recipe is below.

“It makes perfect sense the moment you taste the persimmons in this light salad” Hannah notes. “Their juicy, meaty texture and natural sweetness are an excellent substitution.” She adds even more seasonal produce to the standard tabbouleh recipe:

“Pomegranate arils lend tart, crunchy bursts of flavor. And while parsley could be the sole herbaceous element, I felt compelled to toss in those unloved green carrot tops that are all too often discarded, rather than savored as they should be.”

RECIPE: WINTER TABBOULEH

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the bulgur, turmeric and vegetable broth in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover, turn off the heat, and let stand for 15-20 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile…

Eat seasonally: Substitute persimmons for tomatoes in winter salads. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog.

3. COVER and chill for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to marry.
 
 
WHAT ARE PERSIMMONS?

In the late 1880s, the first persimmon arrived in the U.S., brought by a naval commander returning to Washington D.C. from Japan.

Here’s more about persimmons, including how to enjoy them at every meal of the day.
 
 
*What is a pimento? Also spelled pimiento (a variation of the Portuguese spelling; pimento is Spanish), the pimento is a heart-shaped variety of Capsicum annuum, the same genus and species as the familiar red bell pepper. Its flesh is sweet, succulent, and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper. Pimento is what is used to stuff green olives, and is ground into paprika. The standard pimento measures 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Some varieties of pimento are actually hot. In the U.S., they are typically sold pickled, as hot cherry peppers. Don’t confuse pimento with pimenta, which we know as allspice and is also called the Jamaica pepper, and myrtle pepper.

†Classic tabbouleh ingredients are bulgur wheat, parsley, tomato and onion, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.
  

Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Acqui: a wine that says “Be My Valentine.”

If you’ve taken a look at Champagne prices, you’d like a recommendation on which way to go.

Our recommendation: Steer away from Champagne and look at other sparkling wines. Here are two of our favorite affordable bubblies for Valentine’s Day. Both are crowd pleasers. One is a perfect dessert wine or an apéritif; the other can be enjoyed anytime, with any course.

Drink them yourself or give them as gifts. As with all sparkling wines, serve them chilled.
 
BANFI ROSA REGALE BRACHETTO D’ACQUI

This sweet sparkling wine from the Piedmont region of Italy is a vivid rose red. The color is natural!

It’s made from the brachetto di acqui grape, which grows in the area of Acqui Terme in rocky, calcareous soil (tough soil makes better wines).

In addition to dessert—cakes, tarts, ice cream—it pairs well with seafood, cheeses, spicy fare and yes, that box of Valentine chocolate.

One of our friends calls this wine “love at first sip.” It’s pretty romantic stuff.

The price: $17-$20 per bottle. The pronunciation: bra-KET-toe d’AH-qwee.

There’s more on the brand’s web page.
 
YELLOWTAIL BUBBLES SPARKLING ROSÉ

A recent Top Pick Of The Week for the holidays, this sparkling wine from Australia makes everything more festive—at just $10-$11 per bottle. It’s not a sweet wine, but crisp and refreshing, so it can be paired with anything.

The fragrant nose promises cherries and strawberries on the palate. Unlike the deep red of Brachetto d’Acqui, it’s a pale pink color, similar to a rosé Champagne.

Depending on the retailer and promotion calendar, the bottle may come with a resealable, plastic cap that allows you to seal in the bubbles for the next day. If not, and if you don’t have one, pick up a Champagne resealer. It’s inexpensive, and really does keep that wine sparkling for days.

And it can be the part of the gift that remains, when the wine is long gone.

Here’s our full review of the wine.

And here’s the Yellowtail Bubbles Rosé web page.

It’s snow and ice today on the East Coast; when we look out the window we see…white. So we’re deferring our scheduled tip to tomorrow, to publish something more comforting:

Hot chocolate from chocolate chips, chocolate bars, even Hershey’s Kisses.

Even if you have no cocoa powder at home, you’re still in the chips if you have solid chocolate in any form. Baking chips are the easiest because you don’t have to chop them; although if you have a good chocolate bar—) or Lindt—the chocolate flavor will be better. First…
 
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCOA AND HOT CHOCOLATE

You’re familiar with cocoa and hot chocolate, terms often used interchangeably. Technically, they’re different. There are also drinking chocolate and sipping chocolate—terms that don’t seem to have existed in the U.S. prior to the end of the 20th century (and the growth of the artisan food movement).

 
RECIPE: HOT CHOCOLATE FROM CHOCOLATE CHIPS & BARS

This is a very rich recipe, combining whole milk with half and half. If you want something less rich, use less half and half or all milk.

Prep time is 5 minutes, cook time is 15 minutes.

Top: Chop up chocolate bars to make rich hot chocolate. Chocolate chipsalso work, especially top-quality ones from Barry Callebaut or Guittard, available at KingArthurFlour.com. The company also sells sugar-free chocolate chips. Bottom: Melt chocolate chips into hot chocolate.

 
*While semisweet chocolate is the standard, you can use milk chocolate or white chocolate. White hot chocolate is splendid:

1. COMBINE the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan. Warm slowly over medium-low heat. When the milk is very hot but not yet boiling, stir in the chocolate chips.

2. STIR until melted and taste. If it’s too rich, add more milk. If you’ve used a high percentage cacao bar and the chocolate is not quite sweet enough, add sugar one teaspoon at a time.

3. STIR in optional flavors. Pour into mugs and top as desired.
 
EVEN MORE HOT CHOCOLATE: RECIPES, FLAVORS & TIPS TO MAKE RICHER HOT CHOCOLATE

 
 
PHOTOS: Top: Melting a chocolate-covered marshmallow into hot chocolate at Dominique Ansel. Bottom: Natural (left) and Dutched cocoa powders. Photo courtesy SilkRoadSpices.ca.