Chef Jeremy Fox, owner of Rustic Canyon and author of On Vegetables, is hanging hundreds of persimmons from the rafters at Birdie G's. Hoshigaki, the Japanese and Korean tradition of preservation, requires peeling and hanging persimmons when they are unripe and massaging the fruit. The end result tastes like a date with higher acidity, says Fox. Every piece of fruit is different, so they will have varying sugar content and sweetness. The end product will be used in various dishes including a blood sausage burger, chicken liver mousse, cakes, and rice pudding. Chef Sean Brock plans to use hoshigaki with his country ham for his collaborative dinner as part of 8 Nights at Birdie G's.
Jessica Ruiz is the market coordinator of Murray Family Farms, where Fox buys his hachiya persimmons. The farm also grows fuyu persimmons, which are at the end of their season. Crisp like an apple, they don't have the acidity of the hachiyas. Also on the table are smaller lotus plums and a saijo variety of persimmon.