Laura Avery chats with Evan Funke, who is the Executive Chef at Rustic Canyon Wine Bar on Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica. He is taking fresh Fuyu persimmons (the tomato-looking type that can be eaten hard), combining them with fennel and apple to make a composed salad. All items are shaved thinly on a Mandoline. He dresses this composed salad with a Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
Lemon Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy of Epicurious, July 2007
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 1/2 medium lemons)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup lemon oil, then olive oil. (Vinaigrette can be made up to 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.)
David Karp, The Fruit Detective, travels the world in search of obscure citrus varieties with high flavor. He shows us the Buddha's hand citron, a pulpless and seedless, many tentacled citrus fruit that is more of a flower than a food.
David with a citron in China
Music break: Plasticine Plugs by Windmill