I like to serve this dish as a dessert.  In Italy, a classic dessert is a bowl of fresh strawberries with aged balsamic drizzled over.  This is a similar concept.



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Serves 4 

Ingredients:

2 Fuyu Persimmons, cored and sliced

½ cup soft goat cheese

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice (save the rind)

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ cup water 

 

Method:

Add balsamic vinegar and grapefruit juice to small saucepan and reduce by half.  This will take about 30 minutes on medium heat.  Sweeten the balsamic reduction with honey or agave nectar.  Heat sugar and water together in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add grapefruit peel.  Cook rind in sugar mixture until it becomes syrup.  Remove grapefruit peel from syrup and dust with sugar.  Arrange on a flat surface to drain and cool.  Arrange persimmon slices on a plate, top with goat cheese, and drizzle grapefruit balsamic reduction over the goat cheese, and garnish with candied grapefruit peel.   

Wine Tip:

The balsamic reduction in this decadent dessert will stand up perfectly to the nuttiness and smokiness of the Luna 2004 Napa Valley Merlot.

Tidbits:

As I’m adding agave nectar: “I like to use agave nectar as a sweetener in this recipe, but honey will have the same effect.  Agave nectar is from the same plant where tequila comes from and it’s vegan, since it comes from a plant and not an animal.  Another great thing about agave nectar is that it is lower on the glycemic index than honey or sugar, which means that it raises your blood sugar slower.”   

For more recipes by Pace, visit http://tasteofpace.blogspot.com/