This is my first recipe I made and posted for Food52, the brilliant brainchild of Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs.  If you're not familiar with this inspiring community of amazing cooks, you should definitely check it out as soon as you can.

Back to persimmon.  There's something about this fruit--its rich jewel-like color, the delicate floral flavor and silky texture that I can't get enough of in fall and winter. In the South, where I grew up, persimmons are baked into puddings and stirred into ice cream. Make sure to choose them ripe, otherwise they can be astringent and inedible. A very ripe "hachiya" variety is best with the top removed and the sweet jelly-like flesh scooped out with a spoon or, better yet, a thin sugar cookie or almond biscotti.
As for this salad recipe, I'm not a great fan of sweet or fruity vinaigrettes, but wanted to experiment with persimmon. Paired with hardier greens, like frisée, endive, spicy arugula, and escarole or treviso, persimmon really shines. Use a ripe fuyu for the salad itself and a very, very ripe Hachiya for the purée that will go into the vinaigrette.

1. *To make persimmon purée: Remove top of very ripe persimmon and scoop out flesh with a spoon; purée in a food processor; place in a medium bowl and set aside. Place washed and dried lettuces in a large bowl; set aside.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease from pan. Turn off heat but while pan is hot, add shallots and stir. Add 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Pour hot bacon-shallot mixture into persimmon purée. Add remaining tablespoon vinegar and whisk in walnut oil. Drizzle lettuces with vinaigrette and toss gently.
3. Divide salad among 2 or 4 plates. Garnish with fresh celery leaves, mint leaves, and toasted walnuts. Top with a slice or two of bacon, depending on how many servings you are making, and some persimmon slices. Season with flaky sea salt and a few cracks of fresh ground black pepper. Serve at once.