Salad of Fall Greens with Persimmons and Hazelnut Oil Recipe

This recipe has a great balance of citrus and nut oil flavors. They seems to balance each other nicely. The original recipes called for fresh tangerine juice and tangerine peel -- but I substituted Etruria's Mandarin Olive Oil for the peel, and then used orange juice instead -- with fabulous results. If persimmon is not available, you can substitute mango or seeded papaya.

This recipe is adapted from The Bon Appetit Cookbook (Conde Naste, 2006)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice (or 1/2 cup fresh orange juice reduced to 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup rice bran oil
2 Tablespoons toasted Hazelnut Oil or Walnut Oil
2 Tablespoons Mandarin Olive Oil (or other citrus olive oil)
2 Tablespoons balsamic - 6 year La Vecchia is ideal
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 head of escarole - torn into 2-inch pieces
1 bunch watercress - thick stems trimmed
1/2 bag mixed baby greens
1 ripe Fuyu Persimmon - peeled, halved, thinly sliced, divided
1/4 cup hazelnuts - toasted, skinned

Directions:
1. If using fresh orange juice, place juice in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup - about 3-5 minutes. Transfer juice to medium bowl. Add next 5 ingredients and whisk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Place all greens and half of the persimmon sliced in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Divide among salad plates, top each salad with the remaining persimmon and toasted hazelnuts, and serve.

serves 4