Pre-Vacation Recipes! (Persimmon Crumble & Pickled Radishes)

Typically, I buy my groceries with a list in hand of all of the ingredients I'll need for that week's recipes.  It's a habit I picked up when I used to live alone and cooked for just myself because I hate throwing food away!  However, when there's a super great deal or if someone gives me some of their fruit tree bummer crop, I end up with extras.  Not bad if I'm at home, but not good if I'm headed on a trip!

If I have leftovers from my cooked meals, which rarely happens, I'll freeze them  However, for the produce that I didn't plan on buying, sometimes I have to put together a quick recipe.  These are a couple of recipes that I usually dig out of my arsenal for quick pre-trip recipes.

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In this post:

• Pickled Radishes (AKA Korean Moo) & Cucumbers
• Persimmon, Pear, and Mango Crumble

I bought a really cheap radish with the intention of making one of my favorite Korean dishes.  However, it was right before my Vegas trip.  The solution was to go ahead and pickle it anyways!  I like making pickled Japanese cucumbers, and you can pretty much pickle anything and it will keep for a while, depending on your method.  This works for tomatoes, beets, peppers, etc.  Just look at this pickle appetizer I got from UMAMIcatessen!

This is the recipe I followed for my pickled radish, which is now definitely one of my favorites!  I didn't quite finish my cucumbers that I bought for snacking, so I pickled those too!  Feel free to change the amounts to your liking.  :)

Pickled Radishes (AKA Korean Moo) & Cucumbers

Adapted from Iron Chef Duck

Ingredients

• White Korean radish, 1.5 lbs., peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2/3 cup sugar

Directions

1. Add the salt to the radish cubes and toss to combine.  The salt will draw water out of the radish, softening it.

2. After 1 hour, drain off the liquid.  Rinse the radish cubes thoroughly with clean water, drain, and return to your bowl.

3. Mix the sugar and rice vinegar together in a small bowl until the sugar is fully dissolved.

4. Add vinegar mixture to the radish cubes.  Stir to combine.

5. Let sit for 30 minutes up to 1 day, in the refrigerator.

6. Enjoy!  They were so good that we ended up bringing them with us for the car ride!

Warning: Do not bring them with you on a plane because although they are delicious, they are super pungent!

I even made pickled cucumbers!

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Crumble is one of those dishes that can take pretty much any fruit.  Right before my New York and Nashville trip I was left with the bumper crop of persimmons that my mom gifted to me.  Therefore, I was forced to cook them (along with leftover mango and pears for snacking) in a crumble.  It was amazingly good!

By the way, I freeze fruit during the summer for smoothies, but at wintertime it's crumble all the way.  :)


Persimmon, Pear, and Mango Crumble
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

Topping:

• 1/2 cup oat flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil

Filling:

• 3 pounds fruit, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices or cubes
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar, depending on the sweetness of your fruit (I didn't add any because of the sweet pears and persimmons)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine the topping ingredients in a medium bowl until the ingredients are moistened.

3. Combine the filling ingredients until just mixed.

3. Spray individual ramekins with cooking spray. Transfer the pear mixture to the dish.

4. Sprinkle the topping over the pears. Bake crumble until the pears are tender and the topping is golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.

5. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.


The best part is that you can eat the individual desserts until the start of your trip and then freeze the rest.  Alternatively, you can freeze the filling and bake it up after adding the topping when you return from your vacation.  Waste not, want not!

Enjoy my pre-trip veggie & fruit recipes!