As a whole fruit, persimmons are among the most luscious natural creations on the planet when showing off its finest state of ripeness. But something else about them which intrigues me is that they seem to have a tremendous amount of natural pectin, so if you use them in a smoothie the mixture will “gel up” for you if left to sit.

Used with avocado in a pudding recipe, the pudding is extra-fluffy, more like fresh-whipped cream than any other raw vegan dish I’ve rustled up to-date. And because persimmons are actually very mild in flavor, it provides this nifty texture without overpowering other flavors you might like to add, such as… chocolate.  Or even vanilla. Or orange blossom water, which would be lovely here. Like one of Nigella Lawson’s “turkish delights”.

Here, I’ve paired it with simple vanilla (as I recently received a giant quart bottle of delicious Mexican vanilla as a birthday prez from a friend), and it was just wonderful. Another keep as far as raw vanilla recipes. Which says a lot, since those who know my tastes well know I’m an utter vanilla whore who could possibly bathe in any substance that can adequately highlight the celestial fragrance of a good vanilla!

But I’ve given suggested measurements here as well for raw cacao powder and orange blossom water, so… you can take your pick!

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If you have key limes around, use those for an even more fragrant limey flavor! You can increase the amount of lime I’ve used, but as it is here, it’s not too powerfuly… it’s a delicate, mild, soothing dish. This would also be great with Orange Blossom water!!!

This makes a great quick dessert or even breakfast, or a light supper when the weather is hot. It’s creamy, cool… and you can freeze any leftovers like ice cream.

However… I must say, I was hard-pressed to get my share of this. Both of my parents and my youngest son scarfed it up before I could stake my claim!

This is so not just for the “raw” crowd.

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It’s hot out and you want a light but filling and nutritious meal? This is a great summer cooler-offer. I’m a big fan of nutritious ice creams, and this is a good one. Like a very lemony sorbet with some fresh fennel greens… and made creamy with baby zucchini, which you would never, ever know about unless someone told you. Even then… you’ll be inclined to disbelieve it.

I’m a lemon freak, so I juiced two organic lemons for this recipe, but if you aare a normal person you’ll just do the one. Still… just so you know there’s an option for freaks like me.

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I love rose water almost as much as I love great vanilla. Almost. And if you’re like me, and you appreciate quick & filling meals that also taste great, you’ll love this combination.

Which, by the way, you can also make with either vanilla or orange blossom water instead of the rose water! *swooning on all counts*

It’s sooooo simple, you’ll wonder why we haven’t been enjoying this type of thing for aeons already in our food culture. But… start now. This should become  a classic!

This is a salted dish, which you can alter for your own tastes, if you prefer. For my part, I am currently living in the 85-95% raw zone, with at least three 32-oz blenderful of Live Green Smoothies every day, and I find I need salt to balance out all the fruit & greens. It’s a “yang vs. yin” thing which I have observed time and time again when I go high-raw.

So, salted and fat-rich dishes help very much to allow me to take the high-raw journey with comfort and satisfaction, as well as that emerging “raw glow”.

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The way tomatoes taste in heaven…

This is a sweet, tropical answer to the Bloody Mary, and I’ll bet you’ve never had anything like it!

The intent of this recipe was to make a Tomato-Rose Sorbet sweetened with Mango, made creamy with Zucchini, and made aromatic with Rose Water. But it was so delicious, I couldn’t wait for it to freeze and drank it as a smoothie aperitif. The result… a delicious, wonderfully flavorful beverage that makes a truly 100% raw cocktail… and also a great creamy sorbet when frozen!

I’ve been asked by a few people to showcase more fresh tomato recipes, so I have that trend going on right now. And one thing to remember: tomatos go great with mango! Remember that the next time you want to prepare a colorful sandwich or salad platter for company. Or for yourself. They complement each other so very well, with the earthy pungency of the tomato slightly mellowed by the tropical sweetness of the mango.

Add rose water and this really does get ethereal.

What… you don’t have any rose water yet! Get with the program, darlin’… you simply must have that in your cupboard a.s.a.p!

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This is another sorbet recipe given texture (but no fat) by using fresh zucchini!

I love this sorbet for breakfast. I’m partial to papaya in the morning, so this makes a great recipe to keep in the freezer for a refreshing start to the day! The mango gives more body and substance… and certainly  makes for a pretty bowl.

Make sure your papaya is nice and ripe, and same with the chopped mango that is folded into the sorbet once you’ve blended it. Let this be a colorful bowl of tropical juicy-sweetness… very pretty for a dessert table!

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Recipe for: Velvety Papaya Sorbet with Mango Chunks

• 2 cups ripe papaya, packed
• 1 cup baby zucchini, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons raw cane sugar, raw honey, or agave syrup
• a few good dashes quality natural salt, such as Himalayan Crystal salt
• 3 cups ice cubes

Blend everything well in the blender. I use the “Ice Cream” setting on my Blendtec and it’s done in a jiffy!

Freeze briefly til soft-set, then scoop into bowl and enjoy! If you let it freeze hard, you will have to leave it out to soften a bit before you can scoop it out.

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My favorite way to enjoy this is actually as a slushie, straight out of the blender, when it’s flavors are so bright and untouched by the freezer. After all… and I’m actually a purist in this regard… something that’s been fully frozen is not technically raw. The cellular structure of the living foods, such as they may remain intact, bursts and damages, so they get a bit compromised. And with this one, I notice it. You may not.

But freshly made, or just briefly firmed in the freezer, this is an extraordinary recipe. Would make a delightful component in a light summer supper or even breakfast (I really enjoy using up leftover sorbet sfor breakfast… they’re easy, already made, and just so incredibly perky. What a great way to start the day and set the taste buds on a good path.)

This recipe whips up in minutes. Definitely put it on your must-make list for the warm-weather months!

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Since moving from New Jersey to Tampa, I’ve had to enlist a whole new crew of tasters of my recipes. Conveniently, my little nephews are 11 and 14 years old,not in the least “raw”, and thus perfect candidates in my mind for some good recipe feedback.

I loved little 11-yr-old Jayson’s response… “Wow, this is gooooood! There’s corn and zucchini in it?? No kidding!” I mean, you can’t taste either of them, and he got such a kick out of the fact that the ice cream was made almost entirely of vegetables… and yet he wanted more!

There’s no fat added to this Vanilla Ice Cream… no nut milk, no seed milk, no hemp seeds, no avocado. This is straight-up fresh sweet white corn off the cob with baby zucchini, raw (or “raw-ish”) sweetener, and great vanilla.

Who knew that corn and zucchini could be used this way? I surely did not.

Even if you’re not raw, if you need to cut back on fat and dairy, this is a wonderful treat to know how to make! Add some raw cacao and you can easily turn it into a delicious Dark-Chocolate Ice Cream as well!

You just gotta try this to see for yourself…

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This is a serious beta carotene blast with explosive ginger flavor! And it retains a smooth, creamy texture in the freezer, unlike many raw sorbets which get kinda “sharp” and hard pretty quickly.

I made a Ginger Float outa my portion… I scooped some of the Carrot-Mango-Ginger sorbet into a bowl and poured some of my favorite extra-gingery Jamaican Ginger Beer over top! Yum-mers…

This isn’t a combination you’re likely to find in your grocery store, and it just takes a few minutes to whip up out of utterly pedestrian ingredients you might even have on hand right now!

And it’s so pretty. Great for company. Shoot, I think this would be lovely even with a dollop of whipped organic, grass-fed cream served to guests after a lovely summer meal. Think outa the box. Just do whatever you can to use these recipes for real in your everyday life!

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Raw sorbets commonly get “sharp” and crystalline when frozen. This one however remains smooth and creamy, without the use of any nut milks or oils.

It’s also naturally sweet enough that you don’t have to add a sweetener, if you prefer to minimize the sweets (in fact, it has a faintly “grapefruit” freshness without grapefruits bitterness if you don’t any sweetener). However, you can certainly add some cane sugar, honey, or another raw or natural sweetener if you’d like to highlight further the fruit’s natural sweetness.

I added a nice size chunk of fresh ginger root as well, for just a wee bit of zing, but that’s entirely optional.

With the weather warming up, why not start getting in the habit of keeping a couple different fresh, raw, living ice creams and sorbets in your freezer so you have something quick and easy to grab… instead of something that won’t enhance your vitality and well-being.

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