Pork Loin With Harvested Persimmon & Juniper Berries

Fall is for persimmons and juniper berries. My October projects included harvesting persimmons from Heart of Florida Farms and juniper leaves and berries from my yard. It was a battle between the birds at the two locations but there was enough to go around for everyone. The pork loin was butterflied and seasoned with salt and pepper then layered with sliced persimmon, gorgonzola cheese, garlic, and crushed green juniper berries.

Next it is rolled up and wrapped in prosciutto. Bake in the oven at 375° for approximately 1 hour or an internal temperature of 145°. Oven temperature and cooking times may vary.

Persimmons are the new pumpkin spice! These are first pickings of my fall foraging and I’m looking forward to next year. The juniper berries were laid out to dry with the leaves. I experimented with both green and purple; each have their own unique characteristics. It’s true in this case that the darker the berry the sweeter the juice. Green berries are a little chalky but fragrant and a little tart. They went well with the sweetness of the persimmons.

This was my favorite dish to make this fall – between the harvesting, drying, planning, prepping, and cooking techniques involved. I’m going to make this every fall as I’m sure my friends will enjoy preparing it with me!