By SUSAN TRIMBLE

Autumn abundance.

"Perfectly packed in a leathery skin the persimmon hangs on for life in the brisk autumn wind, swinging back and forth a lantern in the dying meadow, trees blacklegged and old, the ragged bark stands strong against the bitter cold of Peking winter."

MID-AUTUMN festival is over; the countryside is busy pulling down and putting up for winter. The fields resemble patchwork quilts as crops are picked, others pinched and pruned, - and others desperately reaching for the last rays of nourishing sunlight. Cornstalks dry and yellow give themselves up for fodder and fuel. Chinese sorghum heads are fat and full. Root vegetables are in the cellars and the last leafy greens are finding their way to delicious soup pots. The deep green cabbage takes center-stage as the growing season reaches a finale.

And overseeing it all stands an audience of elegant persimmon trees.

Persimmon trees dot the Peking countryside. The farmers are busy from morning to night, selecting the best fruits for each different purpose. Pale orange but slightly hard is best for peeling and drying. Slightly riper is best for selling in the market. A succulent deep orange color is perfect for eating! Soft and squishy means "don't wait even five more minutes!"

To gather persimmons the local farmers use a very long bamboo pole with a metal ring, about 10cm in diameter, fitted with a short cotton bag on the end. Skillfully swinging the pole into the branches, somehow the farmer circles the fruit with the ring and deftly twists just the right way to loosen the fruit from the branch...it slips gently into the pouch with no bruising or splitting of the skin. All day long in the harvest sun, the farmers collect the fruits, while others sort and pile them.

Meadow lanterns.

The persimmon tree is one of the ebony family, a black hardwood with elastic qualities. The hardness and strength of this wood makes it suitable for rifle stocks, axe handles, pool cues and for spindles. For many years persimmon has been used to make choice driver heads for golf clubs. The longest drive ever recorded was made with a persimmon driver! Although persimmon wood is challenging to work with, the rich color and attractive streaking of the heartwood makes it a favorite choice of craftsmen in Korea for select pieces of fine furniture, normally small chests to hold scrolls or other treasures. In the Shosoin, a treasure storage house in Nara, there is a Tang dynasty box made of black persimmon tree wood, a small box for holding ink sticks.

The spring flowering of the persimmon tree almost passes unnoticed as the flowers are tiny and well hidden in the leaves. The female tree blossoms are yellow-white and the male tree is slightly showier with pink flowers. The leaves are large, ovular and a glossy dark green...darker as the tree matures. The bark of the tree is rough, charcoal gray and reminds me an old elephant's skin or perhaps an alligator's. Reaching seven meters when fully established, the persimmon tree has an equally wide spread. A tree with simple needs, the persimmon is perfectly suited to the soil and climate in most parts of northern China and thus has thrived here for centuries.

One tree may have hundreds of persimmons. The fruits grow in heavy clusters at the end of the branches. Looking somewhat like an orange tomato, these luscious large berries are resilient and relatively pest free. They somehow withstand the scorching sun and shed the summer rains. The Greeks considered persimmon a "Food for Gods." Certainly the flesh tastes like honey nectar and when fully ripe is almost the same consistency. It is as if the persimmon has gathered all the sweetness of the summer sun, the perfumed flavor of wildflowers and the freshness of cool raindrops into its flesh, then gently stirred it together to produce perfect ambrosia - elixir of life.

Persimmon is used to describe color, varying from golden orange to almost red with an orange fire. You must have heard of "Persimmon Fiesta ware," "persimmon sunset" or "persimmon lips."

Mu Qi was the abbot of a Chan Buddhist monastery near Hangzhou in the thirteenth century, and a significant Chinese painter. Mu Qi's famous "Six Persimmons" is exquisite - the perfect work of nature in the absence of all else. The simple shape of the persimmon lends itself to porcelain pots and other objets d'art.

The artful persimmon.

Camel Kuo, the hunchback of Chang-an and the most famous of all Chinese gardeners, is said to have produced the famous "golden peaches of Samarkand" in the seventh century in the palace gardens at Chang-an, by grafting a peach tree on to a persimmon tree. There is no record that they were ever planted anywhere else in China.

The Imperial Kitchens in Chang-an were supplied with tribute persimmons from central Henan.

Lao She lived in a Peking courtyard called Red Persimmon Courtyard. The original persimmon trees that he planted are still there, and if I close my eyes I can imagine him sitting in their shadow writing "Camel Xiangzi" or "Teahouse."

People are writing books and poetry about persimmons. There is a new Asian art magazine called "Persimmon." A famous restaurant, a golf course and a building company all have taken Persimmon as their name.

I have read that the word persimmon is derived from the Algonquin Indian word "pasiminian" or "pessemin." Sometimes known as possumwood, winter plum or Jove's fruit, the persimmon comes in many varieties. The Ming Tomb variety is "Dagaishi," sounding vaguely like the well-known species "Hachiya." Several articles mention that the most common persimmon in Asia is the "Kaki." If you roll this off the tongue quickly, it also sounds similar. Whatever! They are beautiful, plentiful and unforgettably delicious!

For years I have tried to come up with some great recipes using persimmons. Until now it seemed that there were none. You could eat them fresh, dry them, make a bland tasting persimmon cake, freeze them for later use...and that was all. In truth until recently, the persimmon has been a rather uncommon fruit enjoying relative anonymity rather than fame, autumn's final dessert for woodland animals and a delightful treat for only a few people.

Suddenly the persimmon is finding its way into breads, jellies, chutneys, cookies, puddings, salads, liqueurs and even tea! The health food world has declared that persimmons prevent heart disease and provide an extraordinary amount of potassium and vitamin C. Herbalists are preparing flu concoctions and medicinal infusions. Beauticians are mixing soft skin creams and scent. I've just prepared a Thanksgiving feast using persimmons as the main ingredient in five out of eleven dishes! Persimmons deserve a place in the markets of the world. They deserve a place of honor on your dining table!

The last warm rays of autumn sunshine cast shadows in the valley of the Ming Tombs - elegant trees with outstretched arms hold orange persimmons like lighted lanterns to welcome winter with uncommon grace.

Peking Chutney

2 pounds (about 4 cups of pulp) of ripe Ming Tomb persimmons
11/2 cups of light or dark Turpan raisins (haven't recently been to Turpan? then any raisins will do)
2 cups of dried apricots from Turpan
2 freshly picked tart apples from Maoling, tomb of the 9th Emperor of the Ming Dynasty
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger
1 green chili pepper chopped
1 tablespoon of mustard seed
31/2 cups water
11/2 cups white vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
11/4 cups brown sugar

In a large pot bring water, raisins, apricots and apples (chopped), ginger, chili and mustard seed to boiling, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until reduced to 41/2 cups, about 50 minutes. Stir in the persimmon and remove from heat. Can be kept in refrigerator or frozen. Delicious with turkey, ham, pork - anything!

Curried Persimmon Soup

31/2 pounds (about 6 cups) of Ming Tomb persimmons, skinned
1/2 cup of minced onion
11/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup chicken broth (divided into 4 parts)
another 3 cups of chicken broth
11/2 teaspoons of curry powder

Combine fruit, onion, ginger and 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Cook until the mixture starts to stick. Add another 1/4 cup chicken broth. Repeat this another two times. Add curry and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 cups of chicken broth, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until fruit is tender. Blend or "Cuise" until smooth. Season with lemon, salt and pepper. Garnish with coriander and a dollop of cream. Superb!

Persimmon Curd

4 cups of persimmon pulp (after straining through a fine sieve)
1 cup water
350 grams sugar
juice of 2 lemons
100 grams butter
6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Strain the pulp to remove any small seeds or stringy parts. Put persimmon, water and sugar in saucepan and bring to a simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, butter and egg yolks. Cook over medium, stirring constantly until slightly thick. Pour into sterilized jars. Cool and store in refrigerator. Yummy on toast or English muffins. Also can be used as a filling for tarts.