Although apples and pumpkin spice often dominate autumn’s culinary scene, pears are arguably one of the season’s most elegant yet often underestimated fruits. Perhaps because they’re so willing to ripen on the counter, quickly transforming from crunchy and crisp to meltingly soft. Indeed, pears are the only orchard fruit that is not ripened on the tree. Instead they are harvested when fully mature but not ripe and then allowed to ripen from the inside out. At the market look for pears that are still firm but have well developed color. Even green pear varieties will develop some color when exposed to bountiful sunlight, a good indication that the flesh will be extra tasty.
You can tell when a pear is perfectly ripe by pressing gently into it right at the base of the stem. If it yields to the pressure of your finger, then the pear is ripe. They can then be refrigerated for up to five days to slow the ripening process, but the best strategy is just to devour them as soon as they are ready.
It’s therefore helpful to have a myriad of pear recipes in weekly rotation while they’re in season. A festive pear salad is elegant, easy and honestly addictive. Juicy pears are a perfect foil for tangy blue cheese served over crisp greens and studded with pomegranate seeds and crunchy candied nuts. Paired with a glass of off-dry riesling or Oregon pinot gris, it’s a stunning start to a holiday feast.
Poached pears work best with firm fruit and are an unexpected and attractive dessert option, especially useful when feeding folks with dietary restrictions as it’s naturally gluten-free and can easily be made vegan. For pears that are super ripe and ready to use now, a rustic pear crumble is low on effort and high on reward. Well suited to breakfast or dessert, it’s a great way to use fruit up fast.
Festive pear salad
You may want to double the candied nut recipe … they tend to disappear fast!
For the candied nuts
1 cup whole pecans or walnuts
Hot water
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning mix
For the dressing (this makes more than you’ll use for this salad)
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon minced shallot, or 1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¾ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the salad
4-5 ounces mixed greens (one handful per person)
2 ripe pears, cored and sliced into thin wedges
3-4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
½ cup pomegranate arils
First make the candied nuts. Place the nuts in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain the nuts well and return to the bowl. Add the sugars, rosemary and Cajun seasoning mix and toss well. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake, stirring every five minutes until nuts are dry and barely sticky. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
To make the dressing, combine all of the dressing ingredients along with a tablespoon of water in a jar and shake vigorously to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To assemble the salad, toss the salad greens with a few tablespoons of the dressing (be careful not to over-dress, you can always add more) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange the lettuce on four plates, then arrange pear slices over the top. Scatter cheese, pomegranate arils and nuts over the top before serving.
Pears poached in red wine
Ingredients:
4 firm pears, such as Bosc
½ bottle dry red wine, drinkable but not expensive
½ cup honey or maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
Lemon peel and juice from ½ lemon
Greek yogurt to serve, optional
Peel the pears, leaving stems attached. Trim the bottoms so they’ll stand upright, then place them in a deep nonreactive saucepan just big enough to hold them.
Dissolve sugar and honey in wine and pour over pears. If pears are not completely covered, add water to cover. Add spices, lemon peel and juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until pears are just cooked through, about 20 minutes depending on their size.
Remove pears from the liquid and cover to keep warm. Strain the poaching liquid and reduce until it’s syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Serve the pears warm with some of the sauce and a dollop of Greek yogurt, if desired. Leftover syrup can be refrigerated and used in cocktails or poured over ice cream.
Pear crumble
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted
½ cup flour (I like to use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour, gluten-free
flour works well also)
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ teaspoon salt
3 ½ pounds pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the solids have turned golden brown and have a nutty fragrance. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Use some of the browned butter to lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish.
Whisk together ½ cup of the sugar, the nuts, flour, oats and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the browned butter with a fork, incorporating it to make a crumbly mixture.
Put the pears and any of their accumulated juices into the buttered baking dish and mix in the remaining ¼ cup sugar along with the cardamom or cinnamon and lemon juice. Bake until the fruit is bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cover with foil if necessary during the last 15 minutes of baking if the topping begins to get too brown. Serve warm with ice cream or custard sauce.
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