With the Pear being in high season we wanted to share some simple yet wonderfully tasty recipes that highlight and accent this fruit’s versatile appeal.
BREAKFAST PEAR SMOOTHIE
The perfect drink to jump start your day.
Ingredients:
1 ripe pear, cored and chopped
1 large orange, peeled
½ cup vanilla soy milk
1 cup ice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until thick.
Serves 2
LETTUCE SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA, walnut AND FRESH PEAR DRESSING
This salad was a favorite menu item of mine from the Heartline Café in Sedona, Arizona. Set against red rocks, this cafe offers a garden patio & eclectic, health-conscious menu options. Although this item is no longer on the menu I highly recommend you stop by if you are ever in the area!
Ingredients:
3 large ripe Bartlett pears (divided)
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fresh tarragon or scant ¼ teaspoon dried
1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (divided)
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (divided)
2 to 3 heads Bibb, Iceburg or Oak Leaf lettuce rinsed and dried
1 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola or Blue cheese
1 Cup of Walnuts
Dressing Directions:
Peel, core, and chop 1 pear. Place those pear pieces, water, sugar and tarragon in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until pear pieces are soft, about 5 minutes, depending on ripeness of pear. Do not let all the water evaporate. Cool.
Pour pear and liquid into a blender and blend until smooth. Add some vinegar and lemon juice to taste. Taste and adjust sugar and acid to make a sweet-tart dressing, adding a little water if needed to thin. Refrigerate until cold.
Salad Directions:
Core and thinly slice remaining 2 pears. For each serving, arrange 3 to 4 lettuce leaves on a salad plate. Top each with some sliced pear and 2 to 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola, drizzle with 2 tablespoons dressing and top with 6-7 Walnuts. Serve immediately.
Serves 5-6
Pear, arugula, proscuitta and blue cheese on sourdough
Every year I wait patiently for Pear season to arrive just so I can make these tasty, crispy, yummy sandwiches. The sweetness of the Pear combined with the salty Prosciutto, creamy Blue Cheese and toasted Sourdough bread makes for the perfect combination sandwich.
Ingredients:
8 Slices Sourdough Bread
1 Tablespoon Butter, Softened
3 Cups Arugula
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 oz. Thinly Sliced Prosciutto or 12 Slices of Bacon
1 Ripe Pear, Cored and Thinly Sliced
2-3 oz. of Crumbled Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide prosciutto between baking sheets, laying them flat. Bake until fat turns golden and meat is darker, about 15 minutes (rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking time). Using tongs, carefully transfer prosciutto to paper towels to drain (it will crisp as it cools). Bacon may take 5-10 minutes longer.
You can also pan fry prosciutto or bacon.
Next, toss Arugula, Pepper, Red Wine and Olive Oil together and set aside.
Toast Sourdough bread and butter one side of each slice. On buttered side of 4 slices of bread place divided Arugula, Prosciutto, sliced Pear. Then sprinkle crumbled cheese on top. Lay other buttered toast on top and slice sandwich in two.
MINI PIES WITH PEARS AND BLUE CHEESE
So, this looks complicated, but is really much simpler than you think. The result is these wonderfully cute mini pies everyone will love.
Ingredients:
FOR PIES
3 Medium Sized, Firm Pears
Half of Lemon, Juice Only
7 oz. Ready Made Puff Pastry
2-3 Tablespoons of Milk
FOR FILLING
7 oz. Gruyere finely grated
3-4 oz. Crumbled Blue Cheese
1 Tablespoon Brandy
¼ Cup crushed Walnuts
Directions:
Peel Pears, cut in halves and remove the seeds, but leave the stem. Scrape the interior using teaspoon and save the carved pulp for later. Brush all sides of Pear with Lemon juice.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the Pear halves, cavities down.
From the well thawed out puff pastry cut 6 triangles, just slightly larger than Pears. Cover each pear with a piece of pastry and using a knife cut the excess. Pierce or make x marks here and there then brush pastry with milk.
Use the pastry trimmings to cut leaves and glue them onto tops of pears using milk. Bake in preheat oven to 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes
While Pears are cooking combine all filling ingredients except ½ of the Walnuts. When pies are slightly cooled remove from baking pan and place over large serving dish. Fill cavity with filling and use the remaining walnuts to sprinkle on top before serving.
Recipe compliments of sharemykitchen.com
Pear Sour
Not only are Pears versatile and a great addition to salads, main dishes and desserts, but they also add a twist to this adult beverage. In Cork’s Drink It Up page where we share all types of mature beverage recipes with our readers you will find the Sour Pear.
Ingredients:
2oz Pear Brandy
2oz Pear Nectar / Fresh Pear Juice
.75oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5oz Simple Syrup
1 Pear Slice
Directions:
Combine pear brandy, pear nectar, lemon juice and simple syrup into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and mix well. Strain into martini or coupe glass. Garnish with pear slice.
Serves 1
