October is for Pears

Do pears have a season? This is the question I asked myself when reading the October issue of Good Housekeeping. For the first time, I noticed that they also do a food theme for each of their issues. I have never associated pears with a specific time of year, but am happy to announce they do flourish from August to May. Being similar to, and often paired with, apples they are overshadowed by the more popular fruit.

There are green, red, and tan popular varieties of pears[1]

• Anjou (red or green): firm and juicy, eaten raw or cooked
• Asian: most like apples, best raw but can be cooked
• Bartlett / Williams / Stair: all the same apple, very juicy, great to make into sauces, otherwise don’t cook
• Bosc: elegantly tan and crisp, great raw or cooked because they keep shape and aren’t overly juicy (dessert pear)
• Comice: less mealy, great raw, more apple-like
• Concorde: long tapered green necks, don’t brown much when cut, great raw or cooked and will hold shape (dessert pear)
• Forelle: similar to Seckle, best raw
• French Butter: picturesque green, best cooked, only eat raw when very ripe (turns golden)
• Seckle: small, firm, best for baking, canning, and poaching

I really wanted to seek out the most creative uses for pears this month to let it shine as a key ingredient. This is a tricky task because pears do not have a super strong flavor and are more often found accompanying other fruits in desserts or as a light sweetener in meat dishes.

While we will only discuss a few recipes in detail, I wanted to leave some inspiration here for you in your quest for the ultimate pear dishes.

• Spiced Lamb with Chickpeas: rub your favorite c-suite of spices (cumin, coriander, chili powder, etc.) on the lamb leg then cook it with rosemary and serve in a balsamic glazed pear sauce (vegetable broth, ginger, chopped Bartlett pears, honey). Serve with chickpeas and green peas.
• Pear Penne: cook chopped Bosc pears in butter then add a mixture of heavy cream, mascarpone, milk, parmesan, nutmeg, and flour. Pour over cooked pasta and artichoke hearts or asparagus.
• Pear Pork Chops: like applesauce porkchops, but with pears. Bone-in pork chops with stock, rosemary, thyme, Seckle pears, and caramelized yellow onions.
• Pear Pancakes: bake chopped Anjou (or any) pear with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until just soft. Prepare pancake batter with oats and drop in pear chunks after the initial flip. Serve topped with pears and juice from baking.
• Poached Pears: soak the Concorde pears in lemon juice, and sugar before adding cold water. Then transfer the pears to boiling sugar water with lemon slices to cook with the stems poking out (20 min). Serve with a jam or fruit sauce.

Let me know how you enjoy pears as a star in a dish!