Pears

I have always fostered a daydream about one day living in a house with a big green space full of fruit trees and an edible garden. . .

Maybe this dream comes from having read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory too many times and falling in love with the incredible concept that you can walk into a totally edible space. I think being a chef is kind of like creating your own edible world like this. Walking into a kitchen is like walking into someone’s chocolate factory full of ingredients and spices and endless flavors. Luckily, I haven’t heard of anyone turning into a blueberry yet.

The closest I think I have come to this fruit tree daydream, since I have pretty much always lived in an urban place, was when I was 17 years old and took a trip to Home Depot. There was this crooked, beautiful snow pear tree that was barely as tall as I was. I bought it for $20 and brought it home to my apartment and planted it in the 5 ft x 5 ft sq garden patch in front of the door. While I still lived there, I spoke to it regularly and petted its trunk. I loved that tree like one would a pet. It took years for it to grow (still crooked!) and produce fruit, and in the meantime, I had moved to Berlin, Germany and started my career as a designer and artist. My mother moved to a different place, but a neighbor started making jam from the pears each August. Apparently, this crooked tree is still causing controversy in the house to this day, but for me it was the first step towards a life I am still building over a decade later.

I have not heard of pears creating controversy the way avocadoes or oranges have beyond the neighborly disputes in my childhood front yard. The fruit itself seems to have the same influence in the world as it does in dishes: smooth, juicy, and refreshing. That said, there have been controversies revolving around the pear as a logo. Apparently, Natalie Monson of the “Super Healthy Kids” blog, used a pear logo in her food app. Apple inc. decided this was an infringement of their fruit logo patent. I wonder if the similarities between the roots of apples and pears came into the defense in court. Beyond speaking to the similarities of the fruit, I wonder if I should worry that all fruit depictions are up for grab since there are all in the same genus.

Strangely, pears are essentially apples. There are just barely different enough as cultivars to be considered a separate fruit altogether. The snow pear is one of the closest relatives to what was one of the first pears ever existing in ancient China. Pears travelled along the silk road and made their way into the hearts of middle-easterners and Europeans, changing along the way to create D’Anjou and Bosc pears that are more common around the USA. Each of these pears has specialized attributes and best practices to eat them. They are possibly more different than different apples are.

Another similarity between pears and apples is that they must be grafted to grow. That means that if you plant a pear seed in the ground you will get a kind of “crab pear” that birds love, but you will likely not be a fan of. They are bitter and hard and small. Instead, if you want to grow pears, you will have to find a branch of an already existing pear tree. If you foster and plant this branch, it will grow roots and turn into another pear tree with moist luscious fruit to enjoy!

Fall is the time for pears and there is something luxurious about them. I think this association is very strong in the recipes to follow. The gentle sweetness of the pear lends itself well to counter strong flavors like blue cheese, walnut paste or dark chocolate. Pears, when ripe, can offer an incredible freshness to more hearty meals like short ribs. Pears act as a burst of relief in otherwise overbearing flavor combinations. They are like the fresh buds that pop out too early at the end of winter: joy incarnate.

Pear Recipes

Ripe Anjou Pears with Salty Blue Cheese

• Ripe Anjou Pears
• Salty blue cheese
• Rye crackers

1. Gather ingredients. Clean, slice and core your pears.
(Ripe Anjou pears will start to be soft and have a few light
brown spots; this is when they are most juicy and sweet.)
2. Set up board with rye crackers, pear slices and a salty
blue cheese.
3. Enjoy!

Homemade Rye Crackers:
Combine 1 ½ cups rye flour & ½ cup whole-wheat flour with 1 tsp salt and 2 Tsp sourdough yeast. Slowly pour ½ cup warm water into the mixture. Allow to sit for 3 hours in a buttered bowl covered with a towel, kneading thrice every 15 minutes for the first hour. Once it is 1.5x its original size, roll into an even 1/6 in layer. Cut the layer into even 2 in squares and poke little holes using a fork into the surface of each cracker. Place evenly spaced onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before enjoying!

Anjou Pear, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Paste Panini (Inspired by Carla Capalbo)

1 ripe Anjou Pear; cleaned, cored and sliced
• 8 gorgonzola slices
• Georgian walnut paste
• 4 thick slices of whole wheat bread

1. Gather ingredients and heat the panini press OR stovetop version (pan + water-filled sauce pan for pressing). Prepare Georgian walnut paste.
2. Spread walnut paste on one side of each piece of bread. Place 4 slices of gorgonzola on two of them and top with the slices of half of the pear each.
3. Close the sandwiches (walnut paste inside) and place in the panini press/pan with sauce-pan press. Cook for 4 minutes in the press or two minutes on each side for the pan.
4. Remove from heat and serve sliced in half on a plate or in wax paper wrapping. Enjoy!

Georgian Walnut Paste:
Combine 1 ½ cups walnuts, 3 garlic cloves, ½ tsp coriander seeds, ¼ tsp fenugreek, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tsp mint, 3 Tsp cilantro, 1 tsp dill, 1 fresh green chili, 2 tsp sugar, 1.4 cup water in a food processor. Pulse until almost smooth. Keep in a Tupperware or jar for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or freeze for later use.

Arugula Salad with Anjou Pears, Goat’s Cheese and Pomegranate Seeds with Date Syrup dressing

• 16 oz of baby arugula
• 2 ripe Anjou pears, cored and cubed
• 8 oz soft goats cheese log, crumbled
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• ½ cup walnuts
• 2 tsp date syrup
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 minced clove garlic
• ½ cup olive oil

1. Gather ingredients.
2. In a small jar, combine first the date syrup, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and garlic. Then drizzle in the olive oil, close the jar, and shake to combine.
3. Clean the arugula & core and cube the Anjou pears, separate the pomegranate seeds from the shells (dry the shells for later use as a dye material).
4. In a large bowl, place the argula and arrange the pears, crumbled goat’s cheese, walnuts and pomegranate seeds on top.
5. Just before serving, drizzle with the date syrup dressing and toss to combine.
6. Enjoy!

Korean Short Ribs in Snow Pear Marinade

• 1 ripe Snow Pear, cored, sliced and pureed in food processor.
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 6 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp Gochujang
• 3 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 lbs. Wagyu or other grass-fed beef short ribs

1. Gather ingredients.
2. Combine pureed snow pear with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, gochujang, ginger, and rice vinegar in a 1-gallon plastic zip lock or equally large Tupperware container that can be machine washed. Make sure the ingredients are thoroughly combined inside the bag.
3. Clean the beef short ribs and dry with a paper towel.
4. Place the beef short ribs in the bag or container with the marinade, making sure the marinade is equally dispersed all over the meat.
5. Keep in the refrigerator overnight, preferably flipping the bag once about half-way time before cooking so that the marinade soaks in evenly.
6. Take the meat out of the refrigerator and leave on the counter, keeping it in the bag, for about 1 hour before cooking to allow it to get to room temperature.
7. In the meantime, heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Right before cooking, heat a skillet at medium-high heat with some neutral-tasting oil. Sear each rib for 1-2 minutes on each side so that it just browns.
9. Place the ribs evenly spaced on a baking rack over a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
10. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on preference (medium-rare to well-done).
11. Take out of the oven and wrap in aluminum foil for 10 minutes.
12. Enjoy with white rice and kimchi!

Dark Chocolate Pear Pie with Ginger Sesame Crust

• 2 ripe bosc pears, cleaned & cored & sliced
• 2 ripe Anjou pears, cleaned & cored & sliced
• ½ dark chocolate shavings
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp rose water
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp rum
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or multigrain/white flour mix
• 1 stick butter (unsalted), cool and cut into cubes + 2 Tsp butter for greasing
• ½ cup cool milk or water
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1/3 cup white sugar

1. Gather ingredients. Combine bosc & Anjou pear slices with cinnamon, rose water, brown sugar, vanilla extract and rum and allow to marinate for 1 hour. Thoroughly butter the pie pan.
2. Combine flour, salt, sugar, ginger and sesame seeds in a bowl and stir until evenly dispersed. Work in the butter cubes until a crumble is created. Slowly add in the cool milk or water while working the dough until it just combines and creates a smooth ball.
3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or in a bowl with a beeswax cloth covering it and place in refrigerator for 45 minutes.
4. In the meantime, heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to warm just enough so that you can work with it (it should still be cool!). Roll out the dough on a flour dusted surface until it is evenly ¼ inch thick.
6. Gently place rolled out dough on the buttered pie pan and push it gently so that it conforms to the form of the pan. Cut off the excess dough that is folded over the edges.
7. Bake pie dough in the oven for 20 minutes (with parchment paper and pie weights, if using).
8. Stir chocolate into the pear mixture.
9. Take the pie crust out of the oven and fill with the pear mixture (possibly adding a little center design out of excess pie dough).
10. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the inner mixture is bubbling throughout.
11. Allow to cool completely.
12. Enjoy! (This one is especially good with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream).

Poached Bosc Pears in Red Wine with Vanilla Sauce

• 2 bosc pears, peeled whole
• 1 ½ cups red wine
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 2 Tsp Citrus peels
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Seeds from 1 vanilla pod

1. Gather ingredients.
2. Combine red wine, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, citrus peels in a medium-small sauce pan large enough to comfortably fit the two pears. Bring to a simmer.
3. Place peeled whole pears in the cooking liquid for 12 minutes until tinted red and slightly translucent.
4. Meanwhile, combine whole milk, egg yolks, sugar, and the vanilla seeds in a separate small saucepan. Whisk continuously at medium-low heat until it begins to thicken. It is important that this is done slowly at low heat so that the egg yolks do not curdle.
5. Ladle vanilla sauce in each bowl.
6. Place 1 poached pear in each bowl surrounded by the vanilla sauce.
7. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Mixed Pear Wine

• 2 lbs Anjou Pears, Very Ripe
• 1 lbs Bosc Pears, Very Ripe
• 1 lbs Snow Pears, Very Ripe
• ½ kilo sugar
• 1 package Wine yeast
• 4-8 camden tablets

1. Gather ingredients and make sure all of the pears are almost squishy ripe.
2. Clean your carboys or large ½ gallon jars with boiling water. Place equal parts sugar, an equal amount of yeast and one Camden tablet into each container, if using multiple.
3. Core the pears and juice them.
4. Pour the juice in the carboys or jars leaving 1 ½ in of space at the top.
5. Close tightly with airlock tops that let air out but not in.
6. Gently shake to stir.
7. Allow to sit for 6 weeks in a dark, dry space like the bottom of a closet. Gently shake the carboy or jars every few days during the first 2 weeks. Do not open!
8. Sanitize some airlock bottles. Place a Camden tablet into each of your carboy or large jars and allow to sit for 5 minutes after opening.
9. Pour the pear cider into the bottles while filtering out the pulp using a funnel and clean cheese cloth.
10. Close each bottle and place in refrigerator until ready to be enjoyed! These often taste best a year later.

Pear and Poppy Buchteln (Austrian Sweet Rolls)

• 4 ½ cups wheat flour
• 4 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup warm milk
• 2 ½ tsp instant yeast or 4 tsp sourdough
• ½ tsp salt
• 5 tsp room temperature butter + 2 tsp for buttering + 3 Tsp melted for drizzling
• 2 ripe Anjou pears, cored and sliced
• ¾ cup poppyseeds
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• ¼ cup powdered sugar

1. Gather ingredients. Add yeast into the warm milk, stir and allow to sit while beginning the dough (it should begin to bubble).
2. Using a kitchen machine with the paddle fixture at medium-low, cream the room temperature butter with the sugar. Once smooth, add the eggs, egg yolks and milk-yeast mixture until fully combined.
3. Change the paddle to the dough hook and turn the kitchen machine to low. Add flour one cup at a time. Increase the speed to medium-low once combined and allow to knead for 10 minutes until smooth.
4. In the meantime, butter a large bowl.
5. Turn off the kitchen machine and gently remove the dough, placing it in the buttered bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
6. In the meantime, combine the cored & sliced pears with the poppyseeds, dried cranberries, sugar, vanilla extract and orange blossom water in a food processor. Process into a chunky paste.
7. Generously butter a baking pan.
8. Knead the dough gently for two rounds and then replace in the bowl. Allow to sit for another 15 minutes. Repeat.
9. Once the dough has sat and grown to double its size, gently remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 16 equal pieces.
10. Take each piece one at a time, flattening it in your hand and creating a little bowl at the center. Fill the little bowl with 1 tsp of poppy mixture. Gently pinch, pull, and pinch the edges toward the middle like a dumpling to close each roll. Try to work quickly.
11. Place each roll in the buttered baking pan next to each other until filled.
12. Pour the melted butter evenly over the filled dough balls in the baking pan.
13. Cover with the towel once more and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.
14. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
15. Place the baking pan in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, turning the pan once for an even bake.
16. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-25 minutes.
17. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm. Enjoy!

Apple and Bosc Pear Tart with Cranberries

• 2 sweet apples (gala, pink lady, etc)
• 2 ripe bosc pears
• 1/3 lb fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 stick butter, chilled and cubed + extra for pie pan
• 1/3 cup chilled water

1. Gather ingredients. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar and stir to combine. Add cubed and chilled butter and combine until it looks like rough crumbles. Add water a little bit at a time and continue to knead until the dough is comes together and is smooth (no butter clumps!).
3. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap or beeswrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. In the meantime, slice and core the apples and pears. Combine apple and pear slices with fresh cranberries, walnuts, brown sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice in the same bowl that you used for the dough. Allow to marinate until the pie is ready to be filled.
5. Generously butter the pie pan.
6. Roll out the pie dough on a floured surface until it is evenly ¼ in thick. Transfer the rolled-out dough to the pie pan and shape to the pie form. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes until just tinted golden.
7. Take the pie crust out of the oven and fill with the fruit mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
8. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Shaved Pear and Almond milk Ice

• 4 ripe Anjou pears, cored and sliced
• 1 cup roasted almonds
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange blossom water

1. Gather ingredients.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend at medium for 5 minutes and high for another 5-6 minutes until frothy.
3. Pour the mixture into a freezable suitable container and place in freezer for 6 hours to overnight.
4. Take out of the freezer and keep at room temperature for 5-7 minutes, then shave the milk ice with a spoon. Serve with fresh berries for dessert.
5. Enjoy!

Pears

Pear Recipes

"Taste of Pear 1" Olivia Carye Hallstein 2022