FOUR WAYS WITH PEARS

Pear, Feijoa & Ginger Smoothie

Leave the skin on two ripe pears, but remove the core and the stem and then cut into chunks. Peel two medium-sized feijoas, and drizzle with a little lemon juice to reduce browning. Grate a 2cm piece of fresh ginger, and squeeze out the juice. Place the pears, feijoas and ginger juice into a high-speed blender with ¾ cup coconut water and 1 tsp raw honey (optional). Blend for 20-30 seconds, until smooth. Add almonds or cashews for a proteinpacked smoothie. Alternatively, for extra protein goodness, you can also add 1 tablespoon LSA, linseed, sunflowers and almond powder. If feijoas are hard to come by, they can easily be substituted for guavas, canned mangos or peaches, or any frozen berries.

Raw Beetroot, Pear & Bean Salad

Wash and peel 4 medium beetroots, slice into thin matchsticks or grate with a julienne grater. Cut 4 crispy pears into thin matchsticks or grate with a julienne grater. Trim the ends off 400g long green beans, then cut in half lengthways. Pour ½ cup boiling water over the beans and allow to soften. Mix together ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, ¼ cup lemon or orange juice, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, the zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp finely chopped mint in a small jug or a glass jar with a lid. Arrange 2 handfuls of wild rocket leaves on a serving platter. Top with the beetroot, pear and green beans. Crumble 150g gorgonzola over the top. Drizzle with the dressing, and toss together. Serve immediately, garnished with extra herb leaves.

Gluten-free Honey Cashew Cream Tart with Pears

Grease a 23cm pie dish, preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Place 2 cups almond flour, 2 tbsp sugar, ¼ tsp baking soda and ¼ tsp salt in a food processor, then pulse to combine. Add 1 egg, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp chilled coconut oil. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Press the dough evenly into the base and sides of the pie dish. Prick the crust several times with a fork, then bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden. To make the cashew cream, soak 1 cup cashews in ½ cup water for 3 hours. Place the cashews and the water in a food processor with 2 tbsp manuka honey and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. Spread over the base of the cooled pastry. Thinly slice 2 pears. Arrange the slices over the top of the cashew cream. Chill until ready to serve.

Pear Focaccia

Place 250g high-grade flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Dissolve 2 tsp fresh yeast in ½ cup warm water and pour into the well. Mix in a little of the flour and set aside for 10 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles and expands. Add 1 egg (at room temperature), 1½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 60g softened butter, then mix with the flour and yeast to make a soft, pliable dough. Knead for 10 minutes. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 1-1½ hours to rise. Punch down the dough and press onto a well-oiled 26cm pizza pan. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Thinly slice 2 pears. Press the slices into the top of the dough in a circular pattern. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with demarara sugar if wanted. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until top is golden.

When you’re looking for superfoods, it’s hard to go past the humble pear. Beneath its waxy skin is a treasure trove of goodness that is essential for our digestive systems – and the fruit’s benefits are actually greatest if you eat it raw.

NUTRITION FACTOR

Pears are full of fibre and low in calories. They’re also fat-free, cholesterol-free and made up of mostly water (approximately 83 per cent of the fruit is water). The rest of the fruit is a combination of cellulose (dietary fibre), vitamins, carbs, minerals and trace elements. An average pear contains about 450 kilojoules of energy, and provides 18 per cent of your daily fibre quota.

The fibre found in pears is an ‘insoluble polysaccharide’, which acts as a bulking agent in the intestines and binds to other waste as it passes through your system. This fibre also stimulates secretion of gastric juices and digestive enzymes, which is very important to overall gut health.

Pears also contain high amounts of polyphenolics, which help to fight the inflammation caused by bad diets and lifestyles. Along with high levels of vitamin C – an antioxidant with cancer-fighting properties – pears have a high quotient of vitamins A, K and B too. They’re also full of elements like calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and potassium. All of this goodness helps to boost immunity, reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, prevent anaemia, and even deter dermatitis.

DID YOU KNOW?

Nutrients, flavour compounds and pigments found in fruits are often sensitive to heat, and can be broken down and reduced easily when cooked or frozen. Pears are no exception, and will degenerate quickly when heated. The natural sugars and carbohydrates will concentrate to create a sweeter product, but often at the expense of the huge nutritional benefits.

HOW TO BUY

Pears for large-scale supply are picked about two weeks before they’re ripe, and are then chilled for storage. When buying, check the firmness and the aroma of the pear, and make sure there aren’t any deep bruises or gashes in the fruit you are selecting. Some pear varieties, such as the popular brown-skinned beurre bosc, are better selected when they are erring on the slightly soft side – this means the fruit will be ripe and succulent. Other pears, such as Winter Nelis or Packham’s Triumph, are better to be chosen when they’re still hard and crisp.

“Homegrown pears are best eaten in the bath – they’re so juicy, it’s the easiest way to stay clean!”

MITCHELL BEAZLEY, AUTHOR

HOW TO GROW

Pear trees are deep-rooted and medium to large in size, and they require a considered approach to planting. They are long-living trees – with some specimens existing for over 200 years and still producing fruit. Grown in temperate areas, they prefer full sun and well-draining soil. Most pear trees are not self-pollinating, so they usually also require another pear tree grown close by as a pollinator for better fruit production.

HOW TO STORE

Pears are best kept at room temperature, well separated and with their stems up, until they turn yellow and lose some of their firmness. Chill only to slow down ripening. They don’t need plastic wrapping or long stays in the fridge. Like most fruits the pear is mostly water, and too long in the fridge will dry them out.

REDUCE WASTE

To reduce waste, buy pears in small batches and handle gently. Ripe, juicy pears should be eaten immediately, or cooked without delay before the fruit flies, mould and/or rotting sets in. If you’ve got a large amount of pears opt out of freezing, as the flesh doesn’t thaw well. Instead, try bottling in a light sugar syrup to preserve for long periods of time. You can also easily dehydrate pear slices to eat later.

COOKING WITH PEARS

The crunch of a pear is a lovely thing. At the perfect ripeness it can be firm yet soft, sweet yet tangy. A great idea is to add thin slices to salads. To keep peeled pears from turning dark, rub them with lemon juice or dip them into acidulated water.