PEAR UP! Tasty ways to try pears now
After stopping to greet customers, Ed Weaver continued checking the pears on display in his farm market — straightening boxes, occasionally grabbing a ripe one.
“When I’m working around here and I see one that’s turning yellow, I have to test it out,” he said with a smile.
Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown offers roughly 10 varieties with names like Magness, Gem, Blake’s Pride, Shenandoah, Sunrise and Seckel, which are “very, very sweet.” Find your perfect pear… available now. “You have to harvest them on the immature side,” explained Stuart Constable, production manager at Highland Orchards in West Chester. “If you let them turn yellow on the tree, they’ll be mush.”
He grows four types: Seckel, Anjou, Bosc and Bartlett.
“Bartlett’s my favorite for this time of the year,” Constable said. “It’s just a nice, sweet pear.”
“I’m a big fan of all pears,” agreed Stephanie Carney, line cook at Blue Pear Bistro in West Chester.
The historic property boasted the region’s first pear tree. So, of course, its signature salad features pears — paired with prosciutto, golden raisins, toasted walnuts and blue cheese.
“I think all the flavors just blend well together,” she described. “You have the saltiness from the crispy prosciutto. You have the tang from the blue cheese and the sweetness from the pears.”
Also enjoy pears in a skillet cake or savory tart.
“I find that a lot of people have never experienced a really good pear,” Weaver said. “Pears need to be watched carefully as they’re ripening. And they are really super when they’re a nice yellow color.”
Mom’s Skillet Pear Cake INGREDIENTS
¼ cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon grated orange peel 1¼ cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ginger 2 cups peeled, finely chopped Bosc pears 2 peeled, thinly sliced Bosc pears 1/3 cup chopped pecans or pistachios
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of an 8- or 9-inch cast iron skillet. Cream butter and sugar. Beat eggs, vanilla and grated orange peel until light and fluffy. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. Mix dry ingredients with creamed mixture. Beat till just blended. Batter will be very stiff. Add chopped pears to batter. Mix well and spoon into skillet. Spread evenly and top with sliced Bosc pears and pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream. RECIPE COURTESY OF NANCY TIRRELL AND WEAVER’S ORCHARD
Blue Pear Bistro’s Signature Pear Salad INGREDIENTS
Dressing: ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons maple syrup ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt and white pepper to taste ½ cup olive oil Poached pears: 3 Bosc pears 1½ cups white wine ½ teaspoon vanilla ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup honey 1 cinnamon stick ¼ sprig rosemary 5 slices prosciutto ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese ¼ cup golden raisins ¼ cup toasted walnuts 1 bag mixed green lettuce
INSTRUCTIONS
Dressing: Blend vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly add olive oil with blender running on low.
Poached pears: Peel pears and slice in half. Use a melon baller to remove seeds. In a saucepot, combine wine, vanilla, sugar, honey, cinnamon and rosemary. Dissolve sugar and add pears. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bake sliced prosciutto for 15 to 20 minutes in a 325- to 350-degree oven until nice and crisp.
Divide lettuce onto five plates. Top each with half a poached pear and one slice of prosciutto, crumbled. Add blue cheese, raisins and walnuts and dressing. Serves 5.