# What to do with fresh pears?



## Cherry2000 (Dec 30, 2005)

I have most of a box of some *delicious *Harry & David pears leftover from Christmas.  They are absolutely huge, and it's hard to eat a whole one at one sitting. They are pretty ripe, and it would be a sin to let them go to waste.

Any ideas for what to do with them? I still have about 5 that I need to use up.


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## licia (Dec 30, 2005)

I like to make a cheese mixture of cream cheese, gorgonzola, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts (or any kind of nuts you really like) and fill the center of the pears.  I can eat a whole Harry and David pear that way - an entire meal.


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## Aurora (Dec 30, 2005)

Cherry2000 said:
			
		

> I have most of a box of some *delicious *Harry & David pears leftover from Christmas. They are absolutely huge, and it's hard to eat a whole one at one sitting. They are pretty ripe, and it would be a sin to let them go to waste.
> 
> Any ideas for what to do with them? I still have about 5 that I need to use up.


 
Here is a page from www.foodtv.com with Pear recipes. I cannot say that I've tried them all, but I've seen many of them prepared on the various shows and they all looked delightful.

http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/searchResults?searchString=pears&site=FOOD&searchType=Recipe

Most recently I've watched the Rachel Ray shows with the following recipes:

http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/searchResults/0,7822,,00.html?searchString=pears&searchType=Recipe&WeekNumber=&Show=&sortField=score&sortOrder=desc&searchStringSuffix=ray


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## urmaniac13 (Dec 30, 2005)

Good pears are delicious eaten with pecorino cheese... make a nice antipasto...

This recipe can be used for pears, too... also delicious with peaches or apricots!

Also Marmalady posted this wonderful recipe a while back, I have been wanting to try it just haven't had a chance, but I KNOW this is going to be good!!  

Argh, I don't know why but the second link is not working... I will copy it here Marm, I hope you wouldn't mind the credit is all yours!!

PEAR AND ALMOND TART

8-10 servings

Crust:

2 large egg yolks
2T apple cider (I use 1T cider vinegar)
1 ¼ cups AP flour
2T sugar 
½ tsp salt
9T chilled unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

Filling:

½ cup packed almond paste (about 5 oz.) - NOT marzipan! And not the stuff in a can.
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup AP flour
4T unsalted butter, room temp
2 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup toasted almond slices 
4 medium bartlett or Anjou pears (about 1 ¾ lbs)
Apricot jam for glaze - or - this year I'm using Stonewall Kitchens 'apricot/ginger' jam

For Crust: Whisk egg yolks and cider/vinegar in small bowl. Blend flour, sguar and salt in processor. Add chilled butter and process til mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk mixture and process til moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball, press into a disk; wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. Press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of 11 inch diameter tart pan with removeable bottom. Chill while preparing filling.

For Filling: Preheat oven to 375. Blend almond paste and sugar in processor til paste is finely ground. Add flour and 3T butter, and process til a thick paste forms. Add eggs and vanilla and process til smooth. Spread flling in crust, and cover and chill while preparing pears.

Peel pears – Cut each pear in half lengthwise, and core (melon baller is great for this!); slice 1 pear half crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices toward the wider end; don’t cut all the through the top, narrower end. Press the pear half to fan the slices toward the wider end. Slide a spatula under the pear and plate on top of the filling, positioning narrow end of pear in center of tart and wider end against crust. Repeat with remaining pears. Melt the remaining 1T butter and brush over the pears.

Bake til pears are tender and crust is brown, about 50 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. Remove from pan. Melt the apricot jam in a small pan, and brush over the top of the tart. Sprinkle almonds all over the tart, or make a border around the edge of the tart with the almonds. Serve warm or at room temp.


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## jkath (Dec 30, 2005)

or.......you could send them to me.......


Pear pies are always wonderful, but it's a shame to cook a Harry & David!

Since I've been dipping anything and everything this week, how about slicing a pear, patting it with a paper towel to remove any excess juice and dipping each slice halfway into chocolate? It would be lovely with a glass of moscatto wine!

Or fresh pear chutney?
I love licia's idea - yummmmm!


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## Constance (Dec 31, 2005)

licia said:
			
		

> I like to make a cheese mixture of cream cheese, gorgonzola, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts (or any kind of nuts you really like) and fill the center of the pears.  I can eat a whole Harry and David pear that way - an entire meal.



My grandma used to do something similar to that, then put them cut side down in lime jello. They were really good.
I've never had a Harry & David pear, but I've had several different kinds of pears fresh off the tree, and they were so good. 

So...do you think the Harry & David stuff is worth the price?


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## licia (Dec 31, 2005)

I've never bought them for myself, but we've had them several times as gifts. I think they are worth the price. I haven't seen their quality anywhere else. I saw a comparison of about 5 different gift packages, and H & D was the only one that didn't have bruised fruit and the only one considered worth the cost.


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## mish (Dec 31, 2005)

licia said:
			
		

> I like to make a cheese mixture of cream cheese, gorgonzola, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts (or any kind of nuts you really like) and fill the center of the pears. I can eat a whole Harry and David pear that way - an entire meal.


 
Yum. Can I add some figs on the side too    Thanks, licia.


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## licia (Dec 31, 2005)

If we could only get fresh figs as much as you do there.  I love them but the shelf life is so short.  We usually have them dried or in preserves except for the very short season.  I like figs with ANYTHING.


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## Piccolina (Dec 31, 2005)

One my very favourite things to do with pears is to turn them into a scrumptious breakfast dish. I posted a recipe a few months back for Vanilla pears over caramel French toast, it is mouth waterly good, I think (but all of these recipe sound awesome!)


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## buckytom (Dec 31, 2005)

another fan of sharp cheeses and pears as a combo. they're also good "paired" with prosciutto or breseaola.

pears sliced thin, optionally wrapped in a thin strip of prosciutto, are nice on a salad of mesculun, balsamic or lemon viniagrette, with candied walnuts, and locatelli shaved over top.

you could also quarter the pears, and toss them in some melted sugar, butter, lemon and orange juices, and flambe them with a little brandy or rum.


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## jkath (Dec 31, 2005)

licia said:
			
		

> If we could only get fresh figs as much as you do there. I love them but the shelf life is so short. We usually have them dried or in preserves except for the very short season. I like figs with ANYTHING.


 
Licia, if only you were here! Looking out my upstairs window right now, my view is of our fig tree, which has dropped it's leaves for the winter, but still has probably 80-100 figs left on it.  I love them too!



lhanson, another pear idea: dip slices in a cinnamon-cream fondue, perhaps?


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## Constance (Dec 31, 2005)

An ex-in-law used to poach pears in wine with mixed pickling spice. I don't remember what kind of wine it was, but the pears turned out pink. They were really good!


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## licia (Dec 31, 2005)

jkath, just think of those of us who aren't so lucky when you are relishing your figs. I'm glad someone has them, even if I can't. Enjoy!


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## mish (Dec 31, 2005)

Happy to see several fig lovers here, like myself. Look forward to seeing lots n lots of fig recipes from the members here. 

Licia, if I could, I would send you some from sunny so. california. Meanwhile, in the off-season, wonder if dates might work?  BTW, I had the bestest Date shake when I stayed in Palm Springs... lol, but that's a whole 'nother recipe. :-]


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## Bugs (Dec 31, 2005)

SEND THEM TO ME!!!!!!!!!   num num


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## Cherry2000 (Dec 31, 2005)

Wow...some really great looking recipes here. Thanks for all the replies so far.

And Constance...I too would say I think they would be worth the price. They are the most flavorful, juicy pears I have ever eaten.


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## kadesma (Dec 31, 2005)

Cherry,
 I have a pear bread recipe that is wonderful, more like a cake than bread..If you'd like I'll post for you

kadesma


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## Cherry2000 (Dec 31, 2005)

kadesma said:
			
		

> Cherry,
> I have a pear bread recipe that is wonderful, more like a cake than bread..If you'd like I'll post for you
> 
> kadesma


 
Ooooo yes! Please post that one, *kadesma*! That sounds wonderful. It also sounds like it might freeze well, which would enable me to use these up and still enjoy them later


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## Robo410 (Dec 31, 2005)

delicious cut up on a salad with pecans and gorganzola cheese with a light balsamic vinaigrette, a fine desert, pealed and sliced with a little chartreuse poured over top (marinate for an hour, serve chilled) or poached with red wine and spices...another great desert.


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## shannon in KS (Dec 31, 2005)

Regrettfully, I have no recipes!  Brings back fond memories from growing up on a farm and plucking pears straight off the tree and taking a huge bite, juice dribblin' down my chin!!!  Enjoy your pears!  What a simple delight!!!


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## kadesma (Dec 31, 2005)

Cherry,
here is the pear bread..It does freeze well, I've even mailed it to a friend and it came through with flying colors.
3-eggs
1-cup veggie oil
2-3 pears grated to equal 2 cups
1-1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tea. fresh grated lemon zest
1-tea. vanilla
2-c. a/p flour,unsifted
1/4 tea. baking powder
1/4-tea. baking soda
1/2-tea. cinnamon
2/3-cup chopped walnuts
preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs,and slowly beat in the oil. Add pears,sugar,zest, and vanilla.Now sift the dry ingredients and add to pear mix, stir just to moisten. Stir in walnuts and pour into butter and floured 8 inch loaf pans. Bake about 55 min or til toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean..cool on racks after removing from pans.
Makes 2-8 inch loaves.
Enjoy,
kadesma


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## urmaniac13 (Jan 1, 2006)

shannon in KS said:
			
		

> Regrettfully, I have no recipes! Brings back fond memories from growing up on a farm and plucking pears straight off the tree and taking a huge bite, juice dribblin' down my chin!!! Enjoy your pears! What a simple delight!!!


 
Shannon, that is undoubtedly the BEST way to enjoy a ripe fresh pear!!


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## letscook (Jan 1, 2006)

I like to slice them fairly thick and saute them in butter and brown sugar, cinnamon, little nutmeg and have them warm over ice cream or on pancakes.   like a applepie filling.   If you like to can I would can them for later use.


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## Constance (Jan 1, 2006)

I looked up a couple of recipes for the poached pears, and the wines recommended were Zinfadel or any dry red wine. 

I have a friend in Mississippi who has pear trees, and she makes a delicious pear butter. She also has a fig tree, and last time we visited, the figs were ripe. It was the first time I'd ever had fresh figs, and they were divine!

My first husband was a Cajun, and his grandma had a pear tree in her yard that had huge brown pears, very round in shape with just a tiny neck. I've never seen them in the grocery stores, so they may not ship well, but the flavor of the sweet ripe pear (with juice dripping down my chin, Shannon) is a fond memory.


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## Cherry2000 (Jan 1, 2006)

Thanks *kadesma*...that looks wonderful


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## jkath (Jan 1, 2006)

Could the brown pear be a Seckel?

Did you know that pears are in the rose family?

I have an asian pear tree in my new back yard - I can't wait till it fruits!


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## shannon in KS (Jan 1, 2006)

Cherry2000 said:
			
		

> Thanks *kadesma*...that looks wonderful


 
I agree!  I will have to pass this along to my Mom!


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## kadesma (Jan 1, 2006)

shannon in KS said:
			
		

> I agree! I will have to pass this along to my Mom!


You're welcome Cherry and Shannon,
I love this bread, It is wonderful with a cup of tea or coffee. I used it once for a baby shower, just made a cream cheese frosting and iced then sliced yummy and it looked so pretty..
enjoy,
kadesma


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## auntdot (Jan 1, 2006)

One year someone sent us a case, yes a case, of pears at Christmas.

Now there are two of us here, and yeah, we like pears, but a case?

Pear pies, pear cobbler, pears to the neighbors, 'Please take some more', you name it.

With five pears could always poach them in wine, just Google for a recipe, or you probably have enough for a cobbler.

Don't think I have had a pear since.


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## Dina (Jan 1, 2006)

Mmm...I've always wondered what to do with pears besides slicing them for my toddler.  I can't wait to make the pear/almond tart.  Thanks for all of these great recipes.


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