Crackling leaves and nippy mornings, early sunsets and football games. These are sure signs of fall. But it’s a walk through a farmer’s market or the aisles of a supermarket’s produce section, that fires up my longing to cook autumn-style dishes.
Autumn’s pear crop is always a showstopper. Initially, it’s their voluptuous contours that captivate. The long, slender necks and arched stems of Bosc pears, the round, silhouette of Comice. The gentle curves of the bell-shaped Bartlett.
In the marketplace most often, they are as hard as boulders. They feel more like baseballs than fruit. Not a whisper of sublime sweetness. Not a whiffet of sensuous aroma. They are picked mature but before ripened, then kept in controlled-atmosphere storage. Tree-ripened pears get mushy because they ripen from the inside out.
But ripening pears at home isn’t difficult, you just need to plan on buying firm pears three to five days before you plan to eat or cook with them. The bag-ripening process works like a charm. Place those ever-so-firm pears in a paper bag and loosely fold the top closed. Let them sit at room temperature, checking them every day until the area at the base of the stem slightly yields to gentle pressure. Pears ripen from the inside out, so they usually are ready when there is only a slight give. Then either use or refrigerate them.
Roasted Pears
Roasted pears are delicious used in both savory and sweet dishes. They pair irresistibly with pork; serve them alongside broiled or sauteed pork chops topped just before serving with chutney or chopped macadamia nuts. Or for dessert, serve them with ice cream (salted caramel and butter pecan are favorites). Or for an appetizer, serve them sliced atop toasted baguette slices spread with goat cheese.
Yield: 4 halves
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
2 ripe (but not squishy) pears, such as Bosc, Bartlett, D’Anjou or Comice, peeled, cut in half lengthwise
DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together juice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
2. Coat a medium-sized rimmed baking sheet with half of the vegetable oil. Toss pear halves in juice-spice mixture and place cut-side down on prepare baking sheet. Drizzle remaining oil on top. Roast until caramelized on bottom and tender, about 35 to 45 minutes (roasting times will vary depending on ripeness and size of pears). Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature.
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.
