Fresh Pears Are the Basis of Many Tasty Dishes

Bartlett pears are an excellent addition to menus and are in season now through November. Red, yellow or green or golden Bartletts can be used in the recipes offered here. Not-quite-ripe pears are crunchy and firm, similar to apples, but once they ripen, they turn sunny, soft, fragrant and have a buttery flavor.

There are so many ways to serve fresh pears. Combine slices with lemon juice, honey and chopped walnuts and spoon over shortcake. Or, arrange pear and avocado wedges on lettuce-lined platter, mound orange segments in center and serve with a light vinaigrette dressing.

Pear Champagne Gelatin is a fancy dessert served in tall champagne flutes or parfait glasses. This easy to make treat features golden fruit suspended in bubbly gelatin. Use either regular golden or red Bartletts in Quick Pear Ice Cream. It is excellent served with chocolate sauce and mint leaves but good old-fashioned ginger snaps would be good too.

In the category of salads there are routine combinations of lettuce paired with ordinary dressings and there are artful pairings of seasonal ingredients with imaginative vinaigrettes, sweet and spicy, pungent or aromatic. Smoked Salmon-Pear Salad fits into the latter group. It mixes pears, three different greens, smoked salmon and feta cheese and dresses them in a caper and shallot flavored vinaigrette.

Paisley Pears, a colorful mixture of ripe pears, pimientos, onion and parsley tossed with an herb vinaigrette, bridges the gap between a vegetable and fruit salad.

Great for Desserts

In the dessert category, the pear is featured in two chilled pies, which require baking of the crust only. In Glazed Microwave Pear Pie, the pears are unpeeled and the baked and cooled pie crust may be either purchased or homemade. The filling, a light and creamy mixture of whipped cream cheese topped with sliced pears and glazed with sweetened apricot nectar, can be prepared in minutes.

Pear Melba Tart is a bit different in presentation and ingredients but is equally as delicious. The pears are arranged on a cream cheese and light cream filling, then topped with a raspberry gelatin. The resulting tart is dramatically beautiful, full of color and flavor.

PEAR CHAMPAGNE

GELATIN

6 large pears

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups pear jelly

1 cup champagne

Place 4 pears and water in large saucepan and bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook over low heat 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and pour through jelly bag or large sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Allow juice to drip (do not squeeze) 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Measure out 2 cups juice.

Bring 2 cups juice to simmer over medium heat with sugar, stirring until dissolved. Place gelatin in cold water and dissolve in hot pear jelly. Add Champagne. Cool, then refrigerate until partially set. Peel, core and dice remaining 2 pears. Fold into gelatin. Spoon into tall parfait glasses and chill until set. Makes 8 servings.

QUICK PEAR ICE

CREAM

3 pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon pear brandy or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Prepared chocolate sauce

Mint leaves

Pear slices

Puree pear chunks into food processor or blender until smooth. Beat egg and sugar until thick and creamy. Add cream, pears and brandy, mixing to blend. Pour mixture in canister of ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve garnished with chocolate sauce, mint leaves and pear slices. Makes 1 pint.

SMOKED SALMON-

PEAR SALAD

2 heads butter lettuce

1 bunch arrugula

1 bunch watercress

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons capers

1 teaspoon chopped shallots

6 pears

1/4 pound smoked salmon, cut in 1-inch strips

1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled

Remove 8 outer leaves from lettuce and place on individual salad plates. Tear remaining lettuce into bite-size pieces and toss with arrugula and watercress. Divide evenly among salad plates.

With wire whisk, blend together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, capers and shallots. Cut pears into 1/4-inch lengthwise slices into dressing. Add salmon and gently toss to coat evenly. Divide evenly among plates and sprinkle with cheese. Makes 8 servings.

PAISLEY PEARS

1/3 cup oil

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 (4-ounce) can pimientos

6 pears

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Combine oil, vinegar, chives, honey, mustard, thyme, basil and tarragon in jar. Cover tightly and shake well, then refrigerate at least 6 hours but no longer than 3 days.

Drain pimientos and cut into shapes with hors d’oeuvre cutters. Halve and core pears, peeling if desired. Combine pimiento shapes, pears, onion and parsley in large salad bowl. Just before serving, shake salad dressing and pour over salad. Toss lightly and serve. Makes 6 servings.

GLAZED MICROWAVE

PEAR PIE

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup apricot nectar

1 (8-ounce) container whipped cream cheese

1 baked (9-inch) pie shell, cooled

1 large or 2 small pears

Lemon juice

Combine cornstarch, sugar and nectar in 1-quart glass measuring cup. Microwave on HIGH 6 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Beat cream cheese with 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixture and spread into pie shell. Peel pears, if desired, then halve, core and slice. Dip slices into lemon juice. Arrange pears in shell. Brush or spoon remaining glaze on top and chill until ready to serve. Makes 6 servings.

PEAR MELBA TART

1 (10-ounce) package frozen red raspberries, thawed

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh raspberries, optional

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons half and half

1 baked (9-inch) tart or pie shell, cooled

3 large pears, peeled and sliced

Drain frozen raspberries, reserving liquid. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup reserved juice. Stir boiling water into gelatin and add lemon juice, sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add remaining juice, frozen and fresh raspberries. Chill until mixture mounds on spoon.

Meanwhile, combine cheese, lemon zest and half and half and spread into pie shell. Arrange pear slices decoratively over filling. Cover with gelatin mixture, mounding raspberries in middle. Chill until set. Makes 6 servings.