Pear-fect Fall Dishes STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALIE FINDLAY
Pear Crostini
T
he thermometer has dipped, and it’s time to add warming foods to our days as we head into the winter months. Pears are a versatile way to add a traditional fall fruit to your diet that is both nutrient-dense and high in fibre. There are a number of different kinds of pear to choose from. The most common at your grocery store or farmers market are Anjou, Bartlett and Bosc. Bartlett are the sweetest and softest when ripe. Anjou are medium sweet but still soft, and Bosc are the least sweet and firmer than the other two. While they are fairly interchangeable, you might find a sweeter pear more suitable to certain dishes and a firmer, less sweet pear better fitting for others. Pears are adaptable to both sweet and savoury flavours as these recipes will attest.
18 Culinaire | October 2020
Pear Crostini Makes 8
¼ cup (60 mL) ice wine ¼ cup (60 g) golden raisins 6 slices sourdough baguette Drizzle olive oil 1 ripe pear ¾ cup (150 g) ricotta Pinch sea salt Sprinkle fresh cracked black pepper Drizzle honey 1. Add ice wine and raisins to a small pot and simmer over low heat until the majority of the liquid has absorbed into raisins, approximately 5 - 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Set oven to broil. 2. Slice baguette into 6 x 1 cm slices. Drizzle with olive oil on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and in the oven and toast until browned. Flip bread and brown
on the other side. Remove from oven. 3. Core pear and slice into thin strips. 4. For each baguette slice, top with 1 Tbs (15 mL) ricotta, sprinkle with sea salt, top with slices of pear, raisins, and freshly cracked black pepper. Drizzle with honey if desired. This is great for an appetizer for parties, as well as the filling in a toasted sandwich for an interesting switch-up in your lunch box.
Roasted Pear Salad Serves 6 as a side dish
Mustard Thyme Salad Dressing Makes ½ cup (120 mL)
2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard 1 tsp (5 mL) apple cider vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) honey pinch salt & pepper ½ lemon, zested ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
