Fall fruit is incom-pear-able
Just about the only constant in farming is change, and there
cannot be a better example than the San Juan Valley.
Historian and native son Sandy Lydon, in his book
”
Chinese Gold
”
recounts that tobacco grown in the valley went to a brick
factory in northern San Benito County that employed scores of Asian
workers rolling cigars.
Fall fruit is incom-pear-able
Just about the only constant in farming is change, and there cannot be a better example than the San Juan Valley.
Historian and native son Sandy Lydon, in his book “Chinese Gold” recounts that tobacco grown in the valley went to a brick factory in northern San Benito County that employed scores of Asian workers rolling cigars.
Then, as the warehouses in San Juan still testify, the area was all about potatoes.
Carpets of flowers once covered much of the valley, producing mountains of seed bound for those colorful little packets.
Today lettuce vies for space with apple orchards and specialty crops. But it was not so long ago that pear orchards covered much of the valley.
The pears are gone, and that’s a shame. A ripe pear is incomparable – sweet, buttery and perfumed. Pears have to be ripened off the tree to be at their best, which is a good thing, because ripe pears are fragile.
Even without the orchards in our own backyards, the fall crop of pears is in supermarkets now.
The word “pear” ignores the tremendous variety to be found. Russeted, conical Boscs are crisper and more substantial than the Bartletts often found canned. D’anjou and Comice are smoother in texture, perfumy and rich.
A friend recently gave us a bag of Seckels, tiny fruit about the size of apricots. Peeled over a salad, they made great partners with some toasted hazelnuts.
Poached pears
(serves 4)
4 firm-ripe pears, variety of your choice
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 c. dry red wine
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
juice of a lemon and 2-inch strip of zest
½ tsp. black peppercorns (optional)
chocolate sauce
Some people halve and core the pears, but they make a nicer impression peeled and left whole. As soon as the pears are peeled, coat them in the lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Heat wine, sugar, zest and cinnamon in a saucepan, stirring, until mixture boils; reduce heat and add pears. Simmer uncovered until the pears feel tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 15 minutes. Turn occasionally so they color evenly. Cool the pears in the syrup. Remove the pears and boil the syrup until it is reduced by half.
To serve, pool a little syrup in each plate, stand a pear in the center and drizzle with chocolate sauce. The pears may be served warm or chilled.
Pear Tarte Tatin
(serves 6-8)
Pastry
2 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
9 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter
6 tbsp. ice water
Filling
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ c. sugar
3-4 ripe winter Nelis or Bosc pear (about 2 lb.), peeled, halved and cored
½ c. firmly packed brown sugar.
2 tbsp. crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. ground mace
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
Stir together flour and salt, cut the butter into small chunks and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until pea-sized pieces form. Add ice water 1 tbsp. at a time, tossing with a fork and then rubbing flour into butter until dough forms into a ball and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Using 1 tbsp. butter, grease a 12-inch baking dish with 2-inch sides. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the dish bottom. Arrange pears, cut sides up in a tight layer. If needed, halves can be sliced to fill gaps. Sprinkle ¼ cup brown sugar over the pears. Top with the crystallized ginger and the lemon juice. Cut the remaining 2 tbsp. butter into bits and dot the pears. Stir together the remaining cup of brown sugar and spices and sprinkle over the pears.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface a little larger than the diameter of the baking dish. Transfer it to the baking dish, tucking the edges into the sides to form an interior rim. Prick the pastry all over with a fork. Bake until the crust is browned, about an hour. A thickened, golden syrup will have formed at the bottom of the pan.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Slip a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the tart. Invert a serving platter over the pan and flip both over. Lift the baking dish carefully, removing any pears that stick and returning them to the tart. Serve warm. (Source: Diana’s Desserts.)
