Pears

Melt the butter over low heat. Add mustard seeds, and when they pop add the minced shallot. Sweat the shallot over low heat for 4 minutes, trying not to brown it. After 4 minutes add a pinch of salt, turmeric, vinegar, and sugar and turn the heat to medium. While it rises to a gentle simmer, peel, core, and cube the pears, adding them to the pot as you cut.  Add the ground spices, sugared ginger, and dried apricots and continue to simmer for about an hour uncovered. Stir frequently.

Check for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary. Cool the chutney before serving. Makes four 8 oz. jars.


Store this chutney in the fridge or freezer. It has not been tested for safe home canning.
 

1. Place 6 clean 500 ml or 12 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside; heat SNAP Lids in hot water, NOT boiling (180°F/82°C). Keep jars and SNAP Lids hot until ready to use.
2. Peel, pit or core, chop & measure peaches and pears individually; combine in a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Grate zest from limes and squeeze juice. Add grated zest, 1/2 cup (125 ml) lime juice, honey and Salsa Mix to fruit.
3. Stirring continuously until well mixed, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes.
4. Ladle salsa into a hot jar to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top rim (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Centre SNAP Lid on jar; apply screw band securely and firmly until resistance is met – fingertip tight. Do not overtighten. Place jar in canner; repeat for remaining salsa.
5. Cover canner; bring water to a boil. At altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m), process – boil filled jars – 250 ml jars 15 minutes.*; 500 ml jars 20 minutes*. Remove jars without tilting. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.

*At altitudes higher than 1,000 ft (305 m) increase processing time as indicated here.

This recipe is courtesy of Bernardin. For more great canning recipes, visit homecanning.com.

Make syrup by combining sugar, water and lemon juice. Pare pears, remove core. Place in an ungreased, 2-quart casserole. Pour syrup over pears. Bake covered at 350° F (180° C) until tender 45 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile make raspberry sauce. Drain juice and rub berries through a fine sieve, pressing with a wooden spoon to get all of puree. To make chocolate curls, have bar at room temperature, and use a potato peeler. Refrigerate. To serve pears, cool 30 minutes after baking. Pour hot raspberry sauce over pears. Garnish with chocolate curls.

1. Wash grapes. Separate skin from pulp. Add half a cup (125 ml) water to pulp and simmer covered until tender (about 5 minutes). Remove seeds by sieving.
2. Peel and core pears. Chop or crush thoroughly grape skins and pears. Mix pectin, prepared grapes and pears in pan. Place over high heat and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. Immediately stir in sugar. Bring to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Ladle into sterilized jam jars.

1. To make dressing, combine 1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, sugar and seasonings in a bowl. Whisk to blend. Set aside.
2. Prepare salad greens and place in a large salad bowl. Cut pears in half; remove core. Thinly slice and toss gently with lemon juice to keep from browning.
3. Heat 2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil in a sauté pan. Add mushrooms and quickly stir fry over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes or just until hot. Gently fold in pear slices to warm slightly. Scatter over crisp greens. Add dressing to hot pan and whisk together over medium heat until warm. Immediately drizzle over greens and gently toss. Sprinkle with goat cheese and chopped nuts. Serve immediately.

1. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth, butter and thyme. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 50 to 55 minutes until rice is fork tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off heat and allow to rest, covered, for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, fluff rice with fork.
2. While rice is cooking, prepare pear, cranberries, carrot, zucchini and parsley. Add to rice and toss well. Serve warm as a side dish to any meal.

Place pork slices between plastic wrap and use a mallet to pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Dust with a little flour, salt and pepper.
Heat oil in large frying pan. Working in batches, add pork to skillet; sauté just until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Cover.
Meanwhile, melt butter in another large pan. Add minced onion and sauté until soft. Add pears and sprinkle with sugar. Tuck anise seeds into pear slices. Sauté until pears are tender and deep golden, about 8 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon leaving anise seeds in pan. Add Calvados, or cider with vanilla, and thyme leaves to pan and boil just until reduced to half. Whisk in cream and boil until thickened. Return sautéed pear slices to sauce along with any juices that may have accumulated and heat through.
Arrange sliced pork on 6 individual serving plates. Top with pears and sauce and serve with steamed sugar snap peas and fluffy mashed potatoes.

As soon as pears have been sliced, mix in fresh lemon juice and set aside. Coat fish with cornmeal and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine the egg and milk. Drizzle over top of fillets. Arrange the slices of pear on top of the fish, overlapping the slices so they resemble fish scales. Bake at 450° F (250° C) for 20 minutes or until desired doneness. (Fish should be opaque and flake easily.) Serve with your favourite fruit puree or sauce.

1. Prepare poaching liquid by combining all ingredients (except pears) in a medium saucepan.
2. Peel pears, leaving stem on. Using an apple corer or a paring knife, carefully remove core and seeds from the bottom end of the pear. Place pears in poaching liquid and place on stove over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the ripeness of the pears). The liquid will not totally cover the pears so gently spoon liquid over the pears and turn once to ensure they cook evenly.
3. After 15 minutes check for doneness by gently inserting a sharp knife into the bottom of the pear. If it goes in very easily, the pears are done. Turn off heat and gently remove pears from liquid. Allow to cool before placing in refrigerator.
4. Strain poaching liquid through a fine sieve. Return to stove and allow to simmer gently on medium to low heat until the liquid is reduced by half and thickened slightly. At this point, turn off heat completely and allow sauce to cool.
5. Chop dried cranberries. Place in a small bowl and pour over just enough orange juice to cover. This will slightly flavour the cranberries and allow them to plump.
6. Using an electric mixer, cream the mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat until cheese is smooth and free of lumps. Beat in icing sugar, orange zest, vanilla and Grand Marnier. Strain cranberries. Reserve 2 tsp of orange juice. Add cranberries and orange juice to cheese mixture and mix until just combined.
7. Once pears have cooled they may be filled. Using a piping bag (if you don’t have a piping bag, use a plastic sandwich bag and cut a small hole in the bottom corner), fill the bag with the cheese filling. Gently pipe into the bottom of the pear until full. Repeat this step with all the pears. At this point, the pears can be placed in the refrigerator until serving. They may also be kept overnight.
8. To serve, place one pear in the centre of a dessert plate. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on the side. Spoon the reduced poaching liquid over the pear. Garnish with a mint leaf for extra colour.

Crêpes preparation: Stir flour and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk and butter together. Whisk into flour until smooth and no lumps remain. Cover and refrigerate for up to an hour. Strain into another bowl. Heat an 8 inch (20 cm) non-stick pan or crêpe pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Pour a little less than 1/4 cup (50 mL) batter into the centre of the pan and tip pan to create about a 6" (15 cm) crêpe. Cook for about 1 minute or until bottom is pale golden. Flip crêpe in pan and cook for a few more seconds. Transfer to plate. If batter bubbles then pan is too hot. Repeat with remaining batter. Stack crêpes between sheets of waxed paper or parchment.

Filling preparation: Thinly slice unpeeled pears. Heat butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add sliced pears and sprinkle with brown sugar. Sauté over medium heat just until pears are almost soft and glazed, and sugar is melted, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of liqueur or brandy, if you wish. Remove from the heat.

To Serve: Spoon a little of the pear mixture down the centre of each crêpe. Fold in sides and serve with a drizzle of chocolate sauce over top.