The Building Block: Poached Pears
- Peel 8 pears (such as Bosc) and set them aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine 3 long strips of lemon peel (with pith removed), 1 cinnamon stick, a 1-inch piece of ginger, 1 cup of brewed black tea, and 3 cups of pear juice, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the pears to the saucepan and cover them with a small piece of cheese cloth or kitchen cloth to keep the pears submerged.
- Reduce the heat and let simmer. Cook, turning the pears occasionally, until they are tender when pricked with a sharp knife, about 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pears from the liquid and let them cool.
- Return the remaining liquid to a boil, and cook until it reduces to a thin syrup, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Discard the spices and drizzle the syrup over the pears before serving.
Option #1: Poached-Pear-and-Almond-Butter Sandwiches
Spread 2 pieces of whole-grain bread with a thick layer of almond butter. Slice the poached pears and arrange them over the almond butter. Serve open-faced.
Option #2: Poached-Pear-and-Wheat-Berry Salad
• Cook 2 cups of wheat berries according to the package instructions.
• Transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
• Add 1/2 cup of toasted, chopped walnuts, 2 poached pears chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (and core removed), 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup olive oil, and 3/4 cup of chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, cilantro, and parsley.
• Toss everything together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Option #3: Quick Pear-Sauce Tea Bread
• Core 4 poached pears and puree them in a food processor to yield 1 1/4 cups of pear sauce.
• Heat the oven to 350 °F and lightly butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
• Combine the pear sauce, 1 cup of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup of milk in a large bowl. Beat well.
• Whisk together 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the pear-sauce mixture and stir to combine.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it until it's set, about 1 hour. A cake tester should come out clean but not dry.
For sunday dinner:
Serve for dessert, drizzled with syrup.
