Author Archives: Lynsey

About Lynsey

I work with USA Pear marketing offices that work in 38 countries all over the world: from Latin America to the Middle East, from Europe to Southeast Asia and places in between, our representatives serve markets on every continent except Antarctica. I love the opportunity to practice my Spanish and pick up new phrases in other languages (even if it’s just the basics of “hello,” “goodbye,” “thank you” and of course “pear”: pera, birne, гру́ша [GROO-sha], and more to come). I’ll be sharing highlights of the exciting and interesting activities that are taking place to promote USA Pears around the world. My favorite pear variety is Comice. Yum!

Pear and Watercress Salad

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In New Zealand, one of the most popular ways to enjoy USA Pears is in a salad.  Simple, classic, and delicious!  Our Kiwi friends sent me this enticing recipe and gorgeous photo – I can’t wait to whip up this combo.  I’ve even converted the measurements from metric to make this salad truly effortless to try at home!  As always, you can find more pear salad, ahem, pear-ings in the recipe section of usapears.org. Pear and Watercress Salad 4 USA Green Anjou Pears 3 1/2 oz watercress 2 oz goat cheese gouda 2 lemons 1/3 cup olive oil 1 1/2 oz walnuts Grate 2 pears into a bowl.  Cut remaining 2 pears into 8 wedges each, removing the core, then add to bowl.  Squeeze juice of 2 lemons onto the pears and add olive oil.  Toss, then add watercress and season with salt Continue reading →

Mint-Poached Bosc Pears

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I’m visiting the markets in Mexico this week, and attended a recipe demonstration that is, coincidentally, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! Ingredients 8 Bosc USA Pears, peeled, cored, and cut in half 1 ½ cups sugar 1 ½ cups water 1 teaspoon green food coloring ¼ cup mint liquor Directions Boil water in pot, add sugar and pears and cook for 15 minutes at a rapid boil. Turn down heat and allow to cool. Add food coloring and liquor, covering the pears. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Serve with chocolate sauce, if desired. yield: Serves 4 preparation time: 25 minutes difficulty: easy Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Love Infusion with Anjou Pear

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The winners of our annual recipe contest in Hong Kong were recently announced.  We received over 60 food and drink recipes competing for supermarket gift cards to help the winners buy – what else – more USA Pears (but other groceries, too).  The entries were judged by a popular magazine in Hong Kong based on the recipe’s creativity, tastiness and nutritional value. One of the winning recipes below sounds delicious – but also quite interesting.  And with a name like this, I’m only sorry that I didn’t have it in time to make for Valentine’s Day.  It’s easy to make – give it a try at home and let us know how it turns out!  I’m interested to hear about the milk/cream/sugar concoction and what flavor it adds to the recipe.  You can tell everyone that you’ve prepared an authentic recipe from Continue reading →

Standing Out in Russia

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I just returned from a trip to St. Petersburg, in Western Russia.  Russia is a large market for USA Pears – and competes with Brazil every year to be either third or fourth place after Mexico and Canada.  The weather was clear and the city was beautiful, but it was freezing.  More accurately, below freezing.  At one point it reached -13 degrees Fahrenheit.  A bit of a shock for someone like me, who has only known the fairly mild winters of the Pacific Northwest!  But I would consider this to be part of the true Russian experience. Russia imports pears from all over the world, in addition to the U.S.  So how do USA Pears stand out on the shelves at the grocery store?  One way is through the multiple varieties and colors of USA Pears.  In the Russian Far East, Continue reading →

Year of the Dragon

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Chinese New Year celebrations kick off on January 23 this year.  We’re joining in the celebrations for the Year of the Dragon in many countries in Southeast Asia.  Shoppers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan will see special USA Pear displays and giveaways with purchase.  In some markets, customers receive a “6-pack” USA Pear gift box so that they can mix and match varieties. The color red is considered lucky in Chinese culture, so whether it be an addition to one of the traditional meals or as a gift exchanged between family and friends, Red Anjou pears are a perfect addition to the festivities! You, too, can ring in the New Year by incorporating Red Anjou pears into one of our Asian-inspired recipes, like Braised Pears with Soy-Ginger Glaze, Grilled Asian Shrimp Skewers with Pears, or Spicy Wasabi Pear Lettuce Continue reading →

Chipwrecked

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Since more USA Pears are shipped to Mexico than any other foreign country, we get to do extra activities from time to time, above and beyond our regular sampling in grocery stores – like the Marmaduke and Gulliver’s Travels promotions.  This year, it’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.  This was one of my favorite cartoons growing up – I can’t hear certain songs without flashing back to certain episodes (anyone else remember the chipmunks’ versions of “Bad to the Bone,” “Beat It,” and my personal favorite, “Puttin’ on the Ritz”?  But I’d better stop with the 80s nostalgia before I spend my afternoon looking for clips of these on YouTube…). Shoppers in Mexico can visit the USA Pears display at the grocery store to have their picture taken with Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, as well as Anjou, Red Anjou, and Continue reading →

Something to be Thankful for: Ripe Pears!

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I bought these beautiful Bosc at the store on Sunday. They will be served as an hors d’oeuvre at Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma’s house, topped with parmesan cheese and wrapped in prosciutto (similar to these, but with my own twist). A light, yet savory-sweet prelude to our feast! To make sure that the pears are at their peak ripeness for the big day, with that honey-sweet flavor that Bosc is famous for, I’ve left them at room temperature in the fruit bowl on my kitchen counter.  I’ve been checking the neck daily, and they are going to be pear-fectly ripe for Thursday! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

How Do YOU Say ‘Pear’?

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As a foreign language student in my school days (Spanish and French), I enjoy any opportunity to pick up new words in any language. It’s helpful for travel, communication, and has even taught me more about my own native English than I learned in any language arts class growing up. So here are a few words to add to a more international vocabulary – the pear-fect building blocks for discussing our favorite topic: pears! Language: Spanish, Italian Pronunciation: PAIR-ah Language: Arabic Pronunciation: koumathra Language: Russian Pronunciation: GROO-sha Language: German Pronunciation: Bir-nuh Add your language to the list in the comment section! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

A Simple Pear Crisp

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Last week I made a trip to Hood River, in the heart of one of USA Pears’ four growing regions, for the Hood River County Fruit Loop Pear Celebration.  Although it was overcast, which prevented the spectacular views that you’ll see on a clear day, the orchards were loaded with the new season crop of USA Pears in every variety.  Harvest is a few weeks late this year, but lucky for me, I was still able to pick up fresh Bartlett and Starkrimson pears at the many fruit stands on the loop. With my bounty, I decided to make a pear crisp, one of my favorite ways to kick off autumn.  I combined several different recipes to come up with a crisp that’s just how I like it – feel free to experiment and make your own adjustments! A Simple Continue reading →