Tag Archives: summer

Pear and Blueberry Pie Bars

Hilary By on

These delicious pear and blueberry pie bars have all the wonderful flavors of a fresh-baked summer pie, but require much less work as well as less oven time. Whip up a batch for a potluck or even as a weeknight dessert (just add vanilla ice cream). Store the extra bars in the fridge—they make an easy and delicious breakfast or a grab-and-go snack—not to mention they contain fiber and antioxidants, thanks to the fresh pears and blueberries. Ingredients Crust 1 ½ cups flour ½ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 1 teaspoon vanilla Filling 3 slightly underripe USA Pears, such as Bosc or Bartlett, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced Juice of ½ a lemon 1 pound blueberries Streusel Topping ¾ cup flour ½ cup brown sugar ¼ teaspoon salt Continue reading →

Pear Barbecue Sauce with Chile and Spice

Hilary By on

Here is a simple and rewarding recipe you can make and use all summer long. The ingredients are simple, but the flavors are both complex and balanced. Guajillo chile is tangy and bright, but never too spicy. Cinnamon and fennel add a nice warm spice flavor which balances perfectly with the pears, and the tomato, vinegar, and dark brown sugar give this recipe a classic flavor base. Using the pears for body and sweetness makes it possible to cut down on the sugar dramatically, and this barbecue sauce contains fiber, too! Slather this sauce on chicken wings or spare ribs during their last 10 minutes on the grill, or use it as a substitute for store-bought barbecue sauce in a pulled pork or brisket crock pot recipe. Ingredients 2 dried guajillo chiles Boiling water 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 medium Continue reading →

Black Rice Salad with Cherries, Pears, and Gouda

Hilary By on

This simple and hearty salad is full of fresh fruit and contains fiber. Its lightly sweet flavor comes from the ripe pears, cherries, and just a touch of fresh-squeezed orange juice in the dressing. It also features wonderful savory notes courtesy of the rice, gouda cheese, and walnuts. Put them all together and the result is a beautiful salad full of unique flavors, colors, and textures. Try this salad for dinner on a hot summer day. Cook the rice and roast the onions in the morning and you’ll only need 10 minutes to complete this dish in the evening. Serve the salad alongside something simple from the grill, or as a vegetarian meal in and of itself. Ingredients Salad 1 small sweet onion, large dice 1 tablespoon canola oil 4 cups cooked and cooled black rice (or use any type Continue reading →

Creamy Pear Popsicles with Kiwi and Lime

Hilary By on

These delightful summer popsicles have just four ingredients: whole ripe pears, kiwi fruit, coconut water, and lime. Creamy and sweet-tart, they contain fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. The pears, coconut water, and lime are pureed to make a luscious, pale green base and then chunks of kiwi are added at the end to put the bright green “pop” in popsicle. These summer treats are sweetened with fruit only, so go ahead and have another! Ingredients 2 ripe USA Pears, such as Anjou, cored and sliced 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime) 1 ⅓ cups coconut water 2 whole kiwis, peeled, quartered, and sliced into ¼-inch pieces Directions Place the pear slices, coconut water, and lime juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, filling them about half way. Divide the kiwi Continue reading →

Pear and Roasted Carrot Vinaigrette

Hilary By on

I often see salad recipes that include pears in their ingredient lists, but it’s rare to see a salad dressing that uses fresh pears. I created this dressing as a way to utilize ripe pears and to bring sweetness to a salad dressing without any added sugar. The roasted carrots give this dressing a nice, rich flavor, and the champagne vinegar balances the sweetness from the pears perfectly. This vinaigrette is very versatile—I first served it over a simple green salad of garden lettuces and fresh pears. The next day I tossed some of the leftover dressing with a mixture of cooked and cooled brown rice, canned black beans, and spinach for a quick lunch. The last few tablespoons made the perfect dipping sauce for simple barbecued chicken. I’ll be making this recipe again as soon as the pears on Continue reading →

Grilled Pork Chops with Pears and Rosemary Butter

Hilary By on

Here is a satisfying recipe that can be made outside on the grill in under thirty minutes. The pork, pears, and rosemary butter are all wrapped up into foil packets, which results in an incredibly tender pork chop that creates its own amazing sauce while it cooks. These grilled pork chops with pears would make a great summer dinner on a hot day alongside some grilled corn on the cob, but they will also make for an equally amazing meal this fall with roasted squash on the side. Ingredients 3 tablespoons salted butter, softened 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, plus four sprigs for garnish 4 bone-in pork chops, about 6 ounces each Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 medium red onion, sliced into ⅛ inch rings 2 firm ripe USA Pears, such as Anjou, sliced into ¼ inch pieces Continue reading →

Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Pears and Sweet Onion

Hilary By on

These delicious and juicy burgers are perfect for a summer cookout. Firm-ripe USA Pears, sweet onion, ground turkey, and fresh thyme come together to make a quick and easy dinner. Creamy goat cheese and more pear slices top these fresh and light turkey burgers for a nice change of pace from a traditional beef burger. Throw some zucchini and red peppers on the grill, and the meal is complete! Make a double batch of these burgers and freeze the uncooked patties between sheets of waxed paper for a quick dinner down the road. Ingredients ¾ pound ground white turkey ¾ pound ground dark turkey 1 firm-ripe USA Pear, such as Bartlett or Anjou, medium dice ½ a medium sweet onion, medium dice ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Olive oil for brushing Continue reading →

Fun (and Safe) in the Sun!

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

It’s warm, you’re outside more – maybe playing sand volleyball or enjoying a cocktail on the patio. Who doesn’t love summer? But beware: too much fun in the sun can lead to a serious problem. When it’s warm, we sweat to keep cool; excess sweat can lead to too much fluid and electrolyte loss. This means we need to consume more! But what the heck are electrolytes and where do I find them? Electrolytes are charged minerals, specifically sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, phosphate, and calcium. Those of greatest import during warm weather or activity are sodium and potassium because they are lost through sweat. In the body they are kept in cells and blood and used to communicate; they carry impulses that stimulate nerve and muscle contractions. When you sweat too much or don’t consume enough, your body becomes deficient Continue reading →

Pear Piña Colada

Hilary By on

I’ve been waiting patiently for the warmer weather to arrive to try out my idea for a Pear Piña Colada, and the results are deliciously successful! I love the creamy texture that the pureed pears lend to this cocktail, and using them allows you to cut down on the amount of coconut cream used in a typical recipe without compromising any flavor. The pears also lend a sweet, honey flavor to the cocktail that pairs beautifully with the tangy, fresh pineapple. I added a little unsweetened shredded coconut to my version as well because I love the texture it gives to this drink. Sip on this pear cocktail on a sunny afternoon and you’ll be transported to a tropical paradise! Ingredients 2 ripe USA Pears, such as Bartlett or Anjou, cut into big chunks 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks ¼ Continue reading →

A Seasonal Salad from Hilary Finch Hutler

Brittany By on

I’m pleased to introduce a brand-new contributing blogger here at The Pear Dish, personal chef and recipe writer Hilary Finch Hutler. Read on for a quick Q-and-A with Hilary and her first recipe, a gorgeous end-of-summer salad! Welcome, Hilary! Tell us about yourself. I am a personal chef and recipe writer here in Portland, Oregon and I blog at tummyrumblr.com. I grew up in Eugene and worked in many restaurants as well as on a produce farm. Naturally, I fell in love with all of the produce that Oregon has to offer.   How did Tummyrumblr start? After several years of working as a personal chef, I stopped relying on recipes and started cooking based more on intuition and seasonality. I realized that I had been creating recipes for years but that I hadn’t been writing anything down. Tummyrumblr is Continue reading →