Tag Archives: salads

Kale, Cabbage, and Pear Slaw with Citrus Dressing

Hilary By on

Here is a quick fruit and vegetable slaw with a sweet and tangy dressing. This slaw makes an ideal side dish for a simple summer dinner of grilled fish or chicken, but it will also transition well into the fall as a bright and fresh side for roasted meat. This recipe is the perfect use for slightly under-ripe pears—they will add a unique texture and flavor to this colorful slaw. Ingredients Dressing ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or other neutral-flavored oil) Salad 1 small bunch Lacinato kale, stemmed and shredded 1 small head red cabbage, cored and shredded 4 scallions, thinly sliced 2 firm USA Pears, such as Bosc, cored and thinly sliced ¼ cup chopped almonds Directions For the dressing: Combine all 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 Spring Pea Salad with Pears

Hilary By on

Here is a quick and fresh salad recipe to welcome spring. Based loosely on the classic pea, bacon, and mayonnaise salad famously served at every Midwestern potluck, my version uses fresh sugar snap peas, bold radicchio, smoky bacon, and sweet, ripe USA Pears for balance. Toss the fruit and vegetables in a simple, creamy dressing and chill until crisp. Serve this salad on the first day you fire up your barbecue—it will pair perfectly with anything from the grill. Ingredients Dressing 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from half a lemon) 2 teaspoons sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot ¼ cup sour cream ¼ cup mayonnaise Salad 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, cooled, and chopped 1 head radicchio, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced 1 pint fresh sugar snap peas, strings removed and sliced on the bias 2 Continue reading →

Pear-fectly Packaged

Lynsey By on

The shelves of the produce departments are changing, and so is how we buy fruits and veggies. While many are looking for less packaging to reduce waste, others want convenience: pre-washed, pre-cut, ready-to-go.  For me, the decision depends on each individual item, how many people I need to feed, and how long the shelf life needs to be! This season in New Zealand, pear sales increased thanks to new packaging. In this case, the design attracted attention and also gives us the opportunity to teach shoppers about how to tell when a pear is ripe (Check the Neck – but if you’re a frequent reader here at The Pear Dish, you already knew that, right?) and share a recipe. Pear, Parmesan & Watercress Salad 4 Anjou Pears 100 g (3.5 oz) watercress 60 g (2 oz) parmesan 2 lemons 100 Continue reading →

Happy Whole-idays!

Amy Kweller MS, RD By on

The holidays are here and it’s National Pear Month! There are so many fresh, delicious pear varieties available right now, why not pick up a few new varieties? I’m encouraging my family to practice Healthy Wholidays this year, an effort to use more whole fruits and vegetables through the holidays. The idea is simple; start with fresh, whole fruits and vegetables at meals and when cooking or baking. Not only will whole foods provide fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, but using fresh limits processed foods and added sugar, salt, and preservatives. (I’m also thinking that it will end in more delicious, wholesome foods everyone will love for years to come!) The fresh produce this time of year is delicious! One of my favorite dishes to bring to holiday parties is my homemade fruit salad. It’s simple: Cut fresh pears Continue reading →

Jicama and Pear

Brittany By on

Next up on the list of 10 Pear Salad Recipes by Mark Bittman: Jicama and Pear. I had the ingredients on hand this weekend and was looking for a light side dish to accompany a spice-filled stew, and this fit the bill. Bittman’s version is more heavily dressed, but I needed something crunchy and light to contrast my main dish. I subbed a dash of cayenne pepper for minced chile and added the suggested lime juice. Ole! Concorde pears were a great choice for this dish. Their vanilla-sweet flavor and crisp texture made a perfect match for the similar jicama and the punchy vinaigrette. I tossed the salad with minced basil and parsley because that’s what I found in the crisper, but I would have loved cilantro, too. This sweet salad reminded me of the Jicama Street Snack I devoured Continue reading →

Pear and Watercress Salad

Lynsey By on

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 →

A Simple Summer Salad from NZ

Lynsey By on

Back in October, USA Pears were featured in a summer salad promotion in New Zealand. Lucky for us here in the Northern Hemisphere, summer has just arrived, and a fresh USA Pear salad is refreshing addition to the season’s menu! Here are our Kiwi friends enjoying the simple summer salad recipe below: Make a balsamic dressing by whisking 5 Tbsp olive oil with 1 Tbsp aged balsamic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toast ½ cup almonds in oven until lightly browned, then cool and chop. Put a handful of salad leaves into a bowl, add ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, toss with enough dressing to coat the leaves. Slice (don’t peel) one Anjou pear and add to the salad. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top. Serve and enjoy! Check out more recipes for salads and our Seasonal Continue reading →