pear recipes, canadian t-day, a cleanse & jury duty...what?

it is pear week at fall fest...and once again i am a bit late with my post. it has been quite a week! sunday was our napa "canadian thanksgiving" dinner. ok...so i am not canadian...and the actual holiday was a week earlier...but hey...what can i say? we celebrated! long time readers know that this tradition started a few years ago. some friends moved to napa from canada for work and we all wanted to ensure they were not homesick during this holiday. canadian thanksgiving is very similar to ours...a celebration of harvest...but without the pilgrims. read three thanksgivings and a recipe for pb&j cookies to learn a bit more about this annual napa event.

this year we started with a book club meeting at laura and jay's for the eight book club members...then family and friends arrived for dinner growing the attendees to 30 people. the meal was superb...turkey, dressing and all the trimmings (i contributed marinated eggplant and a roasted green been & garlic dish...recipes another time), dessert and...being napa after all...massive quantities of amazing wine. this was also a bit of a "last supper" because many of us were starting a "cleanse" the next day.

so sunday: canadian thanksgiving. monday: the start of a thirty day "community cleanse". my friend laura (and the hostess for canadian thanksgiving) is a cancer survivor. she attributes part of her recovery to an extremely healthy diet. in her words: "In the end, hard-core nutrition, positive thinking, emotional corrections, and a new-found faith in myself and the unknown, resulted (finally) in the disappearance of two tumors from my chest. (I prefer the word tumor – it sounds less scary than the word cancer). " so laura started a blog called the healthy junkie where she launched a thirty day community cleanse. community because she felt it would be more fun, and the odds of success greater, if individuals had the support of other "cleansers". the cleanse involves eliminating white flour, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, dairy, white rice/grains and processed or hydrogenated foods from your diet. she purposely picked monday, the day after canadian t-day, to start because the four weeks end just in time for american thanksgiving and she knew everyone would fail if it continued through that week. read laura's blog for more info on this cleanse. of course i will be blogging about my experience during the next month of posts and it is never too late to join us. tell me in the comments section of this post if you decide to participate. i would love to hear your stories.

now i eat pretty healthily most of the time...so the components of the cleanse do not seem too hard with one exception. giving up coffee...this scares me to death. i drink coffee every day of my life...just in the morning...but numerous cups. we are allowed one cup of green tea each day on the cleanse...but, frankly, this has not made a difference. today is thursday...4 days into the cleanse...and i have had a massive headache each day. monday was the worst and to top off my week, i also started serving on jury duty on monday. of course i was picked...i ALWAYS get picked. so, to recap, monday morning at 8:00 am i reported to service without any coffee. see what i mean about having a tough week? the other side effect of the cleanse...which laura assures us is normal and means that it is working...is that i have been really tired. this means my body has started to "detox".

all of this leads me back to my original point (very long winded path, i know)...why my pear post is late...so here it is: i love pears...especially at this time of year. in honor of the cleanse, i am adding sliced pears to my salads and poaching pears in apple juice with lots of fresh ginger and cinnamon for a cleanse friendly dessert. i continue to produce our fresh pear & vanilla preserves and watch my husband eat some on toast each morning for breakfast...alas, there is organic sugar in the recipe so none for me. for my non-cleansing readers i am adding a recipe i originally published a couple of years ago fresh pear cupcakes with chocolate glaze, a favorite of my family & friends. and, because nothing about them is "cleanse friendly", please enjoy one for me. i have to count down the days until i can enjoy cupcakes. (but honestly...despite my whining...this cleanse is really worth it)

fresh pear cupcakes with chocolate glaze

(these taste even better if made with organic ingredients)
4 cups fresh pears (cored and roughly chopped)
1 cup walnuts (chopped)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
chocolate glaze1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp melted butter
3-4 tbsp boiling water
1/8 tsp instant coffee crystals
combine pear, white and brown sugar and walnuts in a medium sized bowl. let stand about an hour. (do not skip this step..this adds to the incredible moistness of these cupcakes).
preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray cupcake pan with a non toxic, organic cooking spray...add paper cupcake liners and spray again.

meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together the remaining dry ingredients. add to the pear

mixture and stir until just combined. add the eggs, oil, and vanilla and stir until combined. **note, i use a wooden spoon..not a mixer for the recipe..if you use a mixer, be careful not to over beat***
fill cupcake sections until even with the top. bake 30-35 minutes until tester inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. remove from pan and cool on rack. whisk together all chocolate glaze ingredients in small bowl until glaze is smooth and shiny. place a dollop of chocolate glaze on the top of each cupcake.

now it is your turn to participate in fall fest. simply leave your pear tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below, and then go visit the collaborators listed on the blog away to garden and do the same.

the cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. yes, copy and paste them everywhere! that way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

always...much thanks to margaret roach and deb puchalla for coordinating fall fest 2010. as always...its been a blast.

best and happy cooking!
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "do you like us? really like us? then please join our facebook fan page& follow us on twitterto receive special offers only available to our preferred customers, please sign up for the mailing list on the right hand side of this post...

it is apple week...apple & pear crisp anyone?

a couple of posts ago, i told you that i made the desserts for a good friend's wedding reception. i mentioned that the bride & groom asked for pies, crisps and cobblers...and, of course, homemade vanilla ice cream. the pies? fresh peach with pecan/streusel topping. the cobblers? strawberry/blueberry with sweet cornmeal biscuits...and the crisps? apple & pear. since then, i have had many requests for the recipes...from wedding attendees, from blog readers, from friends. well...it is a big secret, but i can't share the pie recipe just yet...stay tuned as to why. the bride, my good friend brooke, asked for the cobbler recipe to post on her wonderful blog aficionada. i feel like it is "her" recipe now...after-all it was served at her wedding!! and, of all the desserts, it was her personal favorite. so i am happy to provide the link to her post...check it out to see why she picked cobbler as her fave...get the recipe...and be sure to take a peek at the wedding photographs for one of the most beautiful brides i have ever seen.
sometimes life delivers perfect timing because this week at fall fest we are spotlighting apples. how fall is that? what smells remind you of fall? for me, apples baking...either in pie or crisp...do it every time. so, even though it has been 100 degrees each day this week here in napa, (despite the fact that summer was actually very cool) the calendar tells me it is fall. and, since i have wanted to share this crisp recipe with you for weeks now...viola! the recipe follows. when brooke and i were discussing her menu i asked her if she had favorite fruits. her wedding was held on september 12, so we decided to stay "fruit flexible". the only non-negotiable for both of us was that the fruit be local, organic or sustainably grown...and delicious. happily, stone fruits and berries were still in season but...just to be safe...we also selected apples & pears as the combination for the crisp...but you can make it with all apples or all pears...any of the three options would be terrific.

apple & pear crisp
(makes one 9 inch deep dish pie pan. double ingredients for a 9 x 13 inch baking dish)

3-4 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3-4 pears. peeled, cored and sliced
(you want 3 1/2 to 4 pounds total fruit)
juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
3/4 cup c unbleached flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 stick very cold unsalted butter, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup rolled oats
pinch sea salt

preheat oven to 375 degrees. butter a 9 inch deep dish pie pan (ceramic if possible). place prepared fruit in medium sized mixing bowl. pour in lemon juice to keep fruit from browning. add 1/2 cup brown sugar and spices and stir to combine. set aside.

add flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar to work bowl of a food processor. pulse to mix. add cold butter and pulse until mixture is very crumbly. add oats and salt and pulse just to combine.

add fruit to prepared pie dish. sprinkle topping over fruit. bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown. serve warm or at room temperature. terrific as is...even better with homemade vanilla ice cream or try pouring a bit of heavy cream over crisp....

since this is apple week, i am also adding the link to a few recipes i posted during the first fest two years ago. i included roasted apple and caramelized onion au gratin soup

salad with apples, cheddar cheese & walnuts and apple crostata with walnuts and dulce de leche sauce...all favorites in my home. what are your favorite apple recipes? please share....

this is the last post eligible for the free cookbook! remember when i told you that i had a recipe published in a new cookbook thinkfood, recipes for brain fitness? i was thrilled to receive a couple of copies in the mail. i am featured on page 47!! i have decided to give away a copy...my first ever contest. all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on one of my september 2010 blog posts. tell me in the comments that you would like to be entered in the drawing. i will announce the winner during the first week of october...so be sure to check us out to see if you win.

now it is your turn to participate in fall fest. simply leave your apple tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below, and then go visit the collaborators listed on the blog away to garden and do the same.

the cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. yes, copy and paste them everywhere! that way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

always...much thanks to margaret roach and deb puchalla for coordinating fall fest 2010. as always...its been a blast...happy fall everyone..

best and happy cooking!
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "

do you like us? really like us? then please join our facebook fan page& follow me on twitter
to receive special offers only available to our preferred customers, please sign up for the mailing list on the right hand side of this post...

"how about cornmeal pancakes with fresh blueberries?"

for the past two sundays we have had friends over for brunch..different people each time..but very good friends nevertheless. both weeks i planned a tentative menu and created my shopping list only to get a phone call from said friends asking what was on the menu..as soon as i told them what i was thinking, there was a brief pause..and then this question.."how about cornmeal pancakes with fresh blueberries?" i mean really..two weeks in a row..i started thinking about favorite recipes..and friends who felt comfortable enough to ask for their favorites..i went from being a bit put out by not being able to try something new..to very happy and pleased that i have a large collection of dishes that people enjoy and request prior to coming to my home. not all the time(sometimes i can do the "new" recipes)..but often enough. to me, my favorite times..and my favorite memories..are those spent with family and friends around the dinner table... eating, laughing, talking, telling stories, continuing traditions or creating new ones...and knowing the food will be thoroughly enjoyed adds to the feeling of contentment..

so, for today's post, i thought i would share this recipe with you. maybe these pancakes will be added to your collection..and shared with your family and friends..i hope they will become a favorite in your home too.

i have made these cornmeal pancakes for years..i like them because they are not too sweet, taste really good..and offer a bit of a difference from more traditional pancakes. they are also really easy which is always a plus for me when having guests for brunch..not tons of work first thing in the morning.

cornmeal pancakes

1/3 c unbleached flour

1 1/4 c cornmeal

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 1/4 c buttermilk*

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, sugar and salt in large bowl. add egg, buttermilk and olive oil. stir just until lumps disappear..do not over mix. pour batter onto hot skillet or griddle forming pancakes. **note..this batter is thinner than a more traditional batter so form pancakes carefully. cook until bubbles form and tops of pancakes look a bit dry. flip and cook until second side is golden brown. serve immediately. we serve with butter, maple syrup and fresh blueberries. ** i never have buttermilk on hand..so for spur-of-the-moment pancakes..use milk with 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice**

what are your most requested recipes? do you have "go to" dishes that you use whenever you want to make something delicious..and not experiment with something new? if so, please share the recipes with all of us in the comments section of this post..thanks in advance.

o.k...so i can hear the questions.."what about the weekly food fests?" this week is a recap week as we transition from summer produce to fall produce. be sure to check the everyday food blog and the away to garden blog on thursday for one last look at some of the favorite recipes shared during the past few weeks. i thought we would join in with an overview of the napa farmhouse 1885™ offerings. week one for us was cukes & zukes.

check out this post for roasted zucchini and tomatoes with parmesan and balsamic reduction and zucchini/potato hash browns with cheese. week two brought us green bean week..spicy green beans in asian chili sauce andgreen bean & potato salad with feta. how about roasted green beans, tomatoes & garlic with balsamic drizzle? week three was my favorite fest..because it was fresh tomatoes..i love tomatoes and wait all year for them to be ready..this post covered easy, breezy "non" recipes like fresh tomato sandwiches and roasted tomato pasta..then i shared my heirloom tomato & white bean salad, fresh pico di gallo, and heirloom tomato tapenade with bruschetta..

week four was all about fresh corn... the everyday food blog listed numerous delicious sounding recipes..but i shared my love of corn on the cob..and admitted that i never make any of the delicious sounding recipes..rather i always succumb to corn on the cob..boiled, roasted or grilled..with simple but very flavorful toppings. this post also includes what has been described as the most unusual but amazingly good corn recipe..my family's corny, corny lena (read the post for explanation of the name). corny, corny lena is actually a dark chocolate and pureed corn cake..with chocolate glaze. unusual..yes..and really, really good..

on to week five..which was the thursday leading into labor day weekend. this was open vegetable week..we could use whatever we wanted. i thought a smart strategy would be to post recipes i could also use for all of the holiday get-togethers as we had company coming each day... i chose a few relishes...cucumber and chiles relish, roasted pepper relish, fresh tomato relish..check them out...

last week was end of summer or early fall fruit week... i chose fresh pears..mainly because a friend had brought me 30#s of em..and i needed to start using them immediately...i posted a recipe for fresh pears with romaine & parmesan salad..and another for fresh pear cupcakes with chocolate glaze..best of all..many readers posted comments with additional suggestions and recipes for the pears..and for all the other posts too..note..i never close the comments section of any post..so you still have time to post your favorites..and please remember to share your favorite "go to" recipes in the comments section of this post...

have a terrific week...best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885™

"live a green life of style"™

follow me on twitter

so what do you do with 30 pounds of pears?

one thing i will say about post corporate life..it is always interesting. last week our friends richard and caitlin came over for the afternoon/evening. richard is the featured furniture/garden artist for my company and we had a "product inspiration and prioritization" meeting scheduled for the first few hours...then..work finished..our plan was to eat, drink, talk..and laugh..lots of laughing... richard walked in the house with with a massive smile on his face, lugging bags and bags and bags of ???... i opened one of the bags to find it completely filled with small, round yellow and orange colored fruit... pears..30 pounds of pears!! he lives next door to an organic farm in the carneros region of napa and their pears trees are so full of fruit right now that the branches are actually breaking. richard and caitlin picked the 30 pounds from just a few of the branches (with the owner's permission of course)..and laughingly commented that they knew just the person to give them to...that would be me... (9.4.08 update..the name of the organic farm is bonick family farm and they sell their produce to some of the finest restaurants in the napa valley. they let me know that they have a bumper crop this year..i know..i know...and they will be at the copia farmer's market. if you are in napa this fall..check them out..their fruit is delicious!)

so again, what do you do with 30 pounds of pears..two days before the labor day holiday..when you have friends scheduled to visit each day of the weekend..and you have already planned all the menus? if you are like me, you begin adjusting fast..because a gift like this is too amazing to go to waste.
now..did you notice that earlier i described the fruit as small, round and yellow/orange? not the usual description for pears.. these are asian pears which are a bit crisper than their european counterparts..kind of a cross between a pear and an apple...and they are perfect for many types of recipes. i love them in salads..and alternated between two versions during the weekend..i do not really follow recipes for salads..just use the amount you like of each ingredient..but the basics are as follows:
fresh pear with romaine & parmesan
romaine lettuce
diced fresh pear
walnut pieces
thinly sliced red onion
shaved parmesan cheese
toss together all ingredients with vinaigrette...
vinaigrette
1/2 c lemon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup champagne or sparkling wine vinegar
sea salt
freshly cracked pepper


combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar and shake well. lightly coat salad with dressing..leftover vinaigrette may be kept in the refrigerator..use within a few days for best taste.
another version is to substitute the walnuts for pine nuts and the parmesan for blue cheese. i use a balsamic vinegar vinaigrette on this one..same proportions..just use regular e.v.o.o. and balsamic vinegar...


i spent the weekend experimenting with pear recipes..poached them in wine, grilled them and served with fruit balsamic vinegars, made a pear tart..pear compote..pear cobbler..you name it. for inspiration i asked my twitter pals for their favorite recipes. now, if you are not familiar with twitter, i describe it as an on-line social network..where you answer the question "what are you doing?" in 140 characters. fellow twitterers sign up to "follow" you..and you sign up to follow people that interest you. one day soon i will write a post about twitter..i find it very interesting..and incredibly educational... the folks i follow are primarily foodies..chefs, food bloggers, home cooks, and people involved in green, eco-friendly lifestyles. they are an extremely knowledgeable bunch of people..and very, very generous with their help, tips and advice. suggestions for my pears came pouring in..i have so many recipes to try i can write another pear story..pear vinegar, pear brandy, roasted pears, pear appetizers..you name it... my absolute favorite came from @davina. she lives in italy and has sent me a number of delicious sounding recipes. her pear idea is for raviolis filled with sheep ricotta, grated parmesan, a bit of brie and tiny cubes of peeled pears... the raviolis are served topped with dots of butter and a parmesan cheese sauce...how great does that sound?? i plan to make this dish soon and promise to post the actual recipe once i figure it out..she just sent me the ingredients. for those of you on twitter, i invite you to follow me. ..and check out the people i follow..they are terrific..
so back to my richard story..we were talking about the pears and he suggested i add some pear items to my list of gourmet food items i will soon be making and selling on my website. i told him that only produce grown at the farmhouse could be used...so, what did he do? the next day, i came home to find a pear tree on my front porch..he actually bought me a pear tree! who does that? i told you..my world after corporate life is more interesting then i could ever have imagined...

now..after planting a pear tree this weekend (!!)..and experimenting with countless pear recipes..i realized that it is fruit week at the food fests for everyday food and away to garden..how timely is that? i decided to post the recipe that garnered the most raves this weekend.... i love combining pears with chocolate..so i created a recipe for spiced pear cupcakes with a chocolate glaze...this is the kind of recipe that..based on the quantity eaten..you know is a hit... friends and family ate multiple cupcakes..and asked for more to take home...yes..i baked a lot this weekend..but it was so worth it..give the cupcakes a try..and please let me know what you think...and don't forget to check out the everyday food and away to garden blogs this week for tons of terrific fruit recipes..


fresh pear cupcakes with chocolate glaze
ingredients
4 cups fresh pears (cored and roughly chopped)
1 cup walnuts (chopped)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp vanilla

chocolate glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp melted butter
3-4 tbsp boiling water
1/8 tsp instant coffee crystals

combine pear, white and brown sugar and walnuts in a medium sized bowl. let stand about an hour. (do not skip this step..this adds to the incredible moistness of these cupcakes).
preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray cupcake pan with cooking spray..add paper cupcake liners and spray again.
meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together the remaining dry ingredients. add to the pear mixture and stir until just combined. add the eggs, oil, and vanilla and stir until combined. **note, i use a wooden spoon..not a mixer for the recipe..if you use a mixer, be careful not to over beat***
fill cupcake sections until even with the top. bake 30-35 minutes until tester inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. remove from pan and cool on rack. whisk together all chocolate glaze ingredients in small bowl until glaze is smooth and shiny. place a dollop of chocolate glaze on the top of each cupcake.

so..one last time..what do you do with 30 pounds of pears..and more on their way? happily..i love the process of figuring out the answer to the question..but i could use your help..please add your favorite pear recipes to the comments section of this post...i will keep adding additional recipes too...so check back often..
best,
diane
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style"™