Produce alert: Comice pears
If you’re used to just buying Bartlett and Bosc pears, let me convince you to splurge at least once on the Comice variety. I got mine on Tuesday from FreshDirect, and they’re hitting their peak of ripeness today. Wait till it’s very soft—I usually like my pears to display at least some resistance. The one I just ate was so soft I considered tossing it, but thank goodness I didn’t. It was the best pear I’ve ever eaten: obscenely sweet but in a complex way, with meat grainy enough to make up for its relative mushiness. You might consider removing the tough skin, which is an easy task when it’s very ripe.
Incidentally, feel free to alert me to any excellent produce you come across in New York. I’ll go far out of my way for perfection. Ok, maybe not all the way to Brooklyn, but definitely to the West side.
Comments
One of my favorite salads involves pears, endive (the green, curly variety, not hearts of endive), toasted walnuts or pecans, and crumbled blue cheese of any flavorful type, dressed with a vinaigrette made from olive oil and a sweeter wine vinegar, like sherry or champagne. The pears do have to be a little on the firmer side for this; peel, core, and cube them and toss gently in acidulated water so they don’t turn brown. Add plenty of salt and pepper to the dressing. I don’t use garlic in this one. I love the way the bitter endive contrasts with the sweetness of the pears and the richness of the cheese, punctuated by the crunchiness of the nuts.
Mommy
Sounds delicious! I will give it a try. I love having your comments on my blog!
Add a comment