Collard Greens with Pickled Pears

An abundance of winter greens lies ahead! Eating locally during the colder months doesn’t offer nearly the bounty of the warmer seasons, but fortunately we have a wide variety of hearty greens such as chard, kale and collards to keep us going.

Around now, after a bit (or rather, a lot) of indulgent eating during the holidays, I am usually craving crunchy fresh greens and lately this salad of Collard Greens with Pickled Pears has been topping my list.

Eating collard greens uncooked in a salad was new to me until introduced by my friend Deb, a truly talented cook. She made Collard Greens with Pickled Apples and I think I had at least three servings over the course of our dinner together! Pickled apples? I was shaking my head wondering why I hadn’t thought of doing this sooner. I’ve since made the salad on a few occasions and this last time decided to use pears in place of the apples.

The sliced pears are steeped in a warm bath of apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and water. When ready to eat, they are tossed with thin ribbons of grassy green collards, a drizzle of fruity olive oil and a scattering of toasted seeds or nuts.

A tempting wedge of blue Stilton cheese (always tasty with pears) was on the kitchen counter, so I crumbled some in for a luxurious touch.

This hearty salad is a bold one – sweet and tart, crunchy and creamy. It is virtuous eating at its best and will deliver you into the new year happy and satisfied.

Wishing you all a delicious 2014!

Collard Greens with Pickled Pears
Adapted from Epicurious. com
Serves 4-6

3 medium sized, firm pears (I used red and Bartlett)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and thinly sliced across into 1/4 inch ribbons
Olive oil to drizzle
Salt and pepper to taste
Small wedge of Stilton cheese, crumbled (optional)

Core and slice the pears into eighths and set aside in a heatproof bowl. In a medium sized saucepan, bring the cider vinegar, water, coconut sugar and salt to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and return to a boil, then pour the whole mixture back into the heatproof bowl. Chill the pears uncovered for at least an hour. If using later, cover and keep cold for a day or two.

To assemble salad, drain the pears and reserve a few tablespoons of the pickling liquid. Gently toss the pears, seeds and greens together in a serving bowl. Drizzle on a little olive oil, add a couple tablespoons of pickling liquid, salt and pepper to taste and gently toss again. If using, crumble some Stilton cheese over the top and serve.

Pear, Potato and Cheddar Soup in the Sukkah

Beautiful pears are popping up at the farmers’ markets and filling the produce bins in the stores. I love their varying shades of red, blush pink, yellow and green. It is truly a lovely fall fruit, delicious on its own and pairing well with other flavors, both savory and sweet.

Years ago, I found a recipe in the Seattle Times for Pear, Potato and Cheddar Soup. I loved the thought of a savory pear soup and immediately made it. Pears, Yukon gold potatoes, onions and celery are sautéed in butter, then simmered in broth. After pureeing it all into a smooth mixture, you add cream and cheese. Need I say more? This is a delightful soup and is hands down our favorite to slurp during the fall months.

Pear, Potato and Cheddar soup also makes a regular appearance in our sukkah each year. Tonight begins the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Sukkot is an agricultural holiday, celebrating the harvest. Temporary structures, called sukkahs, are erected to represent the ancient temporary dwellings needed to live in while harvesting the fields. Sukkahs also symbolize the tents that Jews lived in during the forty years of wandering the desert after leaving Egypt.

Every year, we build a sukkah in our backyard using wood to create the sides, and branches cut from our bushes and trees for the roof. We string little lights, move our picnic table in, and live in the sukkah as much as possible for a week. In Seattle, that can be a challenge! Some years, we are quite bundled up while eating outside, other years we are enjoying balmy evenings and savoring the last moments of summer. I am always so thankful if the rain holds off until Sukkot is over! We’ve already had heavy rain and wind this week, but the sun is peeking out now so I’ll keep my fingers crossed. When it’s a clear night, I love to look up and see the stars peeking through the branches. Such a cozy feeling!

No matter what the weather is, Sukkot is always a fun family holiday to share with guests, and a last hurrah for eating outside before winter arrives. This creamy pear soup will warm you while snuggled in a sukkah or sitting around your dining table.

I love this plate!
"The pear is the grandfather of the apple,
its poor relation, a fallen aristocrat."

Pear, Potato and Cheddar Soup
Inspired by a recipe from the Alexis Hotel
Serves 6

4-5 medium ripe pears, cored and cut into small pieces (no need to peel)
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into small pieces (no need to peel)
3 ribs of celery, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup dry white wine (or use extra broth)
5 cups vegetable broth
4 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
Salt to taste
Croutons for serving (optional, I made some using whole grain raisin bread and they paired nicely)

In a soup pot (I use an 8 quart size), melt the butter and sauté the pears, potatoes, celery, onion and thyme until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the wine and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Slowly mix in the grated cheese, cream or half and half and salt to taste. Stir until smooth and cheese is melted. If soup is too thick, add a little more broth. Heat until warm but do not boil.

Ladle soup into cups, garnish with croutons if using, sip and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cake with Salted Honey Caramelized Pears and Whipped Cream: Hello Fall!

There is a crispness in the air and, despite the calendar saying summer is here for another week, I say fall has arrived. My sons are outside throwing a football around, leaves are blushing red on the maple trees, Honeycrisp apples are in the market and I am craving autumn cooking with apples, pears and squash. Lots to look forward to!

With thoughts of fall cooking, this past week’s recipe contest on the Food52 site was Your Best Pears. As always, there is a tempting list of recipes to drool over and save (my “saved” list is huge!). One of the pear recipes leaped out at me – Salted Honey Caramelized Pears...these four words evoked an immediate taste that I needed to try. The timing was perfect since I was making dessert to bring to Shabbat dinner and was imagining sweet fall flavors.

Pumpkin cake is a favorite of ours. I love its dense, moist texture and fragrant scents of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and allspice. Mmmm, the flavors of comfort. In the past I’ve served this pumpkin cake with sautéed apples and caramel sauce. This time, Salted Honey Caramelized Pears seemed a perfect accompaniment (with a dollop of whipped cream, of course) and a warm way to welcome fall.

The recipe for Salted Honey Caramelized Pears can be found here (thank you to EmilyC for sharing!). I adapted it slightly since I was using six pears and do not have a sauce pan large enough to fit twelve pear halves. Instead, I made the sauce on the stove top, poured it into a 9x13 baking dish, arranged the pears on top (cut side down), basted with the sauce, then roasted the pears for 15 minutes. I flipped the pears over, basted again and roasted for another 15 minutes.

Simply put, the pears were divine with the pumpkin cake! This dessert combination is definitely a new fall favorite. I hope you enjoy it! This recipe is linked back to a lovely list of pumpkin recipes, too.

Pumpkin Cake
Adapted from The World Of Jewish Desserts
by Gil Marks
Serves 10-12

3 cups organic, pure canned pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, room temperature, beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Whipped cream for serving
Salted Honey Caramelized Pears (I multiplied the recipe by 3)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a Bundt pan well.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, sugars, maple syrup and oil until combined. Mix in the beaten eggs.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until just mixed.

Pour into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes. This is a moist cake and will have a few crumbs stick to an inserted tester. Let cool and then invert pan to release cake.

Serve with softly whipped cream and Salted Honey Caramelized Pears.