PEARS: 

I bought pears on sale then had to decide what to do with so many of them. Some went into soup or stew and the ideas for the two recipes below grew out of that. First, here is information about the pear, courtesy of Microsoft Encarta encyclopedia.

"Pear, common name for about 20 species of trees of a genus in the rose family, and for their fruit. The common pear is native to Europe; the Chinese sand pear is native to the Orient. Both species are extensively cultivated for their fruit in cool, humid, temperate regions throughout the world.

"Under cultivation, standard pear trees attain heights of up to 9 m (30 ft), with trunks 30 cm (12 in) or more in diameter. The leaves are oval and simple and, unlike those of the apple, smooth and glossy. The white flowers, which are borne in umbels, have five sepals, five petals, many stamens, and a single pistil. The fruit is a pome, juicier than the apple, and varying from apple-shaped to teardrop-shaped. Among different varieties, the thin skin varies in color from light yellow and green through red and brown. The thick flesh in flavor among different varieties. In young, unripe common pears, and in young and mature Chinese sand pears, the flesh contains numerous gritty cells called stone cells. Pears are gathered from the trees before they are completely ripe and are allowed to ripen in storage. Cold retards ripening, and heat speeds it. Pears are eaten fresh and canned. Pears contain about 16 percent carbohydrate and negligible 
amounts of fat and protein. They are good sources of the B-complex vitamins and also contain vitamin C; in addition, they contain small amounts of phosphorus and iodine.

"Commercial pear production in the United States averages about 700,000 metric tons annually. The best North American pear-growing districts are in California, Washington, and Oregon and, to a lesser degree, in the northern United States from New England to the Great Lakes and in lower Canada. Pears are grown extensively in home orchards in the United States. Most pear varieties may be grown in either standard or dwarf sizes. Dwarf pears are propagated by grafting a pear scion on a quince stock [Quince is a fruit from the apple family that is inedible raw and must be cooked]. Angouleme, Elizabeth, Louis Bonne, and Deal pears are desirable dessert varieties usually cultivated as dwarfs. Anjou, Boussoc, and Tyson pears are about equally good in either standard or dwarf sizes. Bosc, Washington and Dix pears are usually grown asd dwarfs by a type of grafting called double working, in which stocks are grafted onto stocks that have been previously 
dwarfed by grafting on quince. Bartlett, Seckel, and Doyenne pears are usually grown in standard sizes.

"Scientific classification: Pears belong to the family Rosaceae. The common pear is classified as Pyrus communis and the Chinese sand pear as Pyrus pyrifolia."

"Pear," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 96 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1995 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. (c) Funk & Wagnalls Corporation. All rights reserved. 

WEB SITES:

The web address below has photos of the different types of pears as well as information:
http://www.foodsubs.com/Pears.html


Celestial Seasonings teas has a White tea called "Perfectly Pear". It is flavored with "natural pear and vanilla flavors".
www.celestialseasonings.com

Here are two of my recipes using pears:

CHILI WITH PEAR

1 can 14 ounce kidney beans, rinse and drained
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion
1 pear, cored, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder or to taste
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 teaspoon shoyu, optional

In a saucepan with a lid sauté' onion in oil until translucent. Add pear, carrot and zucchini. Sauté' a minute or two longer then add the kidney beans, diced tomatoes and seasonings and water as desired. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. If used, add the shoyu and stir well just before serving. 

ZUCCHINI WITH FRUIT AND ALMONDS

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 zucchini, sliced
1 pear, cored, peeled and chopped
1 apple, cored, peeled and chopped
1 nectarine, pitted and chopped
1 teaspoon basil
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced almonds

In a large frying pan with a lid put the oil, vegetables and fruit and let them sauté' for a length of time you are comfortable with. I sautéed mine on med-low then low for a long time while I did other things in the kitchen. Near the end I added a little water and the seasonings and covered the pan. When the mixture was ready, I added the sliced almonds and mixed well just before serving.

BLACK BEANS: 

I've noticed black beans sort of have a Tex-Mex flavor to them naturally and without a lot of seasonings. Here are two black bean recipes courtesy of Eden Organic Foods and there are many more recipes at the Eden Foods web site.:

BLACK BEAN HUMMUS 
Serves 4

15 ounces Eden Organic Black Beans, 1 can, drained, reserve cooking liquid
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon Eden Sea Salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 cup organic tahini (sesame butter)
1/4 cup lemon juice or lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Place beans, garlic, sea salt, cumin, tahini and lemon or lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a small amount of bean cooking liquid for desired texture. Place in a serving dish and garnish with parsley. Serve with any Eden Chips or Eden Crackers, organic corn chips or warm pita bread slices.

Nutrition info: Per serving 198 Calories, 8g Fat (36% calories from fat), 10g Protein, 23g Carbohydrate, 0mg Cholesterol, 135 mg Sodium

(c) Eden Foods, Inc.
701 Tecumseh Road
Clinton, Michigan 49236

www.edenfoods.com

BLACK BEAN POLENTA PIE 
Serves 4

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

1 1/2 cups organic finely ground corn grits (polenta)
2 cups water
1 pinch Eden Sea Salt

Topping:

1 Tablespoon Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
15 ounces Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes w/Green Chilies, 1 can, do not drain
1 cup organic sweet corn, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup Eden Organic Spaghetti Sauce or No Salt Spaghetti Sauce
15 ounces Eden Organic Black Beans, 1 can, rinsed and drained

Bring the water to a boil for the polenta. Whisk in the corn grits and salt, stirring constantly until it thickens. Cover, reduce the flame and simmer 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Evenly spread the polenta on the bottom and sides of a pie plate. Set aside. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and sauté' the onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the peppers and sauté' another 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the beans, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and corn. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the bean and tomato mixture over the polenta and evenly spread it out. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Nutritional info: Per serving 429 Calories, 5g Fat (11% calories from fat), 16g Protein, 81g Carbohydrate, 0mg Cholesterol, 140mg Sodium

(c) Eden foods, Inc.
701 Tecumseh Road
Clinton, Michigan 49236

www.edenfoods.com

PRODUCTS: 

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Food and Drink" section appears each Thursday. All of the following products were introduced to me by Deborah Geering's "Try this!" column. The date of the newspaper edition appears with each product.

1. Dec 8, 2005 Tamarind is a tart fruit that can add a tangy bite to a recipe. Its used in Worcestershre sauce so Americans have been eating tmarind for years probably without knowing it. The fruit can be bought in dried pods, slabs of pulp or as a concentrate in a jar, which can be found in international markets, Indian or other Asian grocery stores. The product shown in a photo accompanying the column was Tamcon tamarind concentrate - "tamarind exract only".

2. December 15, 2005 Gourmet Garden purees and pastes in tubes. These are herb or spice blends in a squeezable tube. The flavors include ginger, garlic, chili, basil, lemon grass and sun dried tomato. Look for the the squeezable herbs and spices i the refrigerator section of a supermarket or specialty store Gourmet Garden has an equivalency guide on the tubes. 

3. January 26, 2006 Pearl couscous are made of little round balls that resemble peppercorns in size and shape but this in a pasta. A fast cooking pasta. I've tried them in a side dish mix that came in a box but I don't recall the brand name. They might also make a good salad. I found the side dish mix at Kroger. For a package of plain pearl couscous you might need to go the a natural food store or Middle Eastern market..