Tag: Pears

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Pinot Noir Pear and Ginger Compote

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Pinot Noir Pear and Ginger Compote

Pork tenderloin is one of those easy-to-cook lean cuts of meat that benefits from being served with a sauce, dressing, or fruit compote. One of Oregon’s signature fruit crops is pear, and a pear compote pairs perfectly with pork, especially if it’s been cooked with pinot noir, another signature Oregon product!

May 12, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Grilled Cheese, Smoked Turkey and Roasted Pear Dip Sandwich paired with E. Z. Orchards 2009 Cidre

Grilled Cheese, Smoked Turkey and Roasted Pear Dip Sandwich paired with E. Z. Orchards 2009 Cidre

Cheeses and fruit, especially pears and apples, are natural companions, so deciding on a grilled cheese sandwich was easy. Vic was pressuring me to make one of my turkey dip sandwiches, but I wanted something different to pair with the meat. After a brief gestation period I decided on a sandwich filled with Willamette Valley Cheese’s aged cheddar, roasted pear slices and thinly sliced smoked turkey breast. Making a savory and sweet dipping sauce was just a matter of experimentation in a saucepan on the stovetop.

February 15, 2011 | 1 Comment More
Pears Poached in Pinot Noir

Pears Poached in Pinot Noir

Living in the middle of Oregon wine country, I love coming across recipes that use wine and then starting a sometimes lively debate with my partner, Charles, about which of the many bottles of Oregon wine we have in our closet to sacrifice to the recipe. But pears poached in pinot noir do make for a heavenly dessert.

December 13, 2009 | 1 Comment More
Duck Legs Braised in Pinot Noir with Roasted Pears and Cipollini Onions

Duck Legs Braised in Pinot Noir with Roasted Pears and Cipollini Onions

“Tonight: Pinot Noir Braised Duck Legs with Roasted Pears and Onions” I wrote in my status quote on Facebook. Friends as far away as Texas declared they could be here by dinner time. Jane Owen, oboist with the Fort Worth Symphony and frequent spokesperson for the duck in Peter and the Wolf, sounded ready to make the trek if only her orchestra schedule would allow. Gail Cook, arts aficionado and book reviewer, was nursing an injured foot and requested special pampering in the form of room service. Would that I could! Alas, in the next few hours 23 commentators had joined the trail.

November 11, 2009 | 6 Comments More
Congress Gives Pork a Bad Rap — Sage and Rosemary-crusted Roast Pork Tenderloin with Pear Ginger Compote

Congress Gives Pork a Bad Rap — Sage and Rosemary-crusted Roast Pork Tenderloin with Pear Ginger Compote

Pork has frequently been a controversial food. Various religions forbid the consumption of pork products and there was a time when pork carried dangerous parasites and required thorough cooking. Most controversy today centers around pork fat. Most will agree that pork fat delivers a wallop of flavor, especially if the pork is smoked. There’s a reason so many dishes call for some bacon or salt pork; a pot of beans gently simmered along with a smoked ham hock is undeniably delicious. And who among us hasn’t awakened to the aroma of frying bacon?

September 29, 2009 | 4 Comments More
Pear Clafouti Inspired by Clear Creek Distillery's Pear Brandy

Pear Clafouti Inspired by Clear Creek Distillery’s Pear Brandy

Bicycling through the French countryside, a young Steve McCarthy rode past rows of pear trees with bottles hanging from their branches and was fascinated by them. Now, many years later, McCarthy’s apple and pear trees in the Hood River Valley have almost 10,000 bottles hanging from them, each with an apple or pear slowly growing […]

September 15, 2009 | 0 Comments More
Oregon Is for Nuts! Hazelnuts

Oregon Is for Nuts! Hazelnuts

Some years ago The Commonwealth of Virginia launched a tourism slogan declaring “Virginia Is for Lovers.” With tongue in cheek and not to be outdone, Maryland promoted “Maryland Is for Crabs.” Since almost all the hazelnuts in the USA are grown in Oregon, one could infer that “Oregon Is for Nuts.” As a matter of fact, the noble hazelnut was declared the state nut in 1989.

August 23, 2009 | 6 Comments More