Today in the Kitchn: Fall is a time for pears, pomegranates and persimmons

It’s a little confusing in the market right now — we are seeing both summer and fall vegetables and fruit. The melons and basil sing of summer, but things like pears and pomegranates are definitely autumnal.

I am most fortunate to have neighbors who grow both, and who are generous. Now that I’ve experienced desert summer, I know how precious are this local fruit, and the water that grows it.

One of the things I look forward to in fall is pears. There are over 5,000 varieties of pears, including the familiar Bartlett, Bosc, d’Angou, Comice and Seckel. Unlike many other fruit, pears ripen well off the tree, at room temp. Once ripe, they should be refrigerated.

A simple way to use pears, as well as apples, peaches and apricots, is to broil them. Brush with melted butter and broil until they start to brown, then turn and repeat. The natural sugars make them sweet enough as is, though they can be topped with yogurt, cream, ice cream, or a drizzle of your favorite liqueur.

Pears can also be poached in wine, poires au vin rouge en fran�ais. This is something you can do with those unfinished bottles of red wine, too. This is a fabulous dessert, light yet rich.

Ingredients:

4 firm, ripe pears

lemon

3 cups of red wine

cup of raw sugar (you may substitute honey, agave, or xylitol)

1 strip of lemon peel

1 stick of cinnamon

4 peppercorns

4 cloves

1 vanilla bean

Directions: Peel the pears, halve them and rub with lemon juice. Bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid is transparent. Add the pears, cover, and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, turning the pears, until they are tender. Cool them in the liquid. Remove the pears. Strain the liquid, and reduce it to 1 cup over medium-high heat. Cool until warm, then pour over the pears and serve, with some heavy cream and/or a piece of dark, semi-sweet chocolate.

Other fruits:

Pomegranates - we know they’re good for us, full of antioxidants, but how to use them? If you want the juice, use a citrus juicer. The stand type with a handle works best. If you want to seed them, peel and pull them apart in a bowl of water. The seeds sink and the rest of the matter floats to the top. I like to use the seeds on an appetizer of endive leaves holding crumbled goat cheese and chopped walnuts.

Persimmons — There are two types: Fuyu, which are eaten when they are crisp, like an apple, and Hachiya, which are eaten when soft and very sweet. Hachiyas cook nicely with other familiar Fall foods like nuts, pumpkin spices, vanilla, brandy, and dried fruits. Fuyus can be eaten out of hand, or chopped into salads for nice crunch and flavor.

Cranberries are recognized mainly at the Thanksgiving table, but are actually quite versatile.

Here’s an interesting cranberry vinaigrette:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cranberry juice

2 T coarsely chopped, dried cranberries

2 t finely chopped shallots

4 t olive oil

4 t fresh orange juice

2 t red wine vinegar (or to taste)

Honey, agave nectar or xylitol to taste

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions: Place 1 1/4 cups of cranberry juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over high heat until liquid is reduced by half. Add the dried cranberries to the remaining 1/4 cup cranberry juice and allow them to plump. Saut/ shallots in olive oil until soft, but not brown. In a blender or food processor, puree the reduction and shallots until smooth.

Place the mixture in a bowl and whisk in remaining ingredients including the oil and softened cranberries. The vinaigrette can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Grapes — Need one say more than that it’s harvest time in the winemaking parts of the world, and there is nothing as heady as driving the back lanes of Napa when fermentation is taking place? The olfactory memory is deeply ingrained. May you all have such autumn reveries.

Samaya Jones is a Holistic Nutritional Consultant and Natural Foods Personal Chef, who cooks for you and your guests in your home. She writes for health websites, newspapers, and teaches wine education classes. She can be reached at ncsamayaj@gmail.com.