2 pears

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon honey

24 baguette rounds, toasted

½ cup spreadable goat cheese

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted*

Ground black pepper, if desired

Slice pears stem-side-up into 12 quarter-inch width vertical planks. Cut large slices in half lengthwise for a total of 48 slices. Heat vinegar, butter, and honey in large frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until reduced by half, about 2 tablespoons. Add pear slices and continue cooking for 1 minute, turning once. Place 2 pear slices on each baguette round and top with 1 teaspoon goat cheese. Sprinkle almonds over cheese and garnish with fresh pepper, if desired.

*To toast almonds, place in heavy frying pan and toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tan with toasted aroma.

From www.usapears.org.

helladelicious.com

1 c Dark brown sugar, packed
1 c Uncooked persimmon pulp, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 c Black walnuts, chopped
2 Egg yolks
1 tb Butter
1/4 c Confectioners’s sugar mixed with 1/4 cup finely chopped black walnuts

In the top of a double boiler, combine brown sugar, persimmon pulp, black walnuts, egg yolks and butter.
Put boiler top over base containing boiling water; cook for 25 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cool for about an hour. Form into balls about the size of a walnut, roll in the mixture of confectioners’ sugar and chopped walnuts, and refrigerate about an hour before serving. To store, pack in airtight tin with waxed paper between the layers; keep in a cool place.

From www.justfruitrecipes.com.

veganeveryday.blogspot.com

1 tablespoon brown sugar               1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons butter, melted              1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt                              Dash of ground allspice

1 lb turnips, peeled and cut              Cooking spray

into wedges

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine first 7 ingredients in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray; toss to coat. Bake for 35 min or until tender, stirring every 10 min. From Cooking Light, Jan. 2003.

whatscookingamerica.net

Fresh ears of corn, in their husks

Butter (or an herb butter) for serving

Prepare your grill, gas or charcoal, with direct, high heat, about 550°F. Place the corn in their husks on the hot grill. Cover. Turn the corn occasionally, until the husks are charred on all sides, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove corn from grill. Let sit for 5 minutes. Use a hand towel to protect your hands while removing the silks and charred husks from the corn. Serve hot, with butter. From simplyrecipes.com.

ifood.tv

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon curry powder

4 large carrots, thinly sliced on diagonal

1/4 cup stock or water

2 apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon minced oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon minced parsley

Cook the onion in oil and butter for several minutes until softened.  Add the curry powder and stir to disperse it.  Add to carrots and stock or water, and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.  Add the apple slices and lemon rind, and cook, stirring frequently, for a few minutes more, or until the apples just begin to soften.  Do not overcook. Stir in the oregano an parsley.  Cook 1 minute. Serves 4.  From Cooking with the Healthful Herbs, by Jean Rogers.

The filling:

½ large carrot

1 scallion

1 tablespoon stock

1 teaspoon butter

1 tablespoon minced dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill

The omelet:

2 eggs

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon butter (for the pan)

1 tablespoon shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Cut the carrot and scallion into julienne strips (matchsticks about 1/8 by 1/8 by 2 inches). Combine the vegetables with the stock and butter in a small pan. Cover and cook over low heat until they are tender.  Then, remove the lid and let any remaining liquid cook away. Do not let the vegetables scorch.  Stir in the dill. Beat the eggs and water together in a small bowl, then add to the veggies.  Cook until eggs are done.

Adapted from Cooking with the Healthful Herbs by Jean Rogers.

sweetandsaucy.wordpress.com

3/4 pound small yellow potatoes, thinly sliced crosswise

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

18 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, optional

Preheat oven to 425°. In a medium saucepan, combine potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and set aside. In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, and cook for 5 minutes more. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, the remaining teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Add parsley, if desired. Add egg mixture to skillet, and cook, drawing eggs away from the sides and bottom of the pan with a heatproof spatula so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. When the mixture is loosely set around the edges, place pan in the oven, and bake until puffed and completely set, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and slide out onto a serving plate. From The Martha Stewart Show, Sept. 2006.

doormousedoodles.blogspot.com

Topping
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/3 C. flour
1/4 C. butter
1/3 C. chopped pecans

Muffins
2 C. flour
2/3 C. sugar
2 tea. Clabber Girl or Rumford baking powder
1 tea. cinnamon
1/2 tea. baking soda
1/2 tea. salt
1 C. sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. canola oil
1 Pink Lady Apple, cored and chopped
2/3 C. chopped pecans

Topping: In sm. mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar and flour. Cut butter into chunks into flour/sugar mixture, then work it in with your fingers until crumbly. Mix in pecans. Set aside.

Muffins: In lrg. mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

In med. mixing bowl, beat sour cream, eggs, milk and oil until blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour egg/sour cream mixture into the well and stir just until moistened. Do not overmix. Stir in chopped apple and pecans. Spoon into prepared muffin C. Using a spoon or your fingers, pile Topping on tops of batter. Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven until tops are browned and spring back when lightly touched, about 20 to 25 min. Turn out of pan onto wire rack and cool briefly.

From www.toaster-oven.net.

stemilt.com

4 slices sourdough, whole wheat, or white bread

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 ounces thinly sliced Black Forest ham

1 firm but ripe Anjou pear, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and each half cut lengthwise into 3 thick slices

Freshly ground pepper

2 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat a panini maker, grill pan, or griddle to medium-high heat. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface and spread half of the mustard on each slice. Divide the ham between the 2 sandwiches and arrange on top. Add 3 slices of pear to each sandwich and grind a bit of pepper over the pear slices. Top the pears with slices of cheese. Place a slice of bread on top and butter the top slices of bread with half of the butter. If using a panini maker, butter both sides of the bread before grilling.

Place the sandwiches in the panini maker and close the lid. Grill until nicely browned on both sides. For a grill or griddle, place the sandwiches buttered side down on the hot grill or griddle. Butter the topside of the sandwiches. Grill until nicely browned on one side and then flip and grill the other side. Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

yield: Makes 2 sandwiches

From www.usapears.com.

thedailymeal.com

1 lb. sunchokes peeled and sliced

1-2 Tbs candied walnuts,crumbled

4-6 mint leaves sliced into ribbons
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 Tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
Pecorino Romano shaved

To make the dressing, melt the butter with lemon juice in the microwave until the butter is just melted. Whisk to combine and add the salt and pepper. Toss the sunchokes, walnuts and mint with the dressing and top with Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately. From norecipes.com.