The Time is Ripe for Pears – The Pear Dish

The Time is Ripe for Pears: Seattle

Brittany — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:31:35 +0000

We ended The Time is Ripe for Pears Tour with a bang in Seattle, visiting a few of the city’s best restaurants and serving up some pear-fect pear and cheese samples for cold, hungry shoppers at Pike Place Market. On our first day, we lunched at the restaurant of an old pal: Chef Ethan Stowell. Lucky us! Tavolata, his rustic yet sleek Italian joint in Belltown, was indeed a treat. We started off with a simple, sparkling drink – the Bosc Pear Spritz. Refreshing and light, this cocktail got the party started! Before the main course, we happily slurped down a bowl of Chef Stowell’s Sunchoke and Pear Soup, which he shared with us back in 2006 (recipe here). Instead of a sprinkling of chanterelle mushrooms and bacon, the bowls were set before us with a plump scallop sitting smack Continue reading →

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The Time is Ripe for Pears: Portland

Brittany — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:43:02 +0000

Last week, we brought The Time is Ripe for Pears tour to our hometown, Portland! On Thursday, we were treated to an amazing luncheon at Castagna, where the food looked more like art. Take the starter, for example. We were presented with this of-the-earth ceramic bowl (which I secretly wanted to smuggle home in my purse – after licking it clean, of course). The bowl contained drops of tangy yogurt, cubed Comice pear, and wisps of fennel. I was excited with this unusual starter, but it wasn’t done yet! Our server placed a box in the center of our table that contained little packets. Pear packets. No joke – they were made of dehydrated pear and filled with granola, and we were told to crumble them over our yogurt. Gladly! The meal continued on in a similarly jaw-dropping fashion. One of Continue reading →

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The Time is Ripe for Pears: Chicago

Brittany — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:32:27 +0000

From Philadelphia, we headed west to the chilly city of Chicago on our sixth stop in The Time is Ripe for Pears Tour. The city’s trademark wind was in full force, but so was the enthusiasm of local pear fans! On our first night in Chicago, I was treated to a delicious local delicacy: a pizza pot pie. Yep, that’s right; it’s all the tasty toppings of a pizza—plum tomatoes, peppers, garlic, whole mushrooms, sausage—wrapped up inside a doughy bundle and set inside a dish to bake. When it’s finished, they bring it to your table inside the dish and gently coax it out onto your plate. It’s so good! If you’re ever in the Windy City, check it out: Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. And order the Mediterranean Bread! On Thursday, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Continue reading →

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The Time is Ripe for Pears: Philadelphia

Brittany — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:16:09 +0000

Last week, we visited the City of Brotherly Love: Philadelphia! (Where I learned that “philadelphia” literally means “brotherly love” in Greek. Duh.) We saw the Liberty Bell, the famous LOVE sign, and lots of beautiful fall colors. For our first stop, we ventured across the river to neighboring Cherry Hill, New Jersey to share ripe pears with eager shoppers at the local Wegmans grocery store. What a gorgeous place! I’m envious there aren’t any Wegmans stores in my area—I’d be shopping there now. Lots of busy moms—and their savvy kids—were out on this Monday morning. Watch our video to see what they thought of USA Pears! After that stop, we swung by John’s Roast Pork to sample their famous (and deservedly so) cheesesteaks, answering lots of questions about our T-shirts along the way. Again, we commented that the sandwiches would have Continue reading →

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The Time is Ripe for Pears: Miami

Brittany — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:28:17 +0000

On our all-too-short tour stop in sunny Miami, we enjoyed friendly people, lots of great food, and of course, the sunshine! We dropped in at the Whole Foods Market in Coral Gables to sample ripe Bartlett, Starkrimson, and Bosc pears. Watch this fun video to see what our fans had to say about our pears: In the evening, we went to Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink in the design district for a decadent spread: four courses of pear desserts! We were on a sugar high for hours. And it wasn’t an ordinary sugar kick – we were treated to dishes by renowned pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith, a fellow pear fanatic. Watch this video to learn how she uses pears in her dishes: Hedy also shared the recipe for her Pear Panini with Membrillo and Manchego. Inspired by Spain, this Continue reading →

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The Time is Ripe for Pears: Atlanta

Brittany — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:33:26 +0000

We headed down South last week to visit Atlanta, home of the CNN Center, the world’s largest aquarium (!), and TONS of streets named “Peachtree.” Unfortunately, we didn’t find a single Peartree Street, but we met lots of welcoming and friendly pear fans! Watch this video to see how much Atlanta Kroger shoppers loved our pear-fectly ripe Bartlett, Starkrimson, and Bosc pears! We also enjoyed a delicious meal at Ecco Restaurant, where Chef Craig Richards told us what he finds most interesting about pears. You’ll have to watch this clip to find out! Chef Richards also shared his recipe for Pear and Buffalo Mozzarella Ravioli. Click here to see the entire recipe—believe me, you won’t want to overlook this! (Thanks to Broderick of Savory Exposure for the ravioli photo!) To top off an excellent tour stop, we had lunch at Continue reading →

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The Time is Ripe for Pears: New York

Brittany — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:36:07 +0000

Well, we turned the Big Apple into the Big Pear for a few days! We had a great visit to New York City – we ate delicious food, shared ins-pear-ation with shoppers, and visited some of Manhattan’s most famous neighborhoods. At PUBLIC Restaurant, Chef Brad Farmerie shared the pear love – watch this video to hear what he thinks about pears! (Visit our YouTube page for another fun outtake with Chef Brad.) We also served up fresh pears at the Whole Foods Market in Tribeca, where shoppers raved about the sweet and juicy Bartletts. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by Ground Zero, home to a new memorial – and one very hardy pear tree! Unfortunately, tickets were sold out for the day, but we snapped a photo of the new buildings in progress. Chef Brad Continue reading →

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The Time is Ripe for Pears: Boston!

Brittany — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:05:51 +0000

Hello from Boston! We’re having a great time exploring the city and sharing pear recipes and ripening info (not to mention delicious pears!) with fellow pear fans on The Time is Ripe for Pears Tour. Here’s a quick glance at what we’ve seen so far: First stop: the Chelsea Market Basket, where we sampled perfectly ripe Starkrimson pears. They were a hit with shoppers of all ages! Next, we went to Faneuil Hall, where we lunched on lobster rolls (and remarked that they would have been better with pears). We also ventured out to Edward Everett Square in South Boston to snap a photo with this giant pear statue! Perry, our Anjou Pear, was quite happy to find a relative clear across the country. Check out this video to see what shoppers thought of our sweet and juicy Starkrimson pears! Continue reading →

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