Duck with Ginger Pear Sauce

I love the way duck tastes when served with pears. Duck, with its dark, rich meat really works well with all sorts of fruit. I’ve made sauces and glazes for duck from cherries, prunes, mangoes, peaches and of course, oranges. Since I had several very ripe pears, and a duck I was roasting, I thought I’d try them together. Oh yum!! I could see serving the ginger pear sauce with other meats, like pork or lamb or with chicken or turkey.

 

Ginger Pear Sauce

3-4 ripe pears

¼ c. apple cider vinegar

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. water

2 t. grated fresh ginger- or 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder

1 t. hot sauce, or to taste

Salt and pepper  to taste

Peel, core and chop pears. Set in a saucepan with remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook, over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until pears start to soften. Makes 1½ -2 cups. Warm sauce when ready to serve.

 

To roast the duck: This was a locally grown duck so not as fatty as ducks I get at the grocery store. For the very fatty ducks you need to score the skin and trim off extra fat. If you don’t, the skin won’t get crispy and isn’t very appetizing.  Still, I wanted a nice high heat to crisp up the skin. I placed it on a rack in a roasting pan. I did cut up an onion and a small orange and placed them in the cavity. Sprinkled generously with salt and pepper and placed the duck in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then I turned the heat down to 425 until the duck was done. In this case, it was a smallish duck and cooked in about 65 minutes. It is OK if the duck meat is a little pink. Kind of preferred a little pink by most, but cook it to your own comfort level. Let duck rest 10-15 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Warm the pear sauce and serve with the duck.

Right out of the oven

Greek Salad

I will confess, the first time I had a Greek salad, I didn’t like it very much. I was at a little restaurant, with friends, many years ago. The salad was so full of feta that the saltiness overwhelmed everything else. Don’t get me wrong, I like feta, but this salad was basically a bowl of feta with some lettuce hiding under it.

I had another Greek salad some years later, that was so much better. The right balance of veggies, cheese, olives and dressing. I am glad I gave it another try.

I have learned to love Greek salads since then and eat them often. There are so many variations out there. This is the recipe I use most of the time, although I do play around with it. It is especially nice to enjoy one this time of year with the fresh, local tomatoes.

Greek Salad

8 c. mixed salad greens – I like Romaine and spinach
3-4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 roasted sweet pepper, seeded and diced*
2 c. sliced cucumber
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin
1/2-3/4 c. sliced olives
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
2-3 cloves garlic
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 -2/3 c. olive oil

In large bowl combine vegetables. In blender combine lemon juice with garlic, salt, oregano and pepper and blend until smooth. With machine running add oil in a slow steady stream until it becomes emulsified. Adjust seasonings. Toss with vegetables and top with olives and cheese before serving. Serves 4-6.

* Here is how to roast a pepper, in case you didn’t know.

Roasting Peppers

Pear Sweet and Sour Sauce

I love sweet and sour sauce. I have made many versions over the years and have used different fruits in them. I decided to try to make sweet and sour sauce with a ripe pear. It worked out wonderfully. Even better than I expected, actually. The sweetness of the pear was a great addition to the sauce. It came out a rich, mahogany color and is full of flavor. I will make a double batch the next time. I have already enjoyed it with egg rolls. Thinking of making sweet and sour chicken next.

I try to be as exact in measuring as I can. I had a pretty big Bartlett pear, but use 2 small pears, if that is what you have. Any pear will work in this recipe- just be sure it is ripe. As the sauce cooks the pear pretty much falls apart and disappears into the sauce.  I also used Sriracha sauce, which is hot, but not as hot as some other hot sauces. Depending on the brand you are using, you might want to add less. Then again, heat is a matter of personal preference. Spice it up according to your own taste. That is one of the perks of making it yourself.

When I make a sweet and sour sauce- I use Clear Gel, instead of traditional corn starch. It is modified cornstarch (non-waxy) and when you reheat the sauce, it will stay thick. Regular cornstarch will often thin out when reheated. Clear Gel is used in pie fillings and a lot of frozen foods and condiments. Often listed on the label as modified food starch. It looks just like regular cornstarch.  I buy mine online or when I am in stores in Amish communities.

So here is the recipe for a sweet and sour sauce I will surely make again. Planning on making some to freeze, too.

Pear Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 large pear, (about 8 oz.)  peeled and diced fine

½ c. cider vinegar

½ c. sugar

3 T. soy sauce

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. Sriracha sauce- or other hot sauce- add to suit your taste

2 t. grated ginger

3 T. water

2 T. cornstarch or Clear Gel*

2 t. sesame oil

In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients, except the water, cornstarch and sesame oil . Simmer mixture, covered about 5-7 minutes, or until pear becomes tender. Stir occasionally. Combine cornstarch with water and stir until smooth. Pour slowly into simmering pear sauce, stirring to prevent sticking. Sauce with thicken. Stir in sesame oil. Makes about 2 cups.   Keeps in fridge for weeks.

* If you use a type of cornstarch called Clear Gel, you can reheat the sauce without it becoming runny. Clear Gel, also called modified food starch, or modified cornstarch, is available online and at some specialty food stores. I find it in Amish communities.

Pear Crumb Cake

I remember my Mom making crumb cake when I was a kid. I loved it. It was one of my favorite cakes.  The tender cake, and crunchy topping seemed the perfect combination to me. Even today, I would rather have a crumb topping on a cake than frosting.

This recipe hits all the right notes. Sweet with pear chunks throughout, and the crunchy topping that I love. This is a great dessert for any occasion. I serve it just the way it is, but you could also top with ice cream or whipped cream. If you prefer, you can also make the cake with a mix of pears and apples – just have 2 cups of chopped fruit, in total.

Pear Crumb Cake

For cake batter:

2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened

¾ c. sugar

1 egg

½ c. milk

2 c. peeled, cored and chopped pears

For topping:

½ c. sugar

¼ c. flour

½ t. cinnamon

½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and milk. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in fruit. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.

Note: I used a 9-inch square pan and it worked fine.

Pear and Grape Salad with Ginger Mint Dressing

I wanted a fruit salad for a recent picnic, and went with a pear and grape salad. I was pleased with how the flavors worked together. Pears don’t always hold up well in fruit salads. Like apples, pears discolor quickly after they are cut up. I made sure to get them tossed in the lemon juice dressing pretty quickly. You should plan on eating this salad within a day or two of making it. I left the red grapes whole. You could be nicer than me, and spend the time to cut them in half. Cutting in half makes them easier to eat, but whole grapes are fine, too. Peeling the pears is a personal choice. I left the peels on.

Pear and Grape Salad with Ginger Mint Dressing

2 pears

2 c. grapes

½ c. lemon juice

2 T. sugar, or to taste

2 T. chopped fresh mint

2 t. fresh grated ginger- or 1 t. dry ginger powder

Pinch of salt

Peel pears, if you like. Cut in half, remove seeds and dice. Place in bowl. Wash grapes and add them to bowl with the pears. You can cut the grapes in half, if you like. Combine remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed and sugar is dissolved. Pour over the fruit and stir to coat evenly. Serve salad or chill first. Serves 4-6.

Ratatouille Salad

I had all the ingredients for ratatouille, a lovely French vegetable stew. I had eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, peppers, onions and fresh herbs. But we were planning on going on a picnic. The stew was not going to work. I decided to use the same ingredients that I would use for the ratatouille, but transform them into a salad. It came out really good. I could see serving it on toasted bread or using it like a dip.

I decided to cook the eggplant and onion, but leave the rest of the vegetables raw. I also decided to leave the skin on the eggplant. Did not salt the eggplant beforehand. The eggplant was fresh and tender- I saw no need for peeling or salting, but you could do both, if you like.

I also always have roasted garlic on hand. I make a big batch and store in smaller containers in the freezer, until needed.The directions are after the recipe. If you don’t have roasted garlic, you could add several cloves of garlic, peeled and minced. I invited a neighbor to try it- and she ended up taking the rest home.

Ratatouille Salad

1 medium eggplant, cubed. I had about 3 cups of eggplant.

3 T. oil

½ t. salt

1 medium onion, sliced

2 T. roasted garlic*

½ c. red wine vinegar

1 med. zucchini, cut in matchstick pieces, about 3 cups

1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced

1½ c. diced fresh tomato, seeded, if desired

Dressing:

1/3 c. red wine vinegar

1/3 c. olive oil

2-3 T. honey, or to suit your taste

2 T. chopped parsley

1 t. chopped basil

2 t. thyme leaves

Hot sauce to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

In skillet, heat oil and saute eggplant until tender and just starting to brown. Season with salt. Remove from skillet and set in a mixing bowl. In same skillet, saute onion and cook until wilted and tender. Add the garlic and vinegar to the skillet and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. While liquid is cooking down, place remaining veggies in mixing bowl with the eggplant. When most of the liquid is cooked off, place onion in mixing bowl with eggplant mixture.  Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar and whisk to combine. Pour over the eggplant mixture and toss to coat. Adjust seasonings. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 6-8 as a side.

*Once you have roasted garlic on hand for cooking, you will wonder how you did without it before. I get large amounts of freshly peeled cloves. Place the peeled garlic cloves in a roasting pan and pour a generous amount of olive oil over the garlic. Cover tightly with foil and  bake at 350 until garlic is tender and golden. This will take at least 30 minutes, but up to 40 minutes. It depends on how much garlic you are roasting at a time. Be careful not to burn it. Once cooled, place the garlic cloves, and oil, in small freezer containers. Store in freezer.