Pears in autumn

The falling leaves from the five oak trees heralded autumn in the garden. A clear indication that we will soon have a garden that will be stark and empty, except for some citrus fruit and healthy crops of winter vegetables.

In autumn, we had abundant pickings of pears, apples, quinces, guavas, pomegranates, brinjals and other vegetables. The abundance of the garden could be shared with friends and family. We are focusing on restoring and completing some outstanding garden projects and that meant less time for preserving fruit and vegetables.

Quinces

Guavas

By sharing our harvest with friends and family, we in return, could experience a wider variety of innovatively processed fruit and vegetables. We gave away fresh fruit and vegetables and in return we received jellies, preserves, jams, and fruit butters.

Brinjals

To enjoy as much of the fruit and vegetables as possible, we have cultivated the habit of eating a lot more of the fresh fruit for breakfast and as dessert with meals. We enjoyed pear cobblers, steamed guavas, pears poached in pomegranate juice, lamb stew with quince and baba ghanoush to name but a few dishes.

Pear cobbler recipe

Ingredients:

For the pears

4 cups sliced fresh pears

1/2 cup sugar

For the batter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon of almond essence (this is optional)

3/4 cup milk (full cream or low-fat)

1 large egg

120 grams unsalted butter

Method:

Pre heat oven to 165° C.  Peel and slice the pears in the length (I enjoy seeing the shape of the pear in the slices). Mix the pears with the 1/2 cup of the sugar in a bowl, and let it stand.

Put the butter in a baking dish of about 25 cm in diameter and 6.5 cm deep, place it in the oven until melted. Mix the 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well.

Whisk together the milk, egg, and almond in a separate mixing bowl. Slowly combine the milk and egg mixture with the dry ingredients to make a batter. Pour the batter over the melted butter without stirring it. Place the sliced pears over the batter. Do not stir. (Note: The almond essence is optional, but it adds a frangipane flavour to the cobbler.)

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until nicely browned and the pears are tender. Remove the cobbler from the oven and let it cool slightly.

Serve the cobbler hot or cold with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Pear cobblers are my go-to dessert in pear season. I like to add almond essence to the batter mix to give the cobbler a frangipane flavour. Somehow pears and almonds complement each other and if one adds almond slivers over the pears, it gives the pear cobbler a sense of occasion.

Pears poached in pomegranate juice

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups pomegranate juice

¾ cup dry sherry

1/3 cup soft brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

4 medium pears peeled and cored

1 tablespoon orange zest

4 orange slices

Method:

Combine pomegranate juice, sherry, sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Peel the pears, leaving stem attached. Core the bottom of the pear.

Add pears, orange zest, and orange slices to the saucepan, return to a simmer, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes, turning pears occasionally, until tender when pierced in thickest part.

Cool pears in saucepan, then transfer with poaching liquid to a container. Cover and refrigerate.

To serve, place one or two pears in each serving bowl and spoon some poaching liquid over. Add a dollop of double cream yogurt, sprinkle some pomegranate arils and orange zest.

Pomegranates

To live out of one’s garden is to add joy and health to every meal. One is always faced with new ways to be creative and use the produce from the garden innovatively. Hopefully after this year, we will be able to focus on preserving and preparing the produce from the Towerwater garden optimally and in the way we planned when we laid out the garden.

Smoked Chicken and fresh pear salad

Sharing the produce of the Towerwater garden with family and friends has always been part of the garden plan. In giving, we have unexpectedly received so much, in kindness, goodwill and friendship.