Doyenne du Comice Pears

Comice pears are well suited for raw applications as their sweet, juicy, and soft flesh do not hold up well to cooking. They can be sliced and served alone or paired with creamy cheeses for complementary flavor. They can also be sliced and added to enhance watercress or spinach salads or added to pancakes, rice pudding, soups, or made into pear butter. Comice pears can be canned or used in select baked goods such as a rugelach, which is a crescent-shaped pastry filled with seeds, chocolate, fruit, or nuts, made into a granita with green tea and honey to serve over ice cream, cooked into a compote with earl grey and vanilla, or even served in cocktails such as a spicy pear mojito. Comice pears compliment rosemary, cardamom, cinnamon, anise, curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, raisins, almond, hazelnut, pecans, chestnuts, chicken, coconut, onion, garlic, sweet potatoes, arugula, cilantro, maple syrup, camembert, gorgonzola, blue, and brie cheese.