Bartlett variations

Photographs by Elspeth Young

Bartlett pears are early, inviting, and sweet. Good recommendations, but they do have one flaw--they mature with something of the propensities of lemmings--one leaps over the ripeness rampart and all the others immediately follow. One day they're hard and green, and a few days later they're speckled and squishy. But another fiat in their favor, of course, is that when ripe they can be made into so many other commendable comestibles--the pear jams and "Davy's Cake" from Anne at School, for example. We also love them in the "Barton Cottage Savory Pie" from our Sense and Sensibility issue. It's a recipe we make frequently in many forms--for the pear, we just omit the ham and shallots. We also make the pie similarly with peaches--though the peaches do take some extra bake time. And we also make it with apples, in which case we leave the shallots and ham in.

The "Baker's Overnight Corn Bread" from Mississippi Summer makes a wonderful base layer; and the dough can also perform as a cozy crust for the variation of an exquisitely simple pear or apple tart. Like all fall fruit, however, pears make for a fabulous fruit crisp. The following is our favorite version. Since many large appetites live at my house, and I like to deal with reality whenever possible, I make it in this generous size, but it can be cut in half and baked in a smaller casserole. The recipe works with a wide range of the fruits filling trees and fruit stands at the season of the year. In addition to the pears, try it with apples, nectarines, plums, Italian prunes or peaches--though you may wish to have some extra cream or ice cream ready to counter tartness for all but the pears and apples. Serves 12 or more anywhere but my house.

Fruit Stand Crisp 

by Nancy Young

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and butter or pan-spray a large casserole or gratin dish (around 2 to 3 quarts) and set aside

Ingredients:
6 to 7 large pears, peeled, cored and sliced into twelfths
2 cups quick oats
1 cup spelt or whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or ginger
A pinch to 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chilled butter cut into small pieces
1/4 cup cream or half and half

Place the pears into the casserole. If they're going to sit awhile sprinkle lightly with sugar to keep them from discoloring. Place the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt, if using in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and stir until well mixed. Add the vanilla and butter and cream or half and half and mix until lightly they're distributed. Bake until fruit is tender and crust is golden--about 40 minutes, though it will vary with the type and ripeness of the fruit. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you're in a big hurry, you can mix it up by hand in big mixing, substituting an equal amount of melted butter for the cold butter cut into pieces. It's a little better with the mixer, but you may be the only one who notices--especially if there's cream.

Tags: 2013, Recipes by Nancy Young