I’ve mentioned my Sunday ritual before on this blog. I wake up early, plan the menu for the week, make a shopping list, and then head to the store once Ramsey wakes up for anything I wasn’t able to grab at the farmers’ market. As budgets become tighter, I’ve also added a quick fridge and cupboard inventory to the the routine, rummaging through the deepest recesses of food storage areas to make sure I know exactly what I still have and what needs to be replenished. This was inspired by what was becoming a wasteful practice of cleaning out the fridge after returning from the store to find all sorts of items that could have been used for dishes the previous week, but I had forgotten they were there.

During my inventory this past Sunday, I found a large chunk of ginger left over from dumpling adventure last week, as well as ample sugar, flour, oil, and spices. I decided to make a Ginger Pear Quick Bread that would only require the purchase of two pears, and would also serve as breakfast for much of the week.

Ginger Pear Quick Bread
Makes 1 loaf in a 5″ x 9″ x 3″ pan
-1 cup grated peeled pear
-1/2 cup pear in 1/2″ cubes
-1 1/4 tbs. minced ginger
-1/3 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. ground cloves
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-Dash of salt

1) Preheat oven to 350º

2) Mix grated pear, sugars, eggs, oil, and spices in a large bowl.

3) Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl and add to the pear mixture in three equal parts, stirring thoroughly between each addition.

4) Fold in the cubed pear once dry ingredients are fully mixed into the batter.

5) Pour into a lightly oiled loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

While apples, pumpkins, and squash are the stars of autumn, pears seem to be one of the most overlooked harvests of the season. I picked up a bunch of Bartlett pears over the weekend and decided to try out a recipe for poached pears I’ve been meaning to make since last winter

This recipe calls for poaching the pears in a mixture of red wine, pomegranate juice, and a variety of spices, and it’s an easy dessert to make while you’re running around the kitchen or apartment doing other things. Once the pears are in the pot and simmering, they just require an occasional turn. Also, the syrupy sauce that results from boiling down the poaching liquid once the pears are done is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted over vanilla ice cream. I now have a tupperware container full of it in my fridge and I don’t see it lasting through the end of the week

I discovered this pear recipe on the blog of Zoe Francois, the co-author of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day who is also a very talented pastry and dessert chef. You can find the full recipe for Drunken Pears here with instructional photos, but I’ve posted some photos of my poaching adventure this evening below.

Pears poaching

Fully Poached

Pears, ice cream, and the fabulous pomegranate and red wine sauce