Pears

I was feeling so good today I rallied for a cooking adventure. It seemed like my taste buds were recovered or at least better than they have been. And I have pears.

Among the extravagant gifts I’ve received, a friend in California sent me two cases of Harry & David’s pears. (Thank you Julie Jones!)  I took one look at them and thought– pear tart!

They’re ripening up nicely, and I’m not keeping up, so today I cut up several for freezing, which will be so good when I am actually nauseous and looking for canned fruit.

But today I feel good and so, pear tart! Martha Stewart had the easiest recipe: skillet tart tartin. I overcame my puff pastry fear and went at it. I didn’t skin the pears because, pear skin is good! The odd ingredient was cider vinegar. I had fig vinegar, so substituted that. (Martha’s looks very different than mine, by the way!)

I also put together a stuffed shells type dish. Frozen garden tomato sauce, mushrooms, spinach, leftover chicken, onion, garlic, ricotta and mozzarella. The shells make it easer than lasagna, and I used half shells and half orecchiette. It was a way to use up some ingredients hanging around.

The tart tasted good, but the pasta was bland. Steve didn’t think so; it must be chemo taste. He went back for a big seconds, which was satisfying. It was fun to make it and the hour cooking counts as light exercise. I’m not sure I’ll rally for more cooking like that, so it was fun. Extravagant even.