Even though in this part of the world September is still full-on summer, once pears make an appearance you know Autumn is on its way.  The air is slightly cooler and crisper during the mornings and evenings; the weather has changed.

Crisp – the very definition of Autumn.  And what fruit could define the essence of crisp better than a pear?

Of course we can buy pears all year round – but these are tasteless long haul pears that are dry and hard to the bite.  I’m talking about pears that have a floral smell when you bring them up to your nose.  Pears that are buttery in texture; that once bitten release their sweet juice.

As September and October are pear months, I thought I’d rustle up a few pear recipes both sweet and savory to help you make the most of these delicious fruits.

Pork Loin and Pear Salad (warm)

1st: Heat a griddle pan until it is searing hot.  Whilst this is heating up marinade the pork loin slices in oil, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper.

2nd: Peel, core and slice a couple of pears.  Once the griddle is hot place the pears on the griddle pan to create scorch marks on all sides.  Leave to one side to cool.

3rd: Place the pork loin into the griddle – do not move the pieces around.  Griddle them for a couple of minutes each side until cooked through.

4th: Dress rocket leaves with olive oil and lemon juice, season to taste.

5th: Arrange artistically on your plate.

This makes a great lunch or a light supper.  Adding blue cheese and/or walnuts would be quite a classic combo but I tend to keep this dish simple.  Make sure to have some crusty bread on the side to soak up any juices!

Alternatively make it a cold salad and replace the pork loin with slices of prosciutto.

Pear and almond cake

I made this cake last weekend and it is delicious.  The good thing with this mixture is that it can be quite sloppy resulting in a moist cake.  Not only is it great as an afternoon tea trolley cake served with a dollop of double cream but it makes a convincing pudding to end a meal with.  I followed this following River Cottage recipe :

Ingredients

•  300g unsalted butter, softened
•  250g caster sugar
•   4 medium eggs
•  150g wholemeal self raising flour (I used normal self raising flour)
•  150g ground almonds
•  A good pinch of cinnamon

For the caramelised pears:

•  6 pears (reasonably firm, but not rock hard)
• 50g unsalted butter
•  2 tbsp granulated sugar

Click on the River Cottage link and watch the video on how to make your cake.

Pear and Gorgonzola Tart

Ingredients

• 2 x 200g sheets store-bought shortcrust pastry, thawed
• 80g gorgonzola
• 2 teaspoons oregano leaves
• 2 pears, quartered
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• cracked black pepper
• 50g watercress sprigs
• 6 slices prosciutto

Method

1st: Preheat oven to 180°C.

2nd: Place pastry on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper.

3rd: Spread each pastry with gorgonzola and top with oregano and pears.

4th: Place the honey, oil and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine and drizzle the tarts with half the honey mixture.

5th: Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp and serve, topped with watercress and prosciutto and the remaining olive oil and honey mixture.

If you’ve got a favourite pear recipe why not share it here so that we can all revel in the marvel of the season’s fruit.