baking with metropolitan market holiday pears

the holidays are around the corner,

and while i have yet to begin shopping,

decorating, cooking and baking, and other festive 

holiday activities are on my mind.

what are some of your favorite ways

to get into the holiday spirit?

i have to admit, cooking and baking

are not my greatest skills; i do enough to get 

by (when in doubt, make a smoothie (or order
takeout)), but i am determined to experiment with
a few new recipes this year!

disclosure: metropolitan market graciously gifted me the pears photographed
in today's post. as per usual, all opinions are my own!

metropolitan market generously sent

a flat of pears my way just before thanksgiving.

grown in medford, oregon, metropolitan market's 

(exclusive) holiday pears are delicious!

picked at their peak, the pears are cold-

conditioned and shipped to your local market.

after two days at home, the pears were deliciously
 ripe and ready to snack on and bake with.

quick aside, metropolitan market's biggest fan? my 
family's dachshund, bailey. she is a fruit-lover, 
and pears are among her favorite treats!

photos by karya schanilec photography

i have to admit, my family and i ate a few
more pears than originally planned (leaving less
than we anticipated for food preparation
purposes). another trip to metropolitan market,
before the holidays are over, is in our future.

two recipes we did try, however, were the
pear and fennel salad and cinnamon baked pears.
both were quick, easy, and tasty.
many of the ingredients are likely in your
pantry, so pick up a flat of holiday pears, and
let's get baking!

pear and fennel salad
dressing: 
2 tbsp sherry vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard (to taste)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salad:
6 cups arugula or other baby salad greens
1 and 1/2 cups thinly sliced fresh fennel bulb
2 ripe holiday pears (sliced)
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup feta or gorgonzola cheese

preparation:
in a medium bowl, toss arugula, pear slices,
walnuts, and dressing. drizzle with
remaining dressing, and enjoy!

cinnamon baked pears
ingredients:
4 ripe holiday pears
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tbsp cinnamon sugar
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt (to taste)

preparation:
preheat oven to 400 degrees,
halve pears and scoop out center to fit oatmeal crumble,
brush pears with melted butter and sprinkle
with cinnamon sugar,
combine oats, almonds, brown sugar,
cinnamon, and a pinch of salt,
pour remaining melted butter
into mixture and spoon into pear halves,
bake until pears are soft (approximately
30-40 minutes), enjoy!

have you begun holiday baking?
what are your favorite recipes?
xoxo.