We have been working on some lovely ideas for pears for the fall and for the holidays. Thanks to Cindy Silver, MS, RD, from Lowes Foods, for her request for pear recipes and ideas.We believe we have a few good ones here and we had a lot of creating and photographing them for everyone to see.

Pear Centerpiece

12 pears, preferably different colors (we used 3 different types: Comice, Bosc, Red Bartlett)

1 cup dried cranberries

large clear decorative bowl or vase

Place half of cranberries on the bottom of the bowl or vase. Layer pears on top in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle cranberries in the last layer.  Keep chilled until ready for use. Use as a centerpiece for dinner or just family time when it is great to snack on fresh fruit. You will be surprised at how fast they disappear!

Fall Pear Salad

8 cups mixed greens, washed and ready to serve

2 sliced Red Bartlett pears

1/4 cup sliced dried figs

1/4 cup mixed dried fruit: golden raisins, blueberries, cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted walnut pieces

Balsamic vinegar to taste

Place the greens in a large bowl and top with sliced pears, sliced figs, dried fruit and walnut pieces. Serve with the vinegar on the side. Olive oil and black pepper are welcome, too.

Fall Fruit Platter, Pear Platter

Here we have an arrangement of concord grapes and assorted pears. Keep this in mind for another table centerpiece, party dish or gift that you can give for the holidays!

Healthy Fruit and Cheese Platter

4 ounces lowfat, low-sodium farmer’s cheese, sliced thin

1 sliced Red Bartlett Pear (use lemon juice to keep it from turning brown)

1 cup mixed dried fruit: golden raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried sliced figs

Arrange all items on a platter. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. We like to serve these with fat-free, salt-free crackers.

Dried Fruit Gift Platter

This is a healthier alternative to cookies and easier, too!

This is a fun platter to make, especially with our spiral dish! But you can use any dish and make a fun pattern with a selection of dried fruits.

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup halved dried figs (cutting them in half makes them much prettier)

Enjoy!

We have great holiday nutrition education handouts and resources here!

Sophisticated Pear Recipe here