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When Pears are Like Fine Chocolate
Photo: Elaine MageeA few days before Christmas, the Magee family received a gift box from Harry and David. We had received this type of wonderful food gift before – a box filled with a combination of fruit, chocolate and cookies. We tore it open only to find the box was filled with 8 pears. Pears? You could hear the disappointment in the silence.
But as soon as we sampled the first pear we knew this surprise shipment was better than any Harry and David gift box we had ever received. My husband said it best when he declared, “these are the best pears I have ever eaten!” Given that he has been eating pears for more than 50 years, that’s saying a lot. This family of four devoured the box within 48 hours.
These amazing pears, named Royal Riviera Pears, are gourmet Comice pears grown in Oregon’s Rogue Valley. This gourmet pear experience quickly became bittersweet because although we adored these pears – their perfect texture and fragrance, their fresh and intense flavor, the juice dripping down our chins – this box of heavenly pears had ruined pear eating for us forever. Other pears just couldn’t compare.
A couple of weeks later I found myself at a shopping mall with a Harry and David store. I checked the refrigerated section and sure enough, I found those same amazing pears being sold in individual plastic containers. I bought four of them, one for each of us, and proudly brought them home. The rest of my family was so thrilled, just as if I had brought home fine Belgian chocolates or something. I then realized these pears were a perfect example of when fruit is a fine dessert, where nature can compete with a European chocolatier!
There are many fresh, wonderful fruits out there, just waiting for you and your family to enjoy. Take a good look around the produce section of your local grocer or visit a fruit market. Is there a fruit that you haven’t tried before? Is there a variety of apple or orange that is new to you? Ask the produce manager about it; you may be able to get a sample taste. Now imagine serving slices of that special apple with a small piece of cheese for dessert… a delicious treat that’s healthy too. Visit a farmers market in season. Or plan now to grow your own this summer. Nothing tastes quite like your own fresh picked strawberries – a true gourmet treat. And when you can afford it, treat your family to some gourmet fruit ordered from the growers, like these pears, or fresh citrus fruit shipped from Florida, or those pomegranates in the gourmet shop. There are many ways to get exceptional fruit. And when it is truly exceptional, your family will love it.
Do you have a similar gourmet fruit experience to share? Tell us about it.
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Labels: dessert, fruit, healthy diet, healthy lifestyle
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