(Sun Media)

Pair me up with a pear!

This rich, buttery fruit with the slightly grainy texture is one of the best foods around, perfect on its own, in sweets, treats and main dishes.

A member of the rose family, it's considered one of the oldest fruits known to man and can be eaten fresh, poached, pureed, baked or barbecued.

Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating says we should be eating five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and pears make an excellent choice -- they're an amazing source of fibre (six grams a pear), a good source of vitamin C, sodium, fat and cholesterol free, and only 100 calories per fruit.

The Pear Bureau Northwest (www.usapears.com) notes the pear pre-dates Christianity by 2,000 years and arrived in North America with European settlers in the 1700s. Today there are now more than 5,000 varieties of pears grown worldwide.

To celebrate the pear, culinary students from across Canada were invited to create a recipe featuring this iconic fruit for Pear Excellence: The 2009 Canadian Culinary Student Competition.

The response, said the bureau's Bob Koehler, "was quite incredible."

After sampling pears in cheesecake, souffles, pizza, spun sugar balls, and with sausage and risotto, the judges at Toronto's George Brown College awarded the $2,500 top prize to Rose Prost-Hiebert of Elliott House in Ontario for her cheesecake.

All in all an experience, pear non!

GRILLED PEARS AND CURRANTS

1/3 cup (75 ml) dried currants

1/4 cup (50 ml) apple juice

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

6 firm but ripe Anjou pears

4 Tbsp. (60 ml) unsalted butter, melted

Vegetable oil for brushing on grill

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas or electric grill at high.

In a small bowl, combine currants, apple juice and pepper. Allow currants to marinate until ready to serve.

Peel pears and cut them in half lengthwise. Use a paring knife or melon baller to remove core, leaving a gumball-sized hole. Place in a shallow dish and brush all over with melted butter.

When ready to grill, brush grill grate with vegetable oil. Place pears, cut side up, in a single layer directly over hot fire. Cook just until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes. Brush with any butter remaining in dish, then turn and grill until tender but firm, about 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Serve warm with a little of the apple juice-soaked currants spooned over the top.

Serves 6.

NOTE: Think of grilled pears as a substitute for potatoes the next time you are grilling chicken or pork tenderloins. They can also be served for dessert with a dollop of your favourite ice cream.

BIBB LETTUCE SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA AND FRESH PEAR DRESSING

3 large ripe pears, divided use

1/3 cup (75 ml) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. (2 ml) fresh tarragon or scant 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) dried

1-2 Tbsp. (15-25 ml) cider vinegar

1-1/2 Tbsp. (22 ml) lemon juice

2-3 heads Bibb lettuce, rinsed and dried

4 oz. (125 g) crumbed Gorgonzola or blue cheese

Peel, core and chop one pear. Place pear, / cup (75 ml) water, sugar and tarragon in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until pear pieces are soft, about 5 minutes depending on ripeness of pear. Do not let all of the water evaporate. Cool.

Pour pear and liquid into a blender, and blend until smooth. Add part of vinegar and lemon juice to taste. Adjust sugar and acid to make a sweet-tart dressing, adding a little water if needed to thin. Refrigerate until cold.

Core and thinly slice remaining 2 pears.

For each serving arrange 3-4 lettuce leaves on a salad plate. Top with / of a sliced pear, 2-3 Tbsp. (25-40 ml) Gorgonzola and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. (25 ml) dressing. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

-- Recipes courtesy www.usapears.com

Varieties

Like fine wines, different pear varieties carry their own distinctive flavours and nuances. Here's a flavour guide of pears we enjoy throughout the year.

- Red Anjou -- aromatic, juicy, fresh and sweet

- Anjou --- refreshingly sweet and juicy with a hint of citrus

- Bartlett -- signature pear flavour with abundant juice

- Red Bartlett -- juicy and sweet with a floral essence

- Bosc -- crisp and woodsy with a honey sweetness

- Forelle -- crisp, tangy and refreshingly sweet

- Seckel -- bite-sized, crunchy and ultra-sweet

- Concorde -- crunchy and earthy with a hint of vanilla

- Comice -- succulent, buttery and exceptionally sweet

- Starkrimson -- aromatic, moist and sweet with a floral essence

Easy ways to add pears to your menu:

BREAKFAST

Slice ripe juicy pears into warm oatmeal, or puree with yogurt into a pear smoothie.

LUNCH

A quick twist on a classic, add pears to a mixed greens salad with blue cheese dressing and walnuts.

SNACK

Eat pears out of hand just as you would an apple -- peel and all, or slice them and place on top of a toasted bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter.

DESSERT

Bake pears as you would apples, with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar for a sweet, satisfying low-calorie treat.