Summer Poached Pear Recipe

Fourth of July is without a doubt one of my favorite holidays for picnicking.  Warmer weather, a long holiday weekend and enjoying a spectacular fireworks show on the national mall are just a few of the many reasons why I find picnicking to be an absolute must!  When trying to come up with a delicious menu that suits the time of year and is easy to transport, the one go-to that always makes the cut is my summer poached pear recipe.

My summer poached pear recipe is a fabulous addition to any picnic and/or summer meal.  It's easy to create, has a wonderful flavor profile and serving it cold makes for an absolutely refreshing and delicious conclusion to any summer meal.  Here is how I went about creating this recipe.  

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 D'Anjou Pears
• 1 Bottle Sauvignon Blanc (ex. Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc)
• Juice of 5 Lemons
• Peel of Half of a Lemon
• 1 Vanilla Bean (cut in half)
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2c Water
• 1 Star of Anise
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 Tbs Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Fresh Summer Berries

Instructions

1. In a medium sized dutch oven, combine the juice of a lemon, bottle of wine, sugar, vanilla bean, lemon peel, water and anise.  
2. Cover with a lid and begin to heat on a medium/high setting 
3. Meanwhile, pour the juice of remaining lemons into a large bowl
4. Peel pears and place in the bowl with lemon juice making sure to thoroughly coat each pear to prevent browning
5. When the liquid in the dutch oven reaches a boil, gently place the pears in the boiling liquid, cover and allow contents to boil for 25 minutes. *Note- When the pear is cooked, you should be able to pierce through the pear without any resistance. 
6. While the pears are cooking, in a separate bowl combine 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar
7. Use a hand mixer on a high setting to whip the cream until semi stiff peaks are achieved
8. When pears are finished cooking, gently remove them from the boiling liquid and set aside on a plate to cool.  
9. Continue cooking the liquid for another 45 minutes (roughly) until the liquid reduces down into a syrup that can coat the back of a spoon.  
10. Serve pears with a mix of seasonal fresh berries, a dollop of whipped cream, sprig of fresh mint and drizzle of the poaching syrup.  

4th of July Tablescape

This year I am hosting friends at our home for the 4th of July.  In the past, my husband and I have spent this holiday in a variety of locations (Beach, Mountains, Bay, DC) with both formal and informal settings.  While I love the idea of grilling on the 4th of July and creating a chic picnic scene, from my experience picnicking in July tends to be most enjoyable when the weather is below 80 degrees and the humidity is at a reasonable level.  Maybe this is just a personal preference, but it is really hard for me to work up an appetite and have an enjoyable dining experience when it's sweltering hot outside (like say, in DC in the dead of summer).  In preparation for Saturday's festivities I want to be mindful of tradition yet still provide my guests with a level of comfort, so I plan on grilling outside and serving dinner inside.  

When creating this tablescape, I wanted to incorporate a level of sophistication since we will be eating inside, but also incorporate a few festive whimsical touches.  I opted for a solids as opposed to patterns so that I could, a) use materials that I already owned and b) keep the table with a classic Ralph Lauren vibe (since he is the epitome of sophisticated American decor).  Here is a breakdown of what I used to create this tablescape:

• Table Cloth: Ballard Designs
• Placemats: Williams-Sonoma (or Similar here and here)
• Rattan Chargers: World Market
• Dinner Plates: Pillivuyt Basketweave
• Napkins: Pottery Barn Hemstitch Linen, Cranberry (love these napkins too!)
• Steak Knives: Laguiole 
• Party Hats: USA Party Hats, Set of 4 (*Recommend Wearing at a Jaunty Angle)
• High Ball Glasses: Reed & Barton
• Champagne Coupes: West Elm (or similar here)
• Wine Goblets: William Yeoward
• Coasters: Chilewich
• Centerpiece: Tiffany & Co. 
• Flowers: Locally Grown Red Tulips and Red African Roses (2 Bouquets of each)

Menu:

• Entree: Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
• Salad: Ina Garten's Panzanella Salad
• Side: Bobby Flay's Perfectly Grilled Corn
• Dessert: Patriotic Berry Trifle and Fresh Cut Watermelon
• Cocktail: Blueberry Ginger Bellinis

Prior to creating this tablescape, I spent a significant amount of time on Pinterest (see my 4th of July Pinterest Board here) trying to figure out how I wanted to go about creating this table setting.  In the end, I realized that I could use a bunch of staple items I already had on hand to create this scape.  The party hats, red flowers and napkins were the only new additions.  **Note- Red Napkins are a great staple to have on hand for entertaining (4th of July, Christmas, Valentines Day, etc…), but it can be challenging to find that perfect shade of red (Cranberry not Cherry Red).  

After dinner, we plan to head down to monuments to enjoy the fireworks.  While I am going against the norm by hosting an indoor dinner, I am still keeping with traditions through my menu, tablescape color scheme and post dinner field trip.  This evening will be a perfect combination of festive and comfortable (2 entertaining musts for me).  I hope this post has given you some inspiration for ways to celebrate the 4th of July with your friends and family.  Happy 4th of July everyone!