Distinctive winter pears

PORTLAND, Ore. — Cathy Whims, chef-owner of Genoa restaurant, knows her pears. They are a topic that inspires her, and her knowledge is backed by her working relationships with farmers in Oregon's Hood River area.

Some of her insights:

"Bartlett pears are the earliest pears, arriving in August and September and lasting until October, but they don't keep well. Bosc and Comice, labeled winter pears, start arriving in October and keep until early winter, though they can be stored in cold storage as late as May."

Pears' flavors are all distinctive, she says: "Bartletts are mild and sweet with a creamy texture. I find them best eaten raw or in salads. Bosc pears are more complex, more flavorful but less sweet than Bartlett. They have a firm texture that poaches and bakes well.

"Comice pears are very buttery, have a wonderful aroma and are creamy in texture. They bake whole very well. Seckel pears are available late in the season, reaching their height in November. Their spicy flavor is best when they are eaten alone, with walnuts or poached alone in sugar syrup or red wine with cinnamon.

There are smart ways to choose and buy your pears. Whims advises buying them three or four days before you plan to eat them; pears are often picked mature but not ripe.

Pears are ripe when they give to gentle pressure near the stem, and they should have no bruises. Make sure not to buy pears that are too soft, because they are usually rotted inside, she says.

"My favorite and simplest way to eat raw pears is the Tuscan style, with a young Pecorino, or with Juniper Grove's Redmondo, a Pecorino-style goat cheese. The saltiness of the cheese contrasts with the sweetness of the pears," she says. "Prosciutto is also a good pairing."

A classic combination in Piedmont and Lombardy is pear and Gorgonzola cheese. Another combination is pear with bitter and crunchy greens, which are offset by the pears' sweetness and creaminess.

Pears also go well with rich meats such as pork or duck, Whims says, and they pair well with the local hazelnuts and walnuts.

When it comes to cooking pears, Whims says her favorite way to poach pears is in wine, especially red wine. "The wine adds lovely complexity to the pears as well as a rich deep autumnal color."

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CARAMELIZED PEAR ANTIPASTO

(Antipasto di pere, prosciutto e noci)

2 Bosc pears, firm but ripe