Winter Fruit yields new techniques

Chef Shawn has shared a very simple way to enjoy fruit in the winter. It has a lot of possibilities to make it a wonderful snack or a most delicious dessert.  And, if  you really want to dazzle your guests, let them take part in the pear coring extravaganza.

Here goes,

          Much to my dismay, the ratio between flavor and durability is inversely proportional. So the challenge becomes even more so for us “Everyday Chefs” to do more with less, so to speak. As the mega mart entices us with seemingly impossible feats of culinary time travel, like strawberries in winter, we must rely on techniques used by our ancestors to improve the taste of today’s food. Where our fallen brethren would have used a strong sauce to cover up the taste of less than savoring offerings, we can do the same to boost the flavor on our “performance enhanced” produce, meat, and poultry. The following recipes is so simple but delivers on flavor. It is the best way to enjoy strawberries or any fruit for that matter in the winter.

1 pint of cleaned and sliced strawberries

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup good quality balsamic vinegar

Mix the sugar and vinegar together allowing the sugar to dissolve

Mix in the berries and let macerate or marinate for up to an hour.

Eat as is, or serve over just about anything you can think of.

 I put it with some pound cake. I have put them over ice cream, over some biscotti pieces with whip cream, and have had them straight up.

         I also made a poached pear dish with a balsamic reduction. I used a ¾ inch paddle drill bit to hollow out the cores. An idea I saw on TV. Them poached them in a simple syrup solution with vanilla until tender, then add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to the mix and spooned it over the pear.