Sage’s Sophisticated Pear & Salmon Lettuce Wrap Appetizers

Sage’s Sophisticated Pear & Salmon Lettuce Wrap
Appetizers

This is a standout appetizer that works for any holiday event. We recommend you use the Comice pear, which is one of the juiciest and most flavorful pears available. This pear originated in France and adds the “sophistication” to these outstanding wraps!


Makes 12 Pear Wraps

Ingredients:

1 unpeeled Comice Pear (sliced into 12 slices)
12 Butter lettuce leaves
4 ounces smoked salmon (cut into 12 equal pieces)
1-cup herb flavored soft cheese spread


Directions:

Place one spoonful of soft cheese spread down the center of each lettuce leaf.
Place one slice of pear on top of cheese and top pear with smoked salmon slice.
Fold lettuce leaf up (like a taco) and place each leaf close together on a serving plate.
You may make these two hours ahead of time and cover wraps with plastic wraps until ready to serve.

Pear Ricotta Pancakes

Pear Ricotta Pancakes
With Cinnamon Maple Syrup

These pancakes are perfect to serve for any Holiday breakfast or brunch. The Ricotta Cheese makes these pancakes light and flavorful and go so well with the pears!


Dry Ingredients:

1 Cup All Purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:

2 Bosc Pears (peeled, cored and diced)
1 ¼ Cup Ricotta Cheese
4 teaspoons sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
Juice from 1 lemon


Directions:

Makes 15-16 pancakes

Place diced pears in a microwavable container with lid. Microwave pears for 2 minutes or until tender. Remove lid and let cool.

In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside. Combine wet side ingredients (not pears) in bowl of electric mixer. With mixing spoon, stir in ½ of the pears (save other half for pancake garnish) and dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix.

Heat non-stick skillet to about 350 degrees on top of stove. Ladle batter onto hot skillet. Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top, then flip and continue cooking until golden brown.

Plate warm pancakes and top each stack with a spoonful of remaining microwaved diced pears and chopped pecans (optional).

Serve with warm Cinnamon Maple Syrup-

Mix together; ¾ cup maple syrup and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Warm in microwave for just a few seconds and serve with pancakes.

Sage Pear & Pine Nut Cake

Sage Pear & Pine Nut Cake

This recipe is right from a small village in Tuscany. In the Fall the women would pick the pears and make this not- to- sweet cake for afternoon coffee.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 Bosc Pears, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
Juice from one lemon
1 Cup golden raisins
1 Cup pine nuts
3 Eggs
1 Cup sugar
1 ½ Cups flour
1 Cup melted butter
¼ Cup room temperature butter
2 Tablespoons baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour 10 or 12 inch round cake pan with two-inch sides. Set aside.

Peel the pears and cut into small cubes. Put into bowl and squeeze lemon juice on pears and toss to coat pears.
In bowl of electric mixer on low speed combine; eggs, sugar, flour and melted butter until well mixed.
With spoon fold in pears, raisins, pine nuts, room temperature butter and baking powder.
Spoon pear batter into prepared pan and bake in the center of the hot even for 40 minutes.
Cool cake for 10 minutes and turn out onto cake plate. Dust with powdered sugar and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.

Sage Holiday Pear Slaw

Sage Holiday Pear Slaw

We added fresh pears, cranberries and nuts to traditional coleslaw for a wonderful make ahead salad!

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

2 Concorde pears (chopped with peel on)
1 Cup light mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
¼ Cup buttermilk
¼ Cup sugar
1 large head green cabbage (finely chopped)
1 large carrot (grated)
½ cup chopped nuts (toasted walnuts or toasted pecans are good to use)

Instructions:

In small bowl mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar and buttermilk with wire whisk until well blended. Set aside.

In large salad bowl combine pears, chopped cabbage, carrots and nuts. Add dressing and mix to combine. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. This slaw will keep in the refrigerator for days!

Sage Fresh Pear and Baby Green Salad

Sage Fresh Pear and Baby Green Salad
With Maple Vinaigrette

All the flavors of Winter in a delicious salad!

Serves 6

Salad Ingredients:

1 5-ounce bag of baby greens
1 Red D’anjou Pear (cubed, do not peel and toss with a little lemon juice)
1 Cup seedless red grapes (cut in half)
1 ounce crumbled blue cheese
3 ounces glazed walnuts
3 ounces of dried cranberries

Salad Dressing Ingredients:

½ Cup apple cider vinegar
2-tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup


Directions:

In small bowl whisk all the salad dressing ingredients together, cover and refrigerate.

In large salad bowl combine baby greens, pears and grapes. Garnish salad with blue cheese, walnuts and cranberries. When ready to serve toss salad with dressing and enjoy!

Sage Easy Pear & Cheddar Cheese Cornbread

Sage Easy Pear & Cheddar Cheese Cornbread

The very best cornbread you will ever taste and so easy, too!
Perfect with a pot of soup or stew.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups cornbread mix
1/2 box yellow cake mix
1 ¼ cups water
1/3-cup oil
2 eggs
1 ripe Concorde or Bartlet pear (peeled, cored and diced).
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large mixing bowl of electric mixer combine cornbread mix, yellow cake mix, water, oil, eggs at medium speed for two minutes. By hand fold in pears and cheddar cheese. Pour batter into a greased 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet pan or baking pan.

Bake approximately 35-40 minutes, or until done.

Serve with honey whipped butter.
(With electric mixer beat together 1/2 cup softened butter and ¼ cup honey). Beat until well combined).

Sage Caramelized Pear Bread Pudding

Sage Caramelized Pear Bread Pudding

This bread pudding is so good you can serve it for even the most important dinner parties and be confident that your guests will all just love it. I like to serve vanilla ice cream on top, but whipped cream is good, too!


Serves- 20
Ingredients:

1 2lb loaf of Panettone Bread (cubed in 1 ½ inch cubes)
6 D’Anjou Pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 Cups brown sugar
1 Cup sugar
1 Cube butter
1 1/2 Cups raisins
2-Cups whole milk
1-Quart heavy cream
12 Eggs


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter over medium heat in large sauté pan. Add sliced pears and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add brown sugar to pears, stirring to dissolve sugar and add raisins to sauté pan.
Continue to cook pears until fork tender (5-7 minutes).
Place Panettone cubes in large bowl, set aside.
Mix milk, cream, sugar and eggs in a large double boiler (large stainless steel bowl over pot of boiling water). Over medium-high heat, mix milk-egg mixture with wire whip until hot and well combined, about 10 minutes, (mixture will be hot and thick like eggnog). Add pear caramel mixture to hot cream mixture and continue to mix with wire whip leaving custard chunky. Pour pear custard over bread cubes. Let mixture sit in bowl for 10 minutes. Grease a large two-inch deep baking dish and pour pear, custard, and bread mixture into large baking dish (17x13 inch). Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncover and bake until center is set and top is Golden brown (about ½ hour). Serve warm with ice cream. Great cold, too!

Upside Down Breakfast Apple Breads

Upside Down Breakfast Apple Breads
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

This recipe makes four 9inch Square or round breakfast breads. These breads are a real time saver since you make breads to eat now and freeze for later! These apple breads also make great gifts from the kitchen!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients for Breakfast Bread Batter:
8 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons baking powder
1-tablespoon salt
2 cups sugar
3 cups milk
4 eggs
2 cups melted butter

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir into flour mixture 3 cups of milk and 4 eggs, batter will be lumpy. Stir in 2 cups melted butter. Set aside while preparing apple layer.

Ingredients for Upside Down Apple Layer:
8 cups peeled, cored and sliced Braeburn Apples
2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Generously butter or grease four 9inch square baking pans. Sprinkle the bottom of each pan with: ½ cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Cover with: 2 cups peeled, cored and sliced Braeburn apples. Pour ¼ quarter of the breakfast batter over the apples in each pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until breads test done. Remove from pans to cool on racks. When cool, wrap and freeze. Reheat in a moderate 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Torta Di Mele – Tuscan Apple Cake

Torta Di Mele – Tuscan Apple Cake
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

This is an authentic recipe from Tuscany! This dessert is more like a bread pudding than a cake. A true comfort food!

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

5 Braeburn Apples
The juice from one lemon
½ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup softened butter
1-cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Peel, core and slice apples into thin slices and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle the slices with the juice of one lemon and toss gently to prevent the slices from turning brown.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, butter and milk, blending well. Fold apple slices into batter.
Pour batter into a buttered 10inch-baking pan. Bake in 350-degree oven for 60 minutes. Check doneness with toothpick. Dust top of cooled cake with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh sliced apples and a sprig of rosemary. Serve warm with heavy whipping cream.

Smoked Turkey, Fresh Apple & Bacon Sandwich

Smoked Turkey, Fresh Apple & Bacon Sandwich
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

Sliced Gala Apples adds flavor and crunch to any sandwich!

Makes 4 half sandwiches

1 Gala Apple (cored & sliced very thin)
4 slices of deli style smoked turkey
4 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices of bacon (cooked)
4 slices sourdough sliced bread
Cooking spray



Heat cast iron grill or skillet over medium high heat. On two slices of bread place; 2 slices of turkey on each slice of bread, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 3 slices of cooked bacon, and slices of thin Gala apple. Cover sandwich with second piece of bread. Spray heated grill with cooking spray. Place sandwiches on grill and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until bread has grill marks and cheese is melted. Cut sandwiches in half and enjoy. Try thin slices of Gala apple in Tuna sandwiches…delicious!

Rustic Apple Tart

Rustic Apple Tart
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

A cross between short bread and pie, this will be a recipe you will make over and over again!

Makes 8 servings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients for shortbread pastry:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
4 ounces chilled butter, chopped
1 egg yolk

Sift flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl. Use two knives to cut butter into the flour/sugar mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water and mix with fingers until dough comes together. Turn onto a floured surface and gather into a ball (knead lightly if necessary). Flatten ball slightly and refrigerate in plastic wrap for 15 minutes. On a lightly floured board, roll the pastry out to a 14-inch circle. Line a greased 8-inch tart pan (removable bottom) with the rolled out dough, leaving the extra pastry to hang over the edge (don’t worry if the dough cracks or breaks, it’s ok to pinch it back together). Set pastry lined tart pan aside.


Ingredients for Apple Filling:
6 peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith Apples
2 cups apple juice
1-teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ cup cold water

In large saucepan over medium high heat combine apples, apple juice, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook until mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with slotted spoon and set apples aside. In a small bowl, mix cold water and cornstarch together until cornstarch dissolves. Bring apple juice mixture back to a boil and add cornstarch mixture. Stir until apple juice mixture becomes thick and glossy. Add cooked apples back to thickened apple juice and toss apples until well combined. Set apple mixture aside to cool.

Fill tart crust with apple filling. Fold the overhanging pastry roughly over the fruit and sprinkle with two tablespoons of sugar. Bake tart for 40 minutes or until crust is golden. When cool remove sides of tart pan and dust with sifted powdered sugar. Serve warm or cold.

Minted Spring Mix, Dark Sweet Cherries & Cantaloupe Salad

Minted Spring Mix, Dark Sweet Cherries & Cantaloupe Salad
With Minted Dark Sweet Cherry Vinaigrette
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

So refreshing with just a hint of mint!

Makes 4 servings

2 cups pitted and halved Dark Sweet Cherries
1 5oz bag of Spring Mix (mixed greens)
2 cups of cubed cantaloupe
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Evenly divide the Spring Mix between four salad plates. Top each salad with mint, Dark Sweat Cherries and cantaloupe. Drizzle each salad with Cherry, Mint Vinaigrette

Cherry Mint Vinaigrette

¼ cup Cran-Cherry juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon herbs de Provence
1-teaspoon fresh mint (minced)
4 Dark Sweet Cherries (pitted and cut in half)

Add all the above ingredients (not cherries) to a medium size bowl. Wisk all the ingredients until they are well combined. Add pitted and halved cherries to dressing to infuse dressing with flavor. Refrigerated any leftovers.

Harvest Cake with Skillet Apples

Harvest Cake with Skillet Apples
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

A perfect dessert for a holiday meal! Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a real treat.

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients for Harvest Cake:
1 cup all purpose flour
1-teaspoon baking powder
1-teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
¼ cup cooking oil
½ cup finely shredded carrot
1/3-cup buttermilk
¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour an 8x8x2 inch square pan or 9x1 ½ inch round cake pan.
In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl combine sugars, pumpkin, eggs, and oil. Stir in carrots and buttermilk. Gradually beat in flour mixture, stir in walnuts. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Place cake on serving platter and dust with powdered sugar. Just before serving spoon on warm Skillet Apples. Top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired!

Ingredients for Skillet Fruit:
4 Granny Smith Apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup fresh cranberries or 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
In large skillet melt butter, stir in sugar. Add sliced apples and cranberries. Cook gently stirring occasionally, until apples are just tender (4 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Fresh Spinach, Avocado, Rainier Cherry and Feta Salad

Fresh Spinach, Avocado, Rainier Cherry and Feta Salad
With Cherry Dijonnaise Dressing
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

So easy, but special enough for a spectacular dinner party!

Makes 4 servings

2 cups pitted and halved Rainier Cherries
1 6oz bag of Baby Spinach
1 avocado cubed
½ cup of Feta Cheese (crumbled)

Evenly divide the baby spinach between four salad plates. Top each salad with cherries, avocado and Feta cheese. Drizzle Cherry Dijonnaise on each salad before serving.

Cherry Dijjonaise Dressing

¼ cup Cran-Cherry juice
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (mild)

Add all the above ingredients to a medium size bowl. Wisk all the ingredients until they are well combined. Refrigerated any leftovers.

Fresh Chocolate Covered Cherries

Fresh Chocolate Covered Cherries
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

Try dipping a variety of Cherries, for a beautiful presentation at your next event!

Makes one pound of chocolate covered cherries.

Ingredients:

1lb of assorted fresh cherries (Dark Sweet Cherries and Rainier Cherries)
(Cherries need to be rinsed and dried very well before dipping into chocolate)

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking bar

Waxed paper

Instructions:
Break chocolate baking bars into pieces and place in a microwavable glass bowl.
Cover bowl with paper towel and microwave on high for one minute. If chocolate is still very firm, microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir chocolate with spoon until chocolate is completely melted. Dip cherries into melted chocolate by holding onto cherry stem. Place dipped cherries on cookie sheet covered with waxed paper. Let sit at room temperature until chocolate hardens. You may also refrigerate dipped cherries on tray until chocolate hardens. Cherries should be consumed within a day and stored in the refrigerator.

Note: Do not add water to the chocolate when melting, this will cause chocolate to harden and or get very grainy.

Fresh Cherry Trifle

Fresh Cherry Trifle
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

This easy yet elegant trifle is made with one of the most beautiful fruits ever grown, Rainier Cherries! Not only are they pretty but naturally sweet, too!

Makes 8 -10 servings

1 1/2 pounds fresh Rainier Cherries (pitted and cut in half)
(Save 12 whole cherries with stems for the garnish)
1 10.75 oz prepared butter pound cake (sliced into 26 equal pieces)
½ cup cran-cherry juice
1 3.4 oz box of vanilla instant pudding
1 envelope dry whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)
1 cup of whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ cup toasted sliced almonds
4 cups prepared cool whip (thawed)


In large bowl of electric mixer combine box of vanilla pudding, dry whipped topping and milk. Beat with electric mixer for 4 minutes until pudding mixture becomes thick like custard. Add teaspoon of almond extract and continue beating until extract is well combined. Set aside.
In large glass bowl or trifle bowl, layer 13 of the pound cake slices in a single layer at the bottom of the bowl. Drizzle pound cake slices with ¼ cup cran-cherry juice. Spread ½ the pudding mixture on top of the pound cake and layer half of the cut cherries on top of the pudding mixture. Spread 2 cups of the cool whip on top of the cut cherries and repeat layers by layering the rest of the pound cake on top of the cool whip, sprinkling the pound cake with the rest of the cran-cherry juice and layer the rest of the pudding on top of the pound cake. Layer the rest of the halved cherries on top of the pudding layer and top with 2 cups of cool whip. Garnish the top of the trifle with fresh whole Rainier Cherries and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Braeburn Washington Apple Crisp

Washington Apple Crisp
Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

This recipe originated from a dear 86 year old woman from Spokane Washington!

Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

8 cups of peeled, cored and sliced Braeburn apples
1-½ cups of sugar
¾ cup of flour
Ground cinnamon to your own liking
½ cube of butter, chopped (1/4 cup)
Topping:
1 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
½ cup flour
1-cup brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl toss sugar, flour and cinnamon with sliced apples. Place apples in prepared (spray with cooking spray) Pyrex casserole baking dish. Dot apples with ¼ cup of butter (chopped).

Prepare Topping:
In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together; rolled oats, ½ cup flour and brown sugar.
Cut in ½ cup of butter (one cube) until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples. Bake apple crisp uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until apples are tender when pierced with sharp knife. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Fresh Apple, Sweet Potato & Turkey Salad

Sage Fruit Company/Adrienne Meier

Give a lift to leftover holiday turkey and sweet potatoes by adding sweet and crunchy Gala Apples to this delicious salad!

Makes 4-6 servings

2 cups unpeeled Gala Apples (cored and cubed)

¼ cup light mayonnaise

2 cups cooked cooled and cubed sweet potatoes

2 cups cooked chopped turkey meat

3 tablespoons fresh sage (chopped)

The juice from ½ of a lemon

2 green onions chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ cup of toasted chopped walnuts

Pepper to taste

In a large bowl add all the above ingredients and gently toss with spoon until well combined. Serve on a green cabbage leaf and garnish with walnuts and a sprig of fresh sage. Refrigerate any leftover salad.