Month: November 2018

“Try this one,” said Michael Naumes, as he tossed me a Comice pear. “You’re gonna need a towel,” he said as I take my first bite. My first meeting with the Naumes family a few years back started just like that. We were on a search for the juiciest, sweetest, most luscious pear we could find. And that journey took me to their orchard where I found the Naumes family’s Holiday Pear, also known as the Comice pear.

We had heard rumors that there was a family in Rogue Valley, Oregon, that grew the best Comice pears and the rumors certainly were true. After that first bite, I knew we had come to the right place. We started offering these pears to our customers a few years ago and we’re excited to report that they’re back, just in time for your holiday entertaining and gifting.

Just try a sample in the store and you will be hooked. They truly are the sweetest, juiciest pears around. Look for displays in the stores along with perfectly packed gift boxes sure to impress your most difficult to please relative.

Along with being the sweetest, creamiest, most luscious pear around, the Comice pear, also know as the Holiday Pear, is quite the intriguing fruit. Here are 10 things to know about The Holiday Pear:

1. The grading and picking process for the Naumes’ family’s Holiday Pear is tedious, but for good reason. Only 1 out of 20 pears will make this grade.
2. The Holiday Pear received its name because they are in peak season during the holiday months.
3. The Doyenné du Comice, as it’s known in France, was first grown near Angers in the mid-1800s.
4. The climate in the Rogue Valley leads to perfect growing conditions of this extremely sensitive pear, making the Naumes family’s orchards true “pearfection”.
5. The shape of the Holiday Pear is truly unique, featuring a rotund body and a short neck.
6. As the Holiday Pear ripens, the areas of green skin color will turn a yellow hue. The rule of thumb is to check the neck for ripeness by applying gentle pressure to it with your thumb. If it gives slightly, it’s ready! Once ripeness is determined, you can refrigerate it if you want to extend that peak taste for a few days.
7. Savor this luscious pear as an appetizer by smearing baked brie on slices of a DLM French Baguette and topping it with slices of the Holiday Pear.
8. It’s a great addition to a cheese plate with brie, Manchego, or a Gorgonzola, like Rogue River Blue Cheese or Dolce Gorgonzola and pairing that with Marsala, Sauternes, Riesling, or Champagne.
9. Slice it onto a salad made with mesclun spring mix or arugula, caramelized pecans, pomegranate seeds, and a blue cheese. Toss with a simple vinaigrette. Try our recipe for ‘Tis the Season Salad!
10. The Holiday Pear makes for a wonderful dessert. Take a few scoops of DLM Madagascar Vanilla Gelato, sprinkle with cut pears, and drizzle with a warmed DLM 100% Pure Maple Syrup.

Arriving soon: Burgundy Truffles will be available tomorrow, November 16!

Known as the “Autumn Truffle”, the season is dependent on the weather, is available from Europe from September through January, and now you can get your hands on them yourselves. Come and ask for them in our Produce department. We will be happy to get it for you.

Although the Burgundy truffle is similar in appearance to the Italian black winter truffle, they are very different. The Burgundy truffle does have a black exterior, but inside the color ranges from dark brown to a light tan. More importantly, this truffle has a more delicate flavor that is best enjoyed when thinly sliced or freshly grated over simple prepared dishes like pasta, eggs, risotto or mashed potatoes. The exquisite taste has a toasted hazelnut like flavor and a lighter, gentler aroma than Italian black winter truffles.

I love to hear or read about how folks describe the taste and smell of truffles, for it is very difficult to pin down. Some words that are tossed around are meaty, earthy, musky, and pungent. But the one I like best is funky. For me, it’s like an umami perfume bomb of mushroomy goodness that just begs for a shared dining experience and maybe a good glass of wine.

If you’ve never tasted a truffle, this one is a great one to begin with. Why not start this Thanksgiving? Try shaving a small amount on top of hot buttered mashed potatoes right before serving and make everyone at the table sigh with delight.  Or whip up a decadent breakfast or brunch with lightly scrambled eggs or omelet topped with a little truffle while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Naturally, a glass of Champagne would be a perfect pairing to go along with all of this. What a nice way to start the day that begins and ends with really good food and family.