Earlier in the year the pears blossom from my ever industrious trees as an announcement. The tiny pears grow slowly day by day soaking up every ounce of rain and sunshine. By the time, Hades has announced on the Gulf Coast the pears are ripe. My Unprocessed Candied Jalapeno August Pears Broccoli Salad recipe is just really good.
Pear trees are loaded to such a point that I almost panic annually at the sheer magnitude of pears. Typically I offer pears to every one that I see like a town crier.”Pears, pears, come get your pears.” Occasionally my friends will take me up on the pears and I sign a bit of relief.
The “waste not want not” rings in my head like a battle cry from my Mother. Clearly, I truly am able to process, give away and eat only so many pears. Naturally, the local wildlife shows up and partakes of their fair share of the August Pears. Natures bounty is always plentiful and I am happy to share.
What can you create with pears?
What do I create with all of those pears? Pears are a great snack and loaded in healthy vitamins and minerals. Studies have noted that eating pears and apples daily will help ward off strokes. Everyone needs to be heart healthy, so eat your pears. While researching the health benefits of pears, I discovered lots of useful data.
In addition to all of the health benefits of eating pears, apparently eating pears may also help with hangovers. UK’s Andrew Griffin from Independent suggested “Pears can keep cholesterol down” and “work as an anti-inflammatory — as well as stopping people getting so drunk.” What? Pears for everybody.
Between the pear snacks, preserves, tarts and tomato pear relish, I needed a salad. After much thought, I settled on Unprocessed Candied Jalapeno August Pears Broccoli Salad recipe. Fresh raw broccoli mixed in with pears and other bold flavors marries together well.
How I created Unprocessed Candied Jalapeno August Pears Broccoli Salad
In my past work life a co-worker had shared a Broccoli Salad that I enjoyed. Over the years, I have tried several variations on broccoli salad. Of course I am sure that I have made it a hundred times. Pam’s version of broccoli salad was a great recipe as is. Yet, over the years, I had tossed the bacon. As much as I love bacon, I think it got lost in the salad. Does a salad really need bacon? My friend Pierre would say, “Yes, salad needs bacon desperately.”
In addition to reducing bacon, I had also reduced the mayonnaise and sugar. For awhile, I wanted to adapt this recipe but nothing really settled in my mind as an improvement. With my August pears clamoring for recipe selection, it finally dawned on me to add pears to the Broccoli Salad.
Fresh raw broccoli is a great first start to a salad. Once I added in the pears and red onion the rest of the recipe flowed. With the addition of the pears and candied jalapenos a sweet heat ensued which allowed me to lower the white sugar. A sharp cheddar cheese tossed in with fish sauce and cayenne added the balance of the flavors for Unprocessed Candied Jalapeno August Pears Broccoli Salad.
This recipe is versatile and will pair well with most proteins. This recipe is on the list of “make ahead and set aside” which is perfect for entertaining. Eating raw fruit and vegetables provides the most nutrition. Trust me, you need pears in your life. If you have space in your yard, plant a couple of pear trees. This will allow you to grow organic pears.
Of course, it will take a while for the trees to bear fruit but it is so worth it. Fresh fruit is versatile for snacks, baking, salads and savory recipes. If Mother Earth has created it your body must need it. From sun kissed pears to Unprocessed Candied Jalapeno August Pears Broccoli Salad, eat a pear.
- 3 Heads Broccoli yielded 7 cups chopped
- 2 Pears Peeled
- 1 Cup Red Onion chopped small to medium
- 3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 Cups Sharp Cheedar Cheese grated
- 3 Tablespoons Candied Jalapeno minced
- 2 Teaspoons Fish Sauce
- 1 Sprinkle Caynenne
- Wash broccoli well to remove any debris. On a cutting board using a knife cut just past flower head. Peel the stem and toss the peelings. Slice the stem into three pieces and then chop small. Cut 1/2 inch slices into broccoli flower head and then chop small. Add all to large mixing bowl.
- Cut peeled pears into 4 slices. Using a paring knife remove the core and toss. Chop pears until you have a small chop. Add the pears to the broccoli party.
- Add in red onion to the mixing bowl and stir well.
- Add in all the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover the salad and allow to marinate a minimum of 4 hours. The flavors really start to meld together the longer they mingle.
- Lagniappe: In order to serve a large crowd, a food processor may be used to chop the vegetables. Be sure to put a small amount in the food processor and pulse in batches. Empty contents into bowl and repeat.
- Serving Suggestions- This recipe will serve well as a salad, side dish or snack.
