Recipe 76: Pear-Parsnip Puree

The challenge: 1) Hoping coffee liqueur will work in place of walnut liqueur, 2) Wondering if James will like this recipe too;-), he doesn't like pears. For a man who calls me picky, he sure doesn't like a fair number of foods himself.

So, I peel and chop the parsnips and add them to a pan with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and oil. And I taste one, they taste like very mild carrots. I don't recall tasting them that I'm aware of before this. I like them. As I mentioned with the pork roast, I start this part first, they need to bake, covered for 50 minutes.

Then I proceeded to prepare and cook the pork loin (see Recipe 75). While the Pork Loin is roasting, I work on the second half of this recipe. I peel the pears and cut them into one inch cubes, coring them as I cut. I begin the butter in the pan and wait for it to just begin to turn brown, then I add in the pears as I'm told. I cook the pears for 3 minutes and add the coffee(walnut) liqueur. I ignite it and it says to cook like this for two minutes. It stays ignited not more than 30 seconds. Either I should have cooked the pears a little longer or I needed more liqueur. No matter, it is time to create a puree.

I add the pears to the food processor, then the parsnips and whatever liquid I can get out of both pans. I puree for 30 seconds and add sour cream, salt and pepper. Then I process until smooth.

Now I have to keep this warm until ready to serve. I taste some then, I like it. I place the food processor dish in the fridge, and let it sit with the pork roast for tomorrow's dinner.

The next day, I add the puree to a sauce pan and re-heat it to place on the pork. I put it right on James' pork for him, because it goes with the recipe. He asks me what it is and I'm sheepish about telling him. Finally, I give in and tell him its pear-parsnip puree. "I don't like pears," he tells me again, just as he has every time I've mentioned making this recipe for him.

It's good, he says. And it is very good. It makes a great sauce or spread for the pork. All of the pear-parsnip puree went home with James and the Pork Roast that night. It didn't last very long.

I will definitely make this recipe again. I just have to find something else I enjoy it on.