Lustily devouring a ripe pear as fragrant juice runs down my chin brings on deep, pleasurable moans. Spooning warm chocolate sauce over a perfectly poached pear makes me positively giddy with anticipation. So why do so many home cooks sigh and turn away from these beautifully versatile autumn treasures in the markets?

It’s because all the pears are rock hard. But wait! Hard pears are not the rejects you might think. While summer stone fruits are best picked fully ripe and eaten soft and tender, pears should be picked before their prime (when hard), then allowed to soften just slightly on your counter at home. In fact, a soft, yielding pear on the grocery store shelf is already overripe and will likely disappoint with a mealy, grainy texture.

“How then” you ask, “does one know how to select a good pear?” Off to the market and grab a one. Place your fingers on its neck and apply gentle pressure; the pear should be quite firm. Now, check the bulbous area for equal firmness.

Congratulations, you’ve found a good pear. But now what? The fruit is still hard and inedible. Pears are easily ripened at home on your kitchen counter or in a fruit bowl for several days. They’re ready to eat when they yield just a bit to gentle pressure. Don’t wait for the fruit to truly soften or change color, or you risk it becoming overripe and mushy. Trust your instincts and take a bite. Perfection!

Store pears in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life—ripe fruit will last 3 to 5 days.

There is one more major thing you should know about pears before heading to your kitchen. Not all varieties can be heated—that is, poached, baked, grilled and sautéed. The firmer varieties such as sweet and juicy Anjou, Bosc and Concorde hold their shapes well even when cooked. Bartletts (red and yellow), Comice and Starkrimson are best saved for eating fresh.

Take a look at some of these recipes, then head to the market and select your fruit with confidence.

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Print these recipes and illustrated, step-by-step how to cooking techniques for your convenience.

Butter Lettuce with Pears, Spiced Pecans, and Blue Cheese

Frangipane Tart

Poires Bell Helene (Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce and
Crème Chantilly)

Pear Clafouti

How To Split and Scrape a Vanilla Bean

How To Poach Pears

Today, a simple basket of gray-green Romano beans caught my eye at the farmers market and made me smile. Memories. Mama Rita Ferro, an amazing Italian home chef, introduced me to them several years ago when she taught me how to make her Torta di rizo con fagioli (rice and green bean torta) and patate fagioli (green beans and potatoes with pesto).

Always innovative and frugal, Mama Rita believes in using every scrap of food to create tasty and nutritious meals for her family. Stale bread becomes fresh breadcrumbs. Leftover rice or potatoes, combined with Romano beans and a few simple ingredients, becomes culinary magic. You’ll never hear, “leftovers again?” at her table.

Mama Rita demands the best-tasting ingredients for all her dishes. She gave me a few pointers for selecting these flat, stingless beans that are so plentiful and economical in the early fall. Measuring five to seven inches in length, Romanos are local fare for me, grown at nearby farms in Brentwood and Fremont, California. Always select beans with good color and texture that snap in half when broken. Reject those that are dull or have brown spots—especially at the ends. Avoid overly mature beans that show bulges on the inside, as they are tough and flavorless.

Now, let’s get cooking.

Torta di Rizo Con Fagioli (rice and green bean torta).
Mama Rita told me that I’d love this budget-friendly torta, but who knew it would become one of my family’s favorite meals. Leftovers? They never suspect—and I’ll never tell. This dish is sensational hot for dinner, warm for lunch or cold straight out of the refrigerator at midnight.

Patate Fagioli (green beans and potatoes with pesto)
Day-old steamed or boiled potatoes can be the most boring thing on the planet… unless you combine them with Romano beans and dress everything with pesto and olive oil. Top with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese and green onions and voila—a dish worthy of center stage at your table. Mama Rita often varies this with whatever she has on hand: halved cherry tomatoes thinly slice onions, even a can of drained Italian albacore tuna.

Both of these favorites are truly delicioso—and the very essence of creative, frugal cooking. Of course, Mama Rita’s secret ingredient in all that she cooks is love. No wonder she can make magic from leftover potatoes.

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Print the recipes and how to’s for your convenience.

How To Make Torta de Rizo Con Fagioli (Rice and Green Bean Torta)

How To Make Patate Fagioli (Italian Green Beans and Potatoes with Pesto)

Read more about Mama Rita Ferro