"PART" (Not a Pie, Not a Tart)

First in a series of recipes previously published in 2000 in The Santa Cruz Guide. This is an easy to prepare dessert using seasonal pears.

(PRWEB) November 5, 2004 -- Santa Cruz is a wonderful environment in which to live. There is fresh produce all year round, fresh sea air and a feeling of small town community including Farmer's Markets, roadside fruit stands and, best of all, neighbors with fruit trees. Santa Cruz is also the home of the commute over Highway 17, which gives many of us plenty of time to reflect as we sit in our automobiles wondering what time we'll be having dinner tonight.

The point of this recipe feature is to find ways to enjoy the agricultural bounty of the area without spending a lot of time in preparation and planning. You will find that I factor convenience into many of my recipes to save you time. I only do this, of course, when I believe that the convenience tastes as good as "from scratch" or that anything lost is worth the time and energy saved. If you would prefer the "from scratch" recipe, just email your request to me and I will send it to you.

I like to make desserts, so you will find a prominence of dessert ideas in this monthly feature, but I will also be trying to address the issue of feeding a couple or a family once you do get home from work.

One of the reasons I like desserts is what I think of as the relaxation factor. Sometimes we can't eat dinner as a family because of schedules or commutes. Once everyone is home maybe there's only a window of time where everyone can take a deep breath, sit down and just unwind for a quiet moment together. This is the time that serving a simple yummy dessert can serve as that bonding agent to cement a sense of companionship, or open the gates of conversation. This is a moment in which everyone can take a part.

PART (Not a pie, not a tart. Made with the neighbor's pears)
1 pre-made round piecrust placed in a pie plate per package instructions
5 ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced lengthwise
1/3 cup sugar
1½ Tablespoons grated crystallized ginger
1 slightly heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1½ Tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375', mix the sliced pears and all the other ingredients gently in a bowl then place into the unbaked pie shell. Bake for 40 minutes until the crust edges are nicely browned. Cool before serving.