From the Kitchen of Amy Rothenberg ND

I love this poached pear recipe for its simplicity and beauty. When I found that my melon baller did a perfect job of coring the pears and leaving a perfect half moon shape in each half, I was sold. You can dress it up with a cinnamon stick or a sliced fig or bring it back to earth for breakfast with a bowl of cottage cheese!

• 12 hard pears, peeled, halved and cored
• ½-1 cup sugar or maple syrup
• two inch piece of ginger root, sliced thin
• ¾ cup dried cranberries (optional)
• 8 cups water

Boil the water with the sweetener & ginger. Add the hard pears and the cranberries. Cook until the pears are soft.

Jar ‘em up in a pretty glass bottle. Serve warm sprinkled with granola or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or serve cold in a little glass bowl!