Well, work has gotten the better of me over the past two weeks.  I've been cooking, but I haven't been photographing and writing about it.  But last night I had some breathing room on the work front, so I recreated this dish that I'd made with my cooking class on Monday night . . . pears poached in red wine, then served with the reduced poaching liquid, some whipped cream and lemon zest.  This is a remarkably simple dish with a fairly high "wow" factor.  Everyone in my class loved it and I shared last night's recreation with my girlfriend, who also loved it.  Last night we ate them with some Humboldt Fog cheese and champagne . . . a very decadent treat for a Tuesday night, or any night for that matter.  As we ate them last night it occurred to me that the dish could be taken to another level by stuffing the hollow cavity of the pear, where the core used to be, with soft, stuffable cheese of some sort.  Any suggestions? 

Pears and apples are about the only locally grown fruit available at DC farmers markets this time of the year.  Both store very well, staying crisp and fresh, if stored properly—just above freezing temperature in a low-oxygen environment.  Farmers can harvest them in the fall, store them, and sell them through the winter.  This region's farmers market offerings are getting pretty monotonous . . . I'm really looking forward to Spring . . . but trying to make the most of the local food around in March.  This is a spin on pears that I'd enjoy anytime, anywhere.  The following recipe serves 8.

• 8 pears* (I used Bosc and haven't experimented with poaching any other varieties)
• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 1 bottle (750ml) red wine (any type, no need for an expensive one, but it should be good enough that you'd drink it)
• 1 cup sugar
• water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Peel the pears, leaving the stem intact.  Remove the core from the bottom using a melon baller or a small spoon.  Immediately coat the peeled pears with some lemon juice to prevent browning by rubbing the entire surface of the pear with the halved lemon, squeezing the lemon gently as you do to release some juice.
2. Bring the wine and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium sized saucepan (just large enough to hold the 8 pears in a single layer), stirring occasionally, until sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Add the pears to the saucepan, then add enough water, if necessary, to nearly / barely cover the pears.  Beware that the pears will float, so it's seemingly impossible for them to be completely covered . . . and you don't want any more liquid than absolutely necessary, because the addition of water will reduce the intensity of the wine flavor absorbed by the pears.  Return the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.  Cover the pot.  Now you're poaching pears.  Cook the pears in the simmering liquid for about 30 minutes, checking every 5 minutes or so and gently turning the pears to make sure all sides have a chance to cook in the liquid.  (See comment above about the impossibility of completely covering the floating pears.)  Be careful when you turn the pears because, as they cook, they'll get soft and you don't want to damage the appearance of the pear with gouges from a spoon!
4. After poaching the pears for about 30 minutes, gently remove them from the liquid with a slotted spoon and place them in the refrigerator.
5. Turn the heat under the saucepan to high and boil the poaching liquid to reduce it to about 1 cup, which will take 15 minutes or so.  You'll know you're getting close to done when the action of the liquid changes from a boil to a bubbling foam.  Keep an eye on the saucepan at this stage, to make sure it doesn't foam over the sides of the saucepan.  Occasionally remove the foaming saucepan from the heat to let the foam bubbles settle (about 20 seconds), in order to judge how much liquid is remaining.
6. While the poaching liquid is reducing into a sauce, whip the heavy cream and, when it reaches soft peaks, beat in the sugar.
7. Serve the poached pears with the red wine reduction sauce and whipped cream, with some lemon zest grated over the top, as pictured.