• 4 firm but ripe Seckel pears, peeled with stems intact
• 2 inch piece vanilla bean
• 2 ^1/2 cups Pinot Noir, or other light, fruity red wine
• 1 ^1/2 cups water
• ^1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen unsweetened raspberries, plus ^1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 lemon zest strip, 2 inches long by ^3/4 inch wide
  

1. Place the pears in a non-aluminum saucepan large enough to hold them lying down. Add the wine, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla bean, and the water. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, set a heatproof plate on top of the pears to keep them submerged in the liquid, and simmer gently until a thin knife inserted into the widest part of a pear pierces easily to the center, 35-40 minutes.
3. Remove the plate covering the pears. Let the pears cool to room temperature in the liquid. Meanwhile, make a raspberry puree. In a food processor or blender, puree the 1 cup fresh or frozen berries until smooth.
4. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve as possible. Discard the contents of the sieve. Set the puree aside.
5. Using a slotted spoon, lift the pears from the liquid. Set each pear in a shallow individual bowl, or place all 4 pears on a deep platter. Remove the zest and vanilla bean and discard or save the vanilla bean to garnish, if you like.
6. Drizzle the raspberry puree onto the plate and garnish with a few fresh raspberries. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 4.


*Items in BOLD are available at the Davis Farmers Market

Recipe featured from William-Sonoma and Georgeanne Brennan's Holiday Entertaining, Inspired recipes & ideas for celebrating the season