Pear Basil Sorbet

I have a dirty little 8-oz. secret:

For many years I've been serving up a pear sorbet that you make by freezing -- in the can!-- pears in heavy syrup. Then you open the can, pry out the frozen contents and whip it until smooth in a blender.

It is smooth, purely pear and delicious. I've never owned an ice cream maker, and this is my version of making a frozen treat.

So when I saw some forlorn pears at the bargain bin a couple months ago, I thought about freezing them -- and of course I thought about my favorite straight from-the-can dessert. After peeling and coring them, I cut the pears into bite size chunks and added sugar 8 : 1. I had a ton of pears, but if you're just cooking up 2-3, I would add 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons water That's a guess, and it really depends on how ripe your pears are. Mine were super ripe (thus the bargain bin) and so they let out a lot of juice. I cooked them until I had a light syrup but the pears weren't browned, let the mixture cool and froze it in 2-cup quantities.

Now for the fun part. Between our terrace pots and the CSA, we are in basil heaven, a pesto paradise, an herbaceous fantasy. In other words, I'm looking for ways to use up a lot of basil. I added about 6 fresh basil leaves to the frozen pear mixture before whipping it smooth. The leaves won't totally blend, so you'll have some nice icy bits and pieces. The basil and pear are a wonderful pair (pun absolutely intended!) and this is a light and lovely end to a summer meal.

Pear "Sorbet" with Basil

2-3 large pears (any variety), peeled, cored and diced

1/4 c. sugar

2-4 Tablespoons water

6-8 basil leaves

Cook pears with sugar and water until soft and the mixture is slightly syrupy (it will thicken when cooled). Cool and then freeze until rock hard.

Put frozen pears in blender with basil leaves and blend until there are no more visible pear pieces.

Or, you can just seek out my old pal Del Monte.

Tally:

Mostly healthy dessert is a cold and sweet summer treat

By can or from the bargain bin, this is a thrifty dish

Pear and basil mix for a sophisticated flavor