WHB # 153 - pears in vanilla cream, with chestnuts and sesame

welcome to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging # 153!!

this wek we are hosted by susan in her kitchen...the well seasoned cook!

thank's susan for hosting!

here your can find the recipes of this week's interesting round up!

please let my remind you that this fantastic round up is an idea of kalyn, going on for almost 3 years now.

rules and infomation here.

sweet chestnut

this is the time for chestnuts, around here(Westside of Lake Garda) the most famose place to find them..is

San Zeno di Montagna.

a small village placed on the south-west side of the majestic Monte Baldo..

this is the sunny side of Monte Baldo..from Garda to Torbole...

along al the 40km of the chain of Monte Baldo...the climate is mild, sunny and umid.

a perfect habitat for the chestnut trees (castanea sativa- sweet chestnut), the trees become very old and very high, over 25mt.

the sweet chestnut lives between 200mt and 1200mt.

in this period of the year the foliage is beatiful ,turning from green to orange and later brown...and the perfume of the leaves fallen to the ground together with the umid earth is so good!

doing walks in the chestnut forest that surrounds San Zeno in this period is fantastic!

the chestnuts are protected and your not allowed to pick them, that is because the chestnut selling is one the few incomes that the people in this area has left.

in Italy it is tradition to give roasted chestnuts on 11 of November - st.Martin's day, to the poor as a symbol of sustenance.

in Modena they soak them in wine before roasting and serving. mmmmm

the chestnut leaves are also very healthy, you can make an decoction and use it to treat heavy cough or bronchitis.

let a handfull of chestnut leaves macerate in 1 liter of water for 10min.

drink 2 cups per day.

ippocastano

in my photo you see the fruits of the ippocastano (Aesculus hippocastanum)

this tree, is used in the gardens as an ornamental plant and for it's shading and and for the abundant and showy flowering.

the fruit is not eatable, but perfect for autumn decorations.

now this week's recipe:

you need:
serving 2 pers.

2 pears "william"
30cl sweet white wine*
100gr of chestnuts
1 tsp of sesame seed
20cl of vanilla cream**
1 vanilla pod
2 tbls of sugar

peel the pears and divide in slices.
put the pears in a small pot together with the wine, the vanilla pod
(divided in two)
and let cook for ca 10min.
remove the pears and let cool.
replace the pot on the stove and add the sugar, reduce the liquid for other 10min.
brown the sesame seeds in a pan, without any fat for 1 min, pay attention the sesame burns quickly.
put the chestnut in the pot and let boil until the liquid reduces and caramelizes.
let cool.
but some vanilla cream on the bottom of a glass, stick some slices of pears in the cream.
add some chestnuts and the sesame seeds.
curl the caramel over the dessert, serve immediately.

brigidaa_te:
* you can also use a dry white wine. I did so, beacuse I don't like to sweet desserts :)
** if you haven't got time, you can use vanilla pudding-fix, just add some slices of lemon peel and half a vanilla pod in the milk while cooking.

italian version:

pere in crema con castagne caramellate e sesamo

see you next week :-)