Poached pear with wild mallow herbal tea

By Nathalie Beaudoin Hta, N.D. | Photo and Design: Nathalie Beaudoin

PREPARATION: 10 minutes | BAKING: 30 minutes | STANDING TIME: 3 hours | YIELD 4 servings | Does not freeze

Ingredients

• 750 mL (3 cups) water
• 200 mL (6 oz) alcoholic crème de cassis
• 4 juniper berries
• 2 tea bags (6g loose) of FloralTea Wood Mallow tea
• 4 pears, peeled and cored (cut in half)

Preparation

1. In a pot, combine water, crème de cassis, juniper berries and bring to a boil.

2. Add the herbal tea and pears to the boiling liquid, then continue cooking over medium heat until the pears are tender (about 20-30 min. depending on the ripeness of the fruit), turning them occasionally in the cooking liquid for a nice, even purple color.

3. Remove from heat and let the entire contents of the pot cool for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.

4. Serve the pears warm, topped with the cooking syrup as a coulis if desired, and accompanied by a scoop of lemon sorbet or vanilla ice cream or both!

A fresh and fruity dessert to end your meal on a light note!

"Gourmet and healthy, poached pears are perfect for any occasion. Easy to make, they are perfect as a dessert for entertaining or everyday use.

This version will change you from the traditional pear poached in red wine. Here, crème de cassis and juniper berries are combined with the aromas of mallow, blueberry and lemon. The superb purple color of the mallow poaching liquid will make this dessert a treat for the eyes and the taste buds!

Thanks to its high content of mucilage, a softening substance in mallow flowers, and the astringency of raspberry leaves, our Mallow tea is known for its anti-inflammatory, softening and emollient properties.

Mallow is known for its internal use against sore throats, dry coughs, urinary tract infections and intestinal pain, and for its external use as an emollient compress for the skin or as a mouthwash. Also, mallow tea gently promotes intestinal transit, suitable for all ages, without risk of addiction. As for the wild blueberry, very present in the tea, it would help to slow down the signs of aging thanks to its high antioxidant content.

To end your meal on a light note, try our poached pear with mallow tea. A fresh and fruity dessert, full of color and rich in flavor!"

in order to help you regain your well-being and vitality, Nathalie offers treatments as an herbalist-phytotherapist in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, combining traditional herbalism and energy treatments. She is a member of the Guilde des herboristes du Québec and is a certified naturopath by the Academy of Naturopaths and Naturotherapists of Canada. She is a food consultant and culinary florist. She is the author of the book Des fleurs dans votre assiette, published by Editions MultiMondes and distributed in Canada and Europe. Honored at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in July 2019 in Macau, China, her book won 3rd place worldwide in the A13 Blogger/Social Media printed book category. Her book was also nominated for the Taste Canada - Les Lauréats des Saveurs du Canada 2019, where she stood out as a finalist alongside Ricardo and Josée di Stasio.