Rich Pear Brownies Mirror a Crisp Fall Day.

These very simple, very rich brownies with their pattern of swirling leaves are quick and spontaneous. They are a thing of the moment- lots of seasonal fruit (it is nearly impossible to buy a modest amount of produce in abundant Greece), bound with some kitchen staples, in the oven and out in no time. Pears and chocolate are delicious together- the sophisticated version of  the  chocolate cherry  or strawberry, and their inspiration is a lot older. For me, the formal combination of Pear and Chocolate dates from the '80's, with my first of many, many Lindt with Pear Williams bars. Histrorically, it dates from Escoffier's classic (more mysterious by far than the Peach Melba- also Escoffier, and also for a Helen- Opera star Nellie Melba). Escoffier introduced Poire Belle Helene  in honor of an Operetta- La Belle Helene- about Helen of Troy. Classic plated dessert, chocolate bar, brownie-  it is hard to come across a combination of pears and chocolate that is not a rich and little intriguing like a crisp bite of fall.

We will need:
8 medium pears- here, Williams pears the size of a child's fist.
250 g/generous 1 C butter
100 g/ 1 C cocoa powder
425 g/ generous 2 C sugar
4 eggs
160 g/ 1 1/3 C flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Wash the pears, make thin slices from the sides of some, and dice the rest. Put them on parchment in a medium oven (170 C/350 F) with the fan on to let them concentrate and dry out a little as you assemble the rest of the ingredients. Line a large (25 x 28 cm. or 10" x 11") with non-stick parchment and set aside. In a pan large enough to combine everything later, melt the butter over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, and blend in the sugar, cocoa, and salt.

Whisk to blend very well, and, making sure the mixture is now not at all hot, add the eggs, whisking as you do- it will be a smooth, dark, batter with the texture of a pudding. Add the flour- it will seem like very little. Test for sugar- sometimes it seems to need a little more.  Check the pears- the slices should be slightly browned on the edges, and the diced pieces a little sticky, not juicy. 

Add the diced pear to the brownie batter. Scatter the slices over the top like leaves, and dust with a little coarse sea salt for sparkle- beautiful, and it really brings out the fruit.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 170 C/350 F (without the fan), until a toothpick comes out nearly clean.

They will slice better when cool. They're very lovely, and if you want to make more than a casual snack of them, a triangle with some cream ice cream on the side will bring them from lunch box to dinner party. The gritty texture of the pear breaks up the brownie's rich smoothness, wonderful together.

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Squash, The Glamorous Doyenne of Fall.

Squash - neither dainty nor fragile, nor costly nor small - is still a precious thing. Like little Boteros, they add a voluptuous raw sculptural element to the terrace for weeks until we use them. Noble and patient, they wouldn't dream of spoiling. Once cut, they lend their rich creamy texture and their sweetness to savory dishes and desserts with a flexibility unmatched. They have a huge personality- pastas and soups glow deep saffron yellow, tarts and cakes luscious gold - but they mingle graciously with everyone. They can afford to let the sage sparkle, the nutmeg charm; it is the rich fullness of the squash that effortlessly drives the character of the dish. Everything else is icing on her proverbial cake. Not diva, Queen.

A good squash is not just firm but rather rock-hard, and if it is not too hot out, it will stay that way for as long as you'd like. They are much nicer to look at than baskets of potatoes. I have settled for the moment on this stone blue variety. The subtle outside hides bright orange flesh, darker than most, and cooks up denser than any others. It is much harder than a Halloween carving pumpkin. In fact, the most difficult part of cooking anything with it is getting it open in the first place. Your sharpest and heaviest cleaver will sink into it and then just stay there until you pry it out. We need only to somehow separate it into rough halves though. Scoop out the seeds, and set them aside for roasting if you like (not with this particular variety - the seeds are large and tough). Then just place the halves cut side up on a baking sheet and roast them in a medium oven (170 C/ 350 F) until they yield easily to a knife. This takes abut 45 minutes, but check them often - a squash baked too long loses its lively taste. Once cool. we just scoop the flesh out with a spoon, scraping down to the skin. Use a potato masher or a stick blender or a hand mixer to even out the texture if you like, and portion it out into usable quantities, some to use at once, and some in plastic bags for the freezer. 500 g/ 2 C is a good amount for many recipes.

The dark caramelized surface is delicious. Take it off and eat it right away.
The flesh underneath will be uniformly silky.

This will usually leave you with a portion of uneven measure. With ours, I will make gnocchi for two, with this elegant two-ingredient recipe. 

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