Pears & Rosemary – The Perfect Combination

Rosemary… is how this whole blog post got started. It’s an herb I’ve planted in my garden for years along with some of my other favorites; parsley, thyme, lavender, and chives. I love the smell and taste of each of them; they can instantly brighten and flavor any dish. Last week, as I was watering my herb garden, I realized I had quite a bit of rosemary and hadn’t used it once this year! It got me thinking that I should use the rosemary differently this year, and not just in my typical recipes such as roasted chicken or sprinkled on roasted potatoes. I googled how to use rosemary and came across an interesting recipe for rosemary ice cream. Yes, rosemary ice cream! It sounded unusual but also delicious. I instantly starting plotting and thinking about what I could serve with this ice cream. Would some sort of fruit be yummy with this? If so, which one? Would pears work? Yes! Pears would be the perfect “pearing” and are delicious . This time of year is when pears begin to ripen; summer berries start to go out of season and fall apples are not quite ready for picking. Pears are what I like to call a transitional fruit! Pears take us right from summer into fall. After doing a little research, I found the perfect recipe to go with the ice cream, honey roasted pears.

To serve and present this dessert, I created the perfect transitional tablescape. Not to much summer and not too much fall. To start my tablescape, I added a light colored runner so that the brown pears would pop against the cream color of the fabric. Changing out table linens each season (or whenever you choose), is a great way to change up your home without having to do much. I love adding table runners or tablecloths to our table to change the feel of the table and space. It is a really easy, inexpensive, and simple change to make! The table runner I added was from the fall collection of Hearth and Hand by Magnolia last year (I will link other ones I love below). Next, I brought out our china. I love serving food on fancy plates, it always elevates whatever food it is your serving. Also, why keep the china stored away never to be used? Bring it out and use it! I promise you will be glad you did. To add height to the table, I stood the pears up on a white cake pedestal. To add even more height, I placed the cake pedestal of pears on top of a cutting board. For texture and color, I added a small wicker basket. Within that basket I placed a small vase of cut herbs. Not only did the herbs look pretty in the vase, and tie in the theme of rosemary, it smelled amazing! The cloth napkins in the basket, may be my favorite napkins ever. I saw them online at one of my favorite small shops, Purple Rose Home, and knew I had to have them. I loved the botanical print along the simple detail on the edge of the napkin. I think they went with this tablescape so well! For the place settings, I added a napkin tied with burlap twine and a spring of rosemary. This simple, organic detail of the tied napkin helped to bring the entire table together.

The rosemary ice cream and honey roasted pears were very easy to make. The ice cream does take a little bit of time and some babysitting while making the custard, but I promise you the hard work is worth the reward! I hope this inspires you to try a new recipe, especially something out of the box like ice cream made with rosemary. And don’t forget to break out that fine china! Don’t keep it stored away, it’s begging to be used! I would love to know what you think of these desserts and my transitional summer to fall tablescape. Links to products I love, below.

I look forward to sharing more of my home and recipes with you and inspiring you to have a well loved home! Follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

Xoxo ~ Heidi