Pear

Just as they do in sweet Chinese bubble tea, fat, chewy pearls of tapioca bring a certain levity to pears in a fragrant spiced-cider "broth." Satsuma segments add hits of sweetness to this chic, playful dessert.

Chocolate mousse would be a great simple ending to this meal for two.

If you've never had rutabagas, here's a great way to try them. Ginger-roasted pears add sweetness and a touch of spice—the perfect balance for this earthy root vegetable. Slice one extra pear and roast it (with the cubes) to use as garnish.

This recipe was created by chef Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. Start this recipe a day before you plan to serve it. Both the pear jam and the panna cotta are best if chilled overnight.

In this free-form tart, the filling is mounded in the center of the pastry and the edges are simply folded up around it.

Use a V-slicer (a simple, inexpensive version of a mandoline available at cookware stores) for the paper-thin pear slices.

The sauce would also taste great with pork tenderloin.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom Gilliland, Miguel Ravago, and Virginia B. Wood. . This traditional wine punch presents the opportunity to turn robust jug wine and fresh seasonal fruits into a festive party drink. The recipe includes a mix of firm fruits (such as seedless grapes, apple slices, pear slices) and soft fruits (like strawberries, peaches, and kiwi). The soft fruits are added to the glasses at serving time.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Skinny: How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever by Melissa Clark and Robin Aronson. Roasting the pears in chestnut honey gives this dish a nice robust flavor, but if you don't have any around or don't feel like seeking it out at a specialty store, regular honey works well too. The sprinkling of cinnamon on top is a classic with the pears, but feel free to flavor this dish any way you'd like — our variation using black pepper and thyme lends the pears an unexpected sweet and savory twist. Be sure to use firm Bosc pears here. Other varieties tend to fall apart.

The juicy pears in this elegant tart provide a dose of filling fiber. Each slice also serves up a helping of satiating healthy fat and phytonutrients, which come from the almonds.

Serve with chopped celery leaves and horseradish mixed into sour cream. Look for panko at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of supermarkets.