Pear slices + cheese + mustard+ flakey layers of puff pastry = the perfect harvest tart.

Today I’m so excited to be talking about a fellow Canadian food blogger’s new cookbook! Jennifer Emilson is the creator of The Lemon Apron blog, and she just released her first cookbook called “The Lemon Apron Cookbook: Recipes for the Curious Home Cook”. Her book is divided into seasonal chapters filled with hearty meals, drool worthy side dishes, decadent desserts and more. Throughout the book, you are joyfully encouraged to enjoy fresh farmer’s market finds, and each recipe is carefully broken down into simple steps to keep things approachable.

Next on my to bake list include: the salted caramel apple strudel (basically all my favourite things in one dessert), the nuremburg lebkuchen (the perfect spiced cookie for December!), and the high park autumn perogies!

One of Jennifer’s biggest sources of inspiration is her German heritage, and this is reflected in many of the recipes throughout the book. My own German heritage appreciates this, as you can see by the recipes I listed above. However, the book also draws inspiration from her home in Toronto with the varied cuisines and cultures present, as well as flavours she’s encountered during her travels around the world.

The first recipe that I made from this book was the Savory Harvest Pear Tart and it was divine. I never think to do a savoury pairing with pears, even though I’m pear rich in the Fall since we grow several different varieties in our orchard. I still have a box of them squirrelled away in our cold storage, and this was the perfect recipe to use some of the for. You start by simmering pear slices in pear nectar, and then cooking the nectar down into syrupy goodness. Next comes store-bought puff pastry, mustard and lots of cheese. These are layered with the pears, and then baked to golden perfection. Amazing.

You can read more about Jennifer’s new book on her website here, and there are links for purchase there as well, or you can find it at your local bookshop!

Happy cookbook browsing,

-Kelsey