I grew up in north Florida many, many years ago during an era when very few fruits were shipped in so apples were a special treat, usually tucked into the toe of a Christmas stocking. But we did have pears...not a soft one like Bartlets..but a very hard one called sand pears. My mother made pies, minced meat, and preserves from them. The pies were served with either ice cream or cheddar cheese. My husband had never eaten such and really liked them. Sometimes I sprinkled a good bit of shredded room-temperature extra sharp cheddar on the top crust, rolled it lightly, then flipped it over the filling...gave the pie a slightly different flavor. Did you know that a very good mock minced meat can be made from firm green tomatoes? I guess people have always built their own cuisine from whatever was grown locally so those are the tastes we wax nostalgic over.

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