Oh, Pear! : The golden fruit of early fall inspires Southland chefs.

The Bartlett pear is one humble piece of fruit.

Its thin skin is freckled and sometimes scarred. Its color goes from seasick green to a more garish yellow. And no one wants a “pear-shaped” body.

But bite into a Bartlett and let nature take hold: Sweet juice shoots through your mouth. The fruit’s flesh is meltingly smooth. And whether eaten out of hand or coiffed and styled into a variety of dishes and desserts, the pear is perfect when at its peak--no matter how it looks.

“When you get them at their ripest, I love the flavor,” says Hugo Molina, who uses pears every day at the restaurant in Pasadena that bears his name. “I think it’s the natural juices that I love the most.”

California Bartletts are flowing from the trees this season, thanks to a cool, dry spring and late summer that have produced an abundant crop. Typically, California grows 60% of the nation’s Bartletts, mostly from the Sacramento River Delta, Upper Sacramento Valley and the Mendocino coast, but this year growers predict a 10% increase in supply.

The pear harvest began in mid-July, about a week later than normal, and probably will end this week. Pears are picked mature but still green. They will only soften and develop their full color and flavor off the tree. That means good-quality Bartletts should remain in markets through November, coming from cold storage.

The best news, though, may be that the current Bartletts burst with sweetness. And they’re pretty handsome to boot.

“We try to get consumers to look beyond the outside; often the skin is just one aspect of the complete pear experience,” says Chris Zanobini, executive director of the California Pear Advisory Board, which on its Web site describes pears as “voluptuous.”

“The big difference this year is the visual quality of the fruit--we’ve had no weather damage. And the cooler weather helps produce a high level of sugar. Naturally they’re already sweet, but this year they have an extra boost.”

No wonder the Bartlett is a favorite of chefs, who have expanded it from its traditional role in desserts to supporting spots in appetizers, salads and main dishes.

“The Bartlett is not a bland pear. It has a nice flavor, a nice consistency and it is not mushy. It can really work in any corner you want it to, whether you cook with it or serve it raw,” Molina says. “A pear at its peak means you’re going to work with it, bake with it.”

Among the appetizers he has created: pears soaked in Riesling and served with grilled figs and prosciutto. As accompaniments to entrees, Molina has cooked pears and apples in Port, then stuffed them with buratta cheese, or filled them with a brandied parsnip puree. For salads, Molina soaks sliced Bartletts in rice vinegar and sugar, then serves them with Buffalo mozzarella or sliced fennel. For salads, pears need not be peeled, Molina says, since their skins add color. For poached pears, though, he recommends peeling; a fork slides effortlessly through the soft flesh, but not through the skin, which stays a little tough.

The restaurant’s pastry chef, Aricia Alvarado, who is also Molina’s wife, delights in exploring different ways to bake with pears. She introduced them to her husband, who used to use Anjou or Bosc pears. A dessert ravioli, made of filo dough stuffed with poached pears and apples and served with a sweet Pinot Noir sauce, has become a bestseller.

“The pear is like a potato,” Alvarado says. “It’s just so compatible with many things in the kitchen, and it works well with wines. It’s a staple.”

Like most staples, a Bartlett isn’t too demanding. Soak it in water with a little lemon juice after you slice it to keep it from browning. Cook it just enough, and it will hold its shape and texture and not fall apart unless overdone. “They’re not difficult, which is why they’re fun,” Alvarado says. “They’re easy.”

Walter Manzke, executive chef at Patina in Los Angeles, likes to pair a pear’s sweetness with a powerfully flavored main dish. “They’re good with anything game, like squab or wild venison,” he says. “It’s good to play the strong with opposite flavors.” For such a combination, he’ll poach a pear to make it more tender and sweeter, then roast it so it browns and caramelizes.

But no matter how a pear is used in the kitchen, it must be good to begin with. “If you eat the pear and the pear tastes good, it will taste good in the end,” Manzke says. “You’re not going to make it better by doing anything to it.”

Still, little steps can be taken. At her Tustin restaurant, Zov’s Bistro, owner Zov Karamardian sweetens Bartletts further by poaching them with sugar. They’re served, a few slices to a plate, in a popular salad of mixed greens, candied walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese.

“You wouldn’t eat the whole pear this way because it’s so sweet,” she says, “but it might get a person eating pears and liking their taste and texture. . . . The juice is flowing in your mouth, and the flavor is so tantalizing.”

The chef at the Getty Center in Los Angeles has always loved pears. “They have a really elegant flavor. Some are buttery, some are creamy and some have a nice citrusy backbone,” says Gwen Kvavli Gulliksen, executive chef of Bon Appetit Management Co., which provides food service at the center.

Something Bartlett from Gulliksen or her staff is almost always on the menu this time of year, and Gulliksen likes to play with pears at home. A couple of quick favorites from her kitchen: sliced Bartletts and Brie or other cheese tucked in a tortilla and sauteed for tangy quesadillas; or diced Bartletts tossed with minced red onion, lime juice and cilantro for a crisp, sweet salsa to accompany poultry.

“They’re just so versatile, but I think it comes down to elegance,” she says. “I think they’re tall--some people will think the opposite--but I always think of them as tall and beautiful, not ‘pear-shaped.’ ”

Pear and Red Onion Salsa

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes plus 8 hours chilling * Easy

Gwen Kvavli Gulliksen, executive chef of Bon Appetit at the Getty Center, suggests serving this with pork, chicken or duck.

4 pears, diced

1 red onion, minced

Juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup minced cilantro

1 tablespoon honey

* Mix together pears, onion, lime juice, cilantro and honey in glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight (red onion should bleed some color into the pears).

6 cups. Each 1/4 cup: 21 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.41 gram fiber.

Pear Quesadillas With Tomatillo Salsa

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes * Vegetarian

Gulliksen likes to make these quick--but rich--quesadillas at home.

TOMATILLO SALSA

8 tomatillos, chopped

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

* Combine tomatillos, vinegar, oil and salt in small bowl.

QUESADILLAS 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 pound Dill Havarti cheese, grated

4 pears, sliced thin

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter for sauteing

* Lay tortilla on work surface. Spread 1/4 cheese across 1/2 of tortilla, then top cheese with 1 sliced pear. Fold over tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese and pears.

* Melt 2 teaspoons butter in skillet over medium heat. Saute tortilla on both sides until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining tortillas, melting 2 teaspoons butter to saute each. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Spoon Tomatillo Salsa over top and serve immediately.

4 servings. Each serving: 704 calories; 923 mg sodium; 128 mg cholesterol; 54 grams fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 2.33 grams fiber.

Salad With Candied Walnuts and Poached Pears

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

Zov Karamardian of Zov’s Bistro in Tustin likes the sweetness poached pears lend to this salad. She suggests buying a mesclun mix, or making your own salad of greens such as oak leaf lettuce, radicchio, butter lettuce, endive and red leaf lettuce.

CANDIED WALNUTS

1 cup walnut halves

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Oil for deep frying

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

* Place walnuts in saucepan, add water to cover nuts and simmer over medium heat until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Drain nuts and transfer to paper towels to dry. Combine nuts and powdered sugar.

* Heat 2 inches oil to 350 degrees in heavy saucepan. Fry walnuts in batches until browned and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer walnuts with slotted spoon to baking sheet to cool. Salt lightly. Makes 1 cup. Store unused nuts in air-tight container.

POACHED PEAR

1 cup sugar

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 cup water

1 pear, peeled, cored and cut in half

* Combine sugar, lemon juice and water and boil over high heat until sugar dissolves, 2 minutes. Add pear halves and cook over low heat, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool, then remove pear with slotted spoon and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt, pepper

Pinch sugar

1 Roma tomato, diced small

1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

* Warm 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over low heat and saute garlic and shallot until translucent, 4 minutes.

* Combine garlic and shallot with balsamic vinegar in glass bowl. Slowly whisk in 3/4 cup oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste; add sugar to balance flavor. Gently stir in tomato and basil. Makes 3/4 cup.

ASSEMBLY

1 (6- to 8-ounce) bag mixed greens

1/2 cup Candied Walnuts

2 tomatoes, cut in wedges

6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

* Toss greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette. Divide salad among 4 plates and top with slices of Poached Pear, Candied Walnuts, tomato wedges and Gorgonzola cheese.

4 servings. Each serving: 973 calories; 755 mg sodium; 32 mg cholesterol; 69 grams fat; 82 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 2.12 gram fiber.

Roasted Squab With Bartlett Pears and Porcini Mushrooms

Walter Manzke, executive chef at Patina in Los Angeles, likes to serve game dishes such as this one--the wilder the game, the better, he says--with pears. The fruit goes well with strong, assertive flavors. Be careful not to overcook squab; it shouldn’t be cooked as long as chicken or it will dry out.

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

PEARS

2 cups water

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon sugar

Juice and grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice and grated zest of 1/2 orange

10 black peppercorns

1 sprig rosemary

2 pears, peeled, cored and cut in half

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

* Combine water, wine, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange juice, orange zest, peppercorns and rosemary in saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pears and poach until tip of knife can be easily inserted into flesh, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pears from liquid with slotted spoon.

* Heat butter and olive oil in separate pan over medium heat. Add pears and brown on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes.

SQUAB

4 squab

Salt, pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in warm water 30 minutes

* Sprinkle squab inside and out with salt and pepper.

* Heat oil over medium-high heat in oven-proof skillet. Brown squab on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms to pan. Transfer skillet to oven and roast at 350 degrees until squab is done but still slightly pink inside, 25 to 30 minutes. Add Pears to skillet to warm, another 5 minutes. Divide squab, mushrooms and Pears among 4 plates.

4 servings. Each serving: 563 calories; 161 mg sodium; 105 mg cholesterol; 44 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 1.23 grams fiber.

Filo Ravioli With Apples and Pears

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Though it sounds unusual, this dessert from pastry chef Aricia Alvarado is one of the most popular at Hugo Molina restaurant in Pasadena.

CARAMELIZED WALNUTS

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

* Combine sugar and water in small saucepan over high heat and cook until sugar is dissolved, boiling 5 minutes. Add walnuts and toss. Remove nuts with slotted spoon to baking sheet to cool.

FILLING

1 baking apple, peeled, cored and diced

2 pears, peeled, cored and diced

1 1/2 cups Pinot Noir

2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cinnamon stick

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup blueberry syrup

* Combine apple, pears, wine, 1 cup brown sugar and cinnamon stick in saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat and poach until fruit is tender, 10 minutes. Remove apple and pears to bowl using slotted spoon. Continue cooking liquid until reduced by 1/2 and thickened like syrup, 5 minutes. Set aside to serve with Ravioli.

* Add Caramelized Walnuts, butter, remaining brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, salt and syrup to fruit mixture and toss lightly until combined.

ASSEMBLY

8 sheets filo, thawed

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

* Brush filo with melted butter and separate in 2 stacks. Set 1 stack aside. Place small mounds of fruit mixture evenly on filo in 2 rows of 3. Lay second stack of filo sheets on top. Seal ends of filo with melted butter. Using pizza cutter or ravioli cutter, cut evenly into 6 squares.

* Place squares on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees until ravioli are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with reserved Pinot Noir syrup.

6 servings. Each serving: 861 calories; 412 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 30 grams fat; 143 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.41 grams fiber.