Summer's unofficial, official start is almost here, which means so are barbeques, sunshine, and beach days. However you're planning to spend Memorial Day weekend, consider this simple yet delicious (and healthy) fruit-forward dessert of smoky grilled pears and beets served with crème fraîche.

Ingredients:

Yield 4 servings

Make:

Salt Roast Beets:

Salt roasting beets preserve their color and nutrients. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Prepare salt with enough water to have the moldable texture of snow. Cover the bottom of a cast iron pan with the salt, about 1/2 inch thick. Place scrubbed clean beets on top and then bury them entirely in salt and pack it down. Bake for 1 hour.

 Remove beets from the oven (insert a paring knife through the salt crust and into a beet to check if done, and if not, recover and bake for another 10 minutes). Crack the crust with a spoon, remove beets and scrape the salt off them. Rinse to remove excess salt (salt can be refrozen in an airtight container for future use). Allow to cool and then peel carefully with a spoon and cut into quarters. Coat gently in west~bourne Organic Extra Virgin Avocado Oil.

Pears:

When the beets are nearly done, remove stems and cut pears in half, and scoop out seeds. Grill or sear cut side down until golden brown and flip. Fruit should be charred and softened but not burnt or broken down. Spoon crème fraîche into a bowl and arrange cut beets and pears atop. Drizzle with west~bourne Pistachio Dukkah, honey, west~bourne Organic Extra Virgin Avocado Oil, and a pinch of Maldon sea salt to finish.