Instructions: *Theres no need to peel the fruit; just puree it well in a blender or food processor.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter, then add the egg, beating till smooth.

Add the pear puree, flour, ground ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Beat till smooth. Stir in the candied ginger and nuts.

Spoon the batter into an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, and cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes. Gently remove the loaf from the pan and cool it completely on a wire rack.

Yield: sixteen 1/2-inch slices

This dense, moist quick bread showcases the spicy bite of candied ginger. Its not a high- riser, so dont expect the usual dome-shaped loaf. Instead, this bread rises like a river, even all the way across, and slices into lovely thin rectangles, ideal for spreading with some candied-ginger-spiked cream cheese.

Weve used Bosc pears as the fruit here, but peaches, nectarines, plums, bananas, or even applesauce would be just as suitable. We havent tried it with zucchini, which is probably ubiquitous in everyones garden right now, but we imagine that, with a suitable increase in sugar, even that might work.

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