Thanksgiving special

Sadly, the 2009 CSA came to an end last week. Our last share included some great fall vegetables including one of my faves - brussel sprouts! We sauteed those up pretty quickly and ate them as a snack, so not going to post any fun recipe there. This is a Thanksgiving post, so I've got 2 recipes for you all - my first stuffing as well as my first pumpkin bread. This stuffing features onions, shallots, and pears - all from the CSA! It is from the NY Times recipes, but I healthified it a little without compromising on the taste (really just reduced salt and butter)...

Mushroom & Pear Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 large loaf firm sourdough bread
1 pound mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped thickly
1/3 pound turkey bacon, diced small
2 tablespoons butter
1 large chopped onion
2 minced shallots
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups diced pears (~4 large ones)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup minced chives
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 cups turkey (or chicken) stock.

--> First thing first, you need to dry out your bread. You can leave it overnight in a bowl with paper towels on top or if you don't have the bread ahead of time, put it in the oven on low heat for ~20 min (keep an eye on it so as not to burn). Set aside to cool when it's done.
--> Cook turkey bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove to a large bowl.
--> Add 1/2 tbsp butter to fat in pan and turn heat up to medium high. Add in the chopped onions and shallots, season with a little salt and pepper and cook until just soft. Remove to bowl with the bacon.
--> Add 1/2 tbsp butter to pan. Saute the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and remove to the bowl when they are starting to brown.
--> Add the wine to the pan and deglaze over med-hi heat, cook until the wine reduces by about half. Pour what's left in the pan over the mushroom/onion/bacon mixture. Clean out the pan, and add the pears and sugar. Saute over med-hi heat until they begin to brown. Then remove to the bowl.
--> Tear up the bread into small pieces and put in the bottom of your roasting pan. Then add your sauteed ingredients to the bread as well as your herbs and mix around to combine. Slowly pour one cup stock over the mixture and mix around. Continue to add more broth to make a very moist stuffing. Taste and adjust for salt & pepper.
--> With oven at 375 degrees, bake the stuffing for about 20-30 min until a golden crust starts to form.

Enjoy! I have to be honest - while this recipe is super easy, it's helpful to have another set of hands to help with the cooking!