Fresh, ripe pineapples are easy to obtain today, practically all year round.  If you pick the golden yellow ones, with fresh leaves and a ripe pineapple aroma when you sniff them, you are in for a sweet, juicy treat.  Please ignore the green ones, as pineapples do not significantly ripen further after being harvested. The delicious pineapple is low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium, an excellent source of dietary fiber, thiamine, Vit B6 and C, copper and manganese.  Bromelain, an enzyme found in raw pineapple juice, makes an excellent meat marinade, as it breaks down protein (do not leave on meat too long to prevent the surface from turning mushy).  Back in Hawaii, my Grandmother would chop off the top crown, the bottom stem and then rotate the remaining pineapple while carefully slicing off the horny skin, top to bottom just below the surface of the ‘eyes’.  If the pineapple was particularly acidic, she’d rub a little salt on the outside of the skinned fruit before cutting into wedges or bite-sized pieces.

You will find pineapples galore in your grocer now, a natural accompaniment to Easter’s baked hams.

Got leftover fresh pineapple?  Here is an easy way to bake a delicious pineapple crisp with few ingredients, 45 minutes in the oven and your family will think you are pure genius!

Fresh Pineapple Crisp with Granola Streusel

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe pineapple, peeled and chopped into small dice
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Streusel:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup favorite granola or oatmeal (I use Golden Girl Maple Forest)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 2 or 3 quart casserole dish.

In large mixing bowl, mix the fresh pineapple dice with the sugar, flour and stir to coat evenly.

Mix in the egg, salt and vanilla.  Pour fruit into the casserole dish.  (at this point you could actually pour this fruit filling into an unbaked pie crust, dot the top with butter, cover with pie pastry, flute the edges, vent with several decorative slits, brush with cream, sprinkle with sugar… and bake for 45 minutes….voila you have a pineapple pie instead!)

In a medium bowl, rub the streusel ingredients together with your fingers until well blended with the soft butter.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the pineapple and bake for 45 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.

Serve warm or room temperature.