This is Tracy's weaning guide
Weaning Guidelines from Secrets of the Baby WhispererShe suggested pears, squash, sweet potato, peach...so it looks like you're thinking similar things.
I've seen those net things but never used one so can't really help there. I would imagine some softly steamed pear, apple, sweet pot etc would be fine though.
The thing really is not to be in too much of a hurry or to give too big a meal. You'll see on Tracy's guide it's just 2 teaspoons of pureed solids, it really isn't more than a taste or two. If you go slowly you have more chance of seeing how his tummy copes.
LOs seem to have different reactions to different foods, mine would vom any rice (and still will not eat rice at almost 4yo), fresh/raw pear gave him a big reflux flare (despite it being generally thought of as a good first food), carrots, toms and anything red/orange gave him bum burn from contact with the poo, carrots made his poo too firm and would have led to constipation if I'd given it every day and not balanced it out with prunes.
I found cooked pear and apple wedges worked well for him, lightly steamed or oven baked. Also potato wedges, sweet potato but to be honest I went with BLW so everything was finger food and we had a variety of foods in no particular order.