Roasted Pears and Winter Weather

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• I love winter. I love cold and I love snow, especially the big snowflakes. It makes me feel so special when it snows, like someone is giving me a present. The whole world changes, everything becomes calm, quiet and reality is muffled by the fluffy white snow. In a few minutes your everyday view becomes pure, white, fresh... and you can start again with a childlike exuberance.  Along with winter comes necessities like mittens and  wool socks. In my book to that list you should add roasted fruit with cheese or bacon. Yum!

• These roasted pears are a recipe from Back To Basics by the Barefoot Contessa and my very good friend Diane made it for our annual Christmakah celebrations. This salad was do delicious! Rich and roasted to perfection, sweet and sharp, the fruit with the sweet pear and the toasty bite from blue cheese, so good they just warm your insides !  

• Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese
• 3 ripe but firm Anjou pears
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 3 ounces coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese such as Stilton
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 3 tablespoons port
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 ounces baby arugula
• Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375˚.

Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.

Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.

In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.

Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm. Yum!

Happy New Year!

A sweet new recipe to start off the new year.

Roasted Pears with Rosemary
serves 4

2 pears, sliced in half lengthwise, core removed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
handful of fresh rosemary stems
olive oil

Pre heat the oven at 400˚F
Spread the olive oil over a foil lined cookie sheet. Place 1 sprig of rosemary into each pear half and turn them  (cut side down) on to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle bits of fresh rosemary on top and on the sides of the pears. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pears are easy to pierce with a fork and juice dribbles out of the sides. If you want you can turn the pears over and turn on the broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes, watch the pears!
Meanwhile, in a small but heavy pot, slowly cook down the balsamic vinegar until thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place each half of the pear onto a plate and garnish with fresh rosemary. Pour the syrupy balsamic vinegar over the pears and serve warm. You can also add some fresh vanilla ice cream to the top of the pears.