Toasted Soda Bread With Blue Cheese Pear Food

ROASTED PEARS WITH BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• 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.

ROASTED PEARS WITH BLUE CHEESE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the pears, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Strip the leaves from the thyme branches and sprinkle over the pears. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spoon a generous teaspoon of crumbled cheese in the center of each pear half, return the pears to the oven and roast until they are tender and the cheese is soft, about 10 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the walnuts on another baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Chop. When the pears are cooked, transfer them to a serving plate and sprinkle the toasted walnuts over the top. Serve hot.

BLUE CHEESE AND GRILLED PEAR CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Slice pears into half-moons.
• Cook pears on the preheated grill until nicely browned, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
• Cut blue cheese slices into 8 equal pieces.
• Spread cream cheese over bread slices. Top with grilled pear slices and blue cheese. Sprinkle with walnuts, mint, and pepper. Drizzle with honey.

HONEYED BLUE CHEESE TOAST

Steps:

• Place your bread on a sheet pan in a single layer.
• In the center of each piece of bread sprinkle a pinch (about 1 Tablespoon) of blue cheese.
• Drizzle honey over the blue cheese on the bread (about 1 Tablespoon again).
• Toast in an oven set to any temp between 250F- 350F until cheese has melted and bread has toasted slightly on the bottom.
• Serve warm.

BRANDIED BLUE CHEESE WITH PEAR CROSTINI

Steps:

• Mash cheese and butter together.
• Add brandy and walnuts.
• Toast baguette slices (one side only).
• Turn and place 1 slice of pear on untoasted side.
• Top with 1 teaspoons of cheese mixture.
• Broil about 2 minutes or until bubbly.