Ricotta & Pear Bruschetta

Ricotta & Pear Bruschetta

A Rustic Appetizer Or A Simple Light Lunch!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Ciabatta Bread, sliced 3 inch slices

2 pears, sliced thin

2 cups fresh Ricotta cheese

1 wedge of Robiola cheese

3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

2 tbsp of agave or honey

minced parsley

butter

olive oil

salt

pepper

Cooking Tools

Food processor 

Cast iron pan

Directions

In the food processor, add in Ricotta cheese,  Robiola, garlic, 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Pulse until completely smooth, set aside cheese mixture. In the cast iron pan, saute pear slices on medium heat in some butter, agave or honey and olive oil until slightly tender but not falling apart. Remove pears from pan and cool. In the same cast iron pan, no need to clean out pan, add in more butter and olive oil to completely coat bottom of pan on medium heat. Add Ciabatta bread, cut side down and toast until golden brown as it absorbs all the butter and olive oil. Set aside to cool until ready to make the bruschettas. Spread cheese mixture on a toasted slice of Ciabatta, top with some pears and minced parsley. If you want to make a sandwich, add the top half.

Serves 4

Amarone Poached Pears

Amarone Poached Pears
Warm Hints Of Spices Infused In The Pears!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes
Cooling Time: 24 hours

Ingredients

3-4 Bartlett Pears, peeled (stem on)

1 bottle Amarone wine 

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split

4-5 cardamon, cracked

Cooking Tools

Small deep saucepan

Small plate  

Directions
Pour wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and Cardamon in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Add in pears whole and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Set aside and place a plate small enough to fit inside saucepan to submerge pears in the wine mixture.  Once liquid come to room temperature, cove and refrigerate pears for 24 hours.  Check pear once in a while to flip so wine absorbs evenly. Drain pears from liquid and use in salads or use in desserts!
Yields 3-4 

Poached Pears With A Ginger Marsala Syrup

Poached Pears With A Ginger Marsala Syrup
Delicate Flavors Infuse the Pears!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Cooling Time: 3 hours

Ingredients
4-6 Honey Bell Pears
3 cups water
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup crystalized ginger slices
peel of 1 orange
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 cup Agave syrup
2 sprigs of Tarragon leaves
Mint leaves for garnish

Cooking Tools
Deep medium size saucepan
Shallow saucepan
Vegetable peeler

Directions
Into the deep stock pot, add; water, Marsala wine, ginger, orange peel, sugar, Agave and Tarragon leaves. Bring liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer liquid for 30 minutes.  Remove 1 1/2 cups of liquid and transfer to the shallow sauce pan. While the liquid is simmering, peel pears but leave stem intact. Place peeled pears into the simmering liquid and simmer for 15 minutes.  Do Not Overcook!! Take off heat and place a small dish, smaller the the circumference of the saucepan and place on top of pears to submerge them under the liquid. Let the pears in liquid come to room temperature then place in refrigerator for a few hours to chill.  For the reserved liquid in the shallow sauce pan, reduce liquid on a low simmer until it comes to a syrup like consistency. Cool syrup to room temperature and set aside.  Remove pears from poaching liquid and place pear in a serving bowl and drizzle about 1 to 2 tbsp of the syrup.  Garnish with a mint leaf.  Cook's Note: Save the poaching liquid in the refrigerator for cocktails, salad dressings, pickling  and drizzle over fruit!
Serves 4-6

 Poaching Liquid

Simmer Poaching Liquid For 30 Minutes To Infuse the Flavors Of The Ingredients!

                                             Save The Poaching Liquid!