COLUMN: Mix and mingle food groups
Something I love about going out to eat is being introduced to new food and flavor combinations I never would have thought of on my own.
I went to New York City with my friends a few years ago, and when we went out for pizza, they ordered one that had pears on it. I was more than a little bit hesitant about the idea of pears and cheese together — and on a pizza of all things — but I tried it, and it was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted. Since then I have seen pears and Gorgonzola cheese together at many restaurants, all served in different ways. The mild, juicy sweetness of ripe pears and the tangy, sharp flavor of Gorgonzola cheese compliment each other perfectly.
Pears are just coming into season, so I thought it’d be a good time to share a few ways to try out this tasty combination — pasta, pizza and salad.
Note: You can get Gorgonzola — an Italian blue cheese — in the special cheeses section at most grocery stores. Since you probably won’t be able to use it all right away (it’s pretty strong and a little bit goes a long way), you can keep any leftover cheese in your freezer until the next time you’re ready to use it.
Pear Gorgonzola Pasta
8 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
½ cup whipping cream
1 large pear, cored and diced
½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the penne in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain.
Return the drained pasta to the pot. Stir the butter, Parmesan cheese and Gorgonzola cheese into the pasta until completely melted. Pour the cream into the pasta mixture and stir until combined. Remove from the heat and gently fold the pear into the pasta mixture. Serve sprinkled with walnuts and salt and pepper.
Pear Gorgonzola Pizza
1 (1 pound) pizza crust dough
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
1 medium ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Prebake the crust according to recipe directions for 2-3 minutes, until it’s firm.
Remove it from the oven and arrange the pear slices on it. Brush the pear slices and crust with the melted butter.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the honey over the pears and sprinkle with hazelnuts, Gorgonzola cheese and thyme.
Bake until the crust is golden and the pears are warm, 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of honey before serving.
Pear Gorgonzola Salad
Greens (spinach, green leaf lettuce, arugula, romaine)
2 medium ripe but firm pears
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup Gorgonzola cheese
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
¾ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Rinse and chop the greens and put them in a big bowl.
Cut the pears in half lengthwise and remove the core. Cut each half lengthwise into thin slices. Cut each slice into bite sized chunks. Squirt a little bit of lemon juice into a tablespoon, or so, of water, and brush it over the pears to keep them from browning.
Combine the brown sugar and melted butter. Add the pecans and toss until evenly coated. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil and bake at 450 degrees, until the nuts are toasted and the sugar mixture has hardened, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
To make the dressing, in a bowl, whisk and combine the mayonnaise, sugar, cider vinegar and poppy seeds. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To make the salad, toss the greens, chopped pear, candied pecans and Gorgonzola cheese until combined. Serve drizzled with creamy poppy seed dressing.
— Jennelle Clark is a senior psychology major who runs the online food blog foodislikeart.blogspot.com. She loves making and eating food, and sharing it with you. Email her at jenn.wilson@aggiemail.usu.edu.