Stinky Pear

Way back in September, I bought a jar of green walnut preserves when I thought I was buying a jar of pickled green walnuts. While the preserves turned out to be pretty yummy, they weren't what I wanted and I wasn't sure what to do with them.

While eating them straight from the jar is not without merit, I've found I quite liked them with baked pears and blue cheese. I use DCI Cheese Company's recipe for "Stilton Warm Honey Pears" except I used whatever blue takes me fancy and two tablespoons juice from a jar of green walnut preserves instead of the honey-water syrup called for in the recipe. It makes a pretty tasty snack and is quite easy to prepare.

Stinky Pear 

1 large, firm Red Bartlett pear
1 oz. blue cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons green walnut preserve juice
6-8 preserved walnuts

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut pear in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and stem. Place pear halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes. Turn halves over and bake another 20 minutes -- until a light, golden brown and soft. Remove pan from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Plate pear halves.

Cut cheese in half. Roll into balls. Spoon one tablespoon walnut juice over each pear half, place the blue cheese in the hollow of each half, garnish with preserved walnuts, serve.