Saturday 22 October 2011

Cheese on Toast Reloaded

Pane e Pere Tostato al Forno con Formaggio di Capra & Miele
Toasted Wholemeal Bread and Pears, with Goat Cheese and Honey



I would hazard a guess that cheese on toast is probably one of the most popular snacks to make at home- definitely so in England I would say. Here is a little variation on that theme- a little more extravagant, but just as simple- and a whole lot tastier and more fun!

They had some wonderful "Abate" pears at the market today- and of course I didn't resist. And neither did I resist when I walked past the cheese counter and saw the Saignac goat cheese. I didn't have any idea what I was going to do with them- probably have them after a meal some time. Well- that was what I thought until I got home from my walk into town and to the market and back, cold and famished and in need of something good... and so I came up with this idea!


I cored and sliced the pear, cut the bread into relatively thin slices, plucked a few leaves of fresh marjoram and chopped myself up a spring onion and layered these along with the Saignac cheese is an oven-proof dish. I squashed everything down a little and covered the dish with foil. Into the oven it went, for 10-15 minutes with the foil on, so that the trapped heat and juices from the pears steam and make the bread moist and sweet. I then took the foil off and gave it another 2-3 minutes under the broiler, to crisp-up the bread and toast the cheese nicely. I didn't add too much cheese for 2 reasons- 1.) it has a very strong flavor and would have been to overwhelming otherwise, and 2.)- I didn't want to cover the whole surface of the bread as it otherwise would not have crisped up so nicely.

A light drizzle of honey and a good sprinkle of chili/pepper and some fresh spring onion and marjoram are the last finishing touches- and I didn't hang around long and enjoyed mine HOT from the oven- I recommend you do too!



No comments:

Post a Comment