Pears with Blue Cheese & Ginger Agrodolce

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Agrodolce “sweet & sour” in Italian or Gastrique in French, is a subtle, sweet & tangy condiment. Vinegar & sugar based, Agrodolce can be thin syrup like, or thick like relish. Drizzle over fruit, use as a sauce for meat or to dress vegetables. We used the season’s abundant pears, Villa Gabriella Organic 8-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar di Modena & crumbled blue cheese for a delicious & different, winter dessert. Makes 4 servings.

Simple Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup Villa Gabriella Organic 8-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar di Modena
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger if possible, or granulated ginger
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 peeled Bosc pears, cored & each cut into 4 wedges (you can also use Anjou or Bartlett pears).
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) blue cheese, crumbled
  • Dash of cracked black pepper
  • Fresh thyme sprigs 

Easy Directions:

  1. Combine sugar, water, vinegar & ginger in a small saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. 
  2. Reduce heat & simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves, (8-10 minutes). 
  3. Drain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, discard solids & reserve cooking liquid.
  4. Melt brown sugar & butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook 2 minutes. 
  5. Add chopped thyme, lemon juice & salt. 
  6. Add pears, cut-side down, to pan, reduce heat to low & cook 5-10 minutes or until tender, turning once.
  7. Add liquid mixture back to pan, simmer 5 minutes. 
  8. Arrange 2 pear wedges on a platter; drizzle pears with pan juices, sprinkle cheese over pears; followed by black pepper. 
  9. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.
  10. Serve & enjoy!

Tried, Tasted & True!

At Villa Gabriella Organic our team tries & tastes every recipe we feature.  While we love to share our family recipes & those of talented home cooks & chefs, sometimes we adapt them so they are even easier to make. As with our products, our goal is for you to have a healthy & delicious experience using Villa Gabriella recipes. So try them out in your kitchen, feel free to tweak them & please tell us what you think. We welcome your comments & feedback!

Grazie da Team VILLA GABRIELLA

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RecipesMorgan ShepardComment