'TIS THE SEASON: PEARS IN HONEY AND PINE NUT CARAMEL WITH ARTISANAL CHEESE

O! M! G!  Any food writer worth their salt would surely cringe at the sight of that terribly overused abbreviation.  However, I am not a food writer.  I try to be an honest writer, and the three words it represents are precisely what I said, over and over again, as I was eating this gooey concoction.

I first bought these ingredients thinking I would make this for dessert one evening, but with the heat we've been having, I never felt like going back into the kitchen to start cooking again, once dinner was done.  Plus, there were all those plants outside, begging me to get out there and do some watering!  Then I thought about making it for the two of us as a light lunch or supper, but wasn't sure John would settle for that, even though the cheese and nuts would certainly provide enough protein.  In the end, I just woke up this morning and decided to treat myself to an amazing breakfast.

Of course, it may not be to everyone's taste.  John woke up just in time for me to give him one last bite of mine, and his reaction was "Meh."  But then, he's not really a morning person, or a breakfast person, or a salty and sweet person.  Plus, it was the smell of my almost-but-not-quite-scorching the caramel  that woke him up.  Sorry I wasted that bite on him.  However, if you do go bonkers over salty and sweet, and are a lover of each of these ingredients individually, you are sure to adore how they all come together in this one exquisite dish, perfect for any time you should choose to have it, on a beautiful autumn day!

PEARS IN HONEY AND PINE NUT CARAMEL
 WITH ARTISANAL CHEESE

from Deborah Madison, as seen in Bon Appetit magazine

(serves six)

A Note From Deborah: If your pears are on the dry side, the caramel will form more quickly than if they are juicy. (Mine were, and it did!  I will use lower heat settings next time.)  Any variety of pears can be used in this recipe, but Bosc pears hold up especially well because of their firm texture.  Almost any cheese would be great with the pears. (I used a Spanish manchego -- a firm, aged cheese -- and loved the way it became sort of chewy, and glommed onto the nuts and caramel!)

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 firm but ripe Bosc or other pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored
• 3 1/2 tablespoons mild honey (such as orange blossom or clover)
• 4 oz. artisanal cheese (such as Point Reyes Original Blue, Humboldt Fog, dry Monterey Jack, sheep's-milk ricotta, tangy soft fresh goat cheese, or other local cheese), sliced or crumbled, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• Pinch of fine sea salt

Cook unsalted butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to brown.  Add pear halves, cut side down, to skillet.  Drizzle honey over pears and swirl pan slightly to blend butter and honey.  Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until pears are tender when pierced with paring knife, swirling skillet occasionally and adding a few tablespoons of water to skillet if caramel sauce turns deep amber before pears are tender, about 12 minutes.

Transfer pears, cut side up, to serving platter.  Top pears with cheese.

Return skillet with caramel sauce to medium-high heat; add pine nuts to skillet and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  Cook until sauce in skillet is brown and bubbling, about 2 minutes.  Spoon sauce over pears and serve.