Pears Grilled with Pecorino

Many cuisines have traditions of combining fruit with cheese. This recipe stems from the Tuscan combination of juicy pears with salty pecorino. With some cheese melted over the pears and the rest combined with grapes and salad leaves, the pears grilled with pecorino makes a very attractive dish.

Salad

About 6 cups (1.5 L) arugula, leaves removed from stems
1 bunch (2 cups/500 mL) watercress, leaves removed from stems 
1 cup (250 mL) halved seedless green grapes
3 oz (90 g) pecorino cheese 
2 large, ripe pears, such as Comice or Bartlett

Vinaigrette

1⁄4 cup (50 mL) olive oil
3 tbsp (45 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) sugar
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper

preparation time 20 minutes    
broiling time about 2 minutes    
serves 4

• This salad is a good source of calcium. The pecorino cheese contributes 78% of the total calcium content, and the watercress and arugula contribute 17%. 

• Different types of grapes are grown for various purposes. Some are used for winemaking, some are dried to make raisins, and others are harvested as “table grapes” for eating. The type of grapes you purchase at the grocery store are delicious for snacking, but because of their sweet flavour they would not be ideal for making robust, full-bodied wines.

1. First, make the dressing. Place the oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper into a 2-cup (500-mL) jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and shake until well blended. Chill the dressing until you’re ready to use it.
2. In a large salad bowl, toss the arugula, watercress and green grapes. Using a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer, cut the pecorino cheese into very thin slices. Roughly chop half of the slices and toss into the salad bowl. Set aside the rest of the slices for melting on the pears.
3. Preheat the broiler to high and line a baking sheet with foil. Peel the pears, cut them in half and core them.
4. Arrange the pear halves, cut sides down, on the baking sheet. Top the pears with the reserved cheese slices, overlapping them. Broil the pears, 6 in. (15 cm) from the heat source just until the cheese begins to bubble and turns golden, about 2 minutes. (Watch carefully, as it can burn easily!)
5. Meanwhile, shake the dressing, drizzle it over the salad and toss until the leaves are coated. Mound the salad equally on 4 salad plates. Using a small spatula, carefully arrange one pear half on the top of each salad. Serve immediately while the melted cheese is warm and the greens are still crisp.

Each serving provides calories 317, calories from fat 189, fat 21 g, saturated fat 6 g, cholesterol 23 mg, 
carbohydrate 28 g, fibre 4 g, sugars 21 g, protein 9 g.

Choices per serving: Carbohydrate 1 1⁄2, Meat & Alternatives 1