Rustic Pear & Blue Cheese Tart

I love the idea of mixing sweet and savory. This tart is a great example of how easy it is to make something that falls into both the appetizer and dessert category. With a nice glass of wine, it is also the kind of light meal that makes me most happy!

The beauty of this tart is that it is free-form. It is supposed to look a little messy and takes no time to make. But it looks so beautiful that people will think you worked really hard on it.

To give the right balance of texture and flavor, I like to use a combination of pears when I am cooking with them. For this tart, I use Anjou, Bosc and Seckel. I also like to buy a different kind of blue cheese every time I go to the grocery store. Because stores now carry so many varieties, it can be hard to choose. Gorzonzola Dolce is a favorite, but I am also a big fan of smoky blue cheeses. Any type works here, but it is fun to experiment with new kinds.

Start by peeling your pears and tossing with lemon juice, cornstarch, brown sugar, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Roll out the pie crust onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Put the pears in the middle, leaving a 2-inch edge.

Dot with pieces of blue cheese.

Fold the edges up and bake until golden brown.

Cool the tart slightly and drizzle with honey.

Slice and serve. How easy is that?