Pear & Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a Simple Spinach Salad

Pear & Grilled Cheese Sandwich

One of my favorite preserves this winter is our Pear & Rosemary Conserve that I made a few weeks ago with beautifully Warren Pears from Frog Hollow Farm.  After making the first batch I couldn’t get enough of it and often times just ended up eating it with a spoon straight from the jar.  I decided I really needed to find other ways to enjoy this flavorful conserve.  So far for I’ve had it on toast and with oatmeal for breakfast, paired with blues (cheeses-preferably Point Reyes Farmstead Blue) for an appetizer, and served with grilled pork chops for dinner.   However, one of my favorite ways to enjoy this conserve is in a grilled cheese sandwich.  I love the sweet from the pears with a Jarlsberg, Gruyere, or a smokey Gouda.

This is an easy recipe that comes together quickly and requires no real measuring.  It can be adapted to your own particular tastes by changing the type of cheese or greens.

Pear & Rosemary Conserve

Ingredients

2 slices of Olive oil bread, sweet french, or sourdough
Jarlsberg Cheese
Spinach
Pear & Rosemary Conserve
Butter or Olive Oil

Butter a large skillet or cast iron pan and put onto medium heat.  Spread Pear & Rosemary Conserve onto one slice of bread and top with spinach leaves.  Place sliced cheese onto the other piece of bread.  Add each slice of bread to the pan and let cook until the cheese has melted.

Pear & Grilled Cheese with Pear & Spinach Salad

To keep with the spinach and pear theme I enjoyed my grilled cheese with a simple spinach salad and the following dressing.

Pear & Balsamic Dressing

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Pear & Rosemary Conserve
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Whisk together and toss with a cup or two of baby spinach.

We hope everyone is having a great January.  Until next time.

Serendipitously,

Kristen