Roasted Pear on Crostini....and everything you'd want to know about PEARS

Looking for something that's light, easy and a crowd pleaser? These bites are best enjoyed as an appetizer but make for a great snack or small, savory dessert. Initially, I wanted to roast plums (did this once before and it was heavenly), but since they are not in season and could not be found in Duluth, I chose Bosc pears. Pear season begins in the summer and continues throughout winter, but if you live in a larger city, you will likely find them year round. Unlike most fruit, pears are best picked unripe, and then left to ripen off the tree. Buy pears when they are still hard and leave on the counter to ripen and do not store in a plastic bag.

Roasted Pear Crostini 
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 Bosc pears, small diced with skins
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp warm honey
8 fresh thyme sprigs, stems and greens separated
1 cup (5.3 oz) siggi’s skyr vanilla*
1/2 whole-grain baguette
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper


Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Cut pears, removing the seeds, and toss with thyme stems (leaves removed) & warm honey. Place in a casserole or lay on a baking sheet and bake until edges of pears are crisp and brown, 20 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the rest.
4. Adjust the oven temperature to 500F. Slice the bread into rounds. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake (when oven is to temperature) until browned, about 2-3 minutes.
5. When pears and bread are cooled, assemble the crostini by layering, starting with the toasted bread as a base. Next, spread the yogurt and carefully spoon on the roasted pears (remove the thyme stems). Sprinkle freshly cut thyme leaves on top as garnish along with salt and pepper to finish.

*Plain or orange/ginger are two other flavors that pair nicely  

​If you want to learn more about the different varieties, here are the top 10. 
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For detailed information on each pear, click ​here to learn more about nutrition, seasonality, ripening, culinary uses and history (images from USAPears.org).