Honeyed Fruits with Blue Cheese

Serves 2

While looking for a simple starter for a supper party I started to develop a hankering for baked fruit with cheese.  Don’t ask me why I guess it’s just one of those strange food occurrences which cannot be explained but stay with you until you have satisfied the itch (or rather stomach grumbling).  Fortunately I happened to have a lovely chunk of smelly Gorgonzola cheese in the fridge (which was threatening to leave the fridge on its own account if I did not eat it soon) that would be perfect – strange how these things work out isn’t it? 

It sounds strange but baked peaches served with a ripe blue cheese are a marriage made in heaven.  This dish combines the sweetness of a dessert with the tangy flavours of a cheeseboard.  It also makes for a wonderful light lunch.

The French are well known for eating blue cheese with a drizzle of honey.  This dish takes it one step further and with peaches in season this month it’s the perfect dish to make when you are fed up with just eating them straight out of the fruit bowl.

4 ripe Peaches or Pears
4 tablespoon of Runny Honey
50g Butter (unsalted)
3 small stems fresh Thyme
50g Walnut pieces
4 slices of ripe Gorgonzola Cheese (or other Blue varieties) – quantity to suit you

Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones.  Place in an oven proof dish and drizzle with knobs of butter and 2 tablespoons of the honey.  Place 2 of the thyme stems on the dish and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cooked through but still holding their shape.  They should have slightly caramelised.  Remove from the oven and the dish and set aside.

In a saucepan heat the remaining honey and thyme together until just coming to the boil.  Take off the heat and set aside to infuse.

For each serving, place a slice of gorgonzola on a plate with the two peach halves, drizzle over a little of the honey/thyme infusion on the peaches and gorgonzola.  Sprinkle with a few of the walnut pieces and serve.

For best results this dish is served at room temperature.