A feast or a treat? - Pear, Rosemary and Maple Syrup Compote on Cardamom Butter Fried Bread

 I just have to start off with telling you that the registrations for our third Plate To Page food photography and writing workshop are now open and that I would love to see you there but hurry up as there are only 12 spaces! Here is the preliminary program and here is where to register!

And now over to something completely different - pears. I'm neither pear shaped nor are my plans going pear shaped but I do like a good pear now and then, to be honest I prefer pears to apples when I bake or cook. And right now I am on a pear ride so you can expect to see more recipes with pears here in the near future.

When I grew up my mother used to tie a bottle or two to our pear tree with a small small pear inside so that she could fill it up with something nice and strong when the pear was mature. Now that tree grew very close to a hedge and there was a big foot path running next to it so I wonder what people thought about us really. It was definitely not an exuberant neighborhood, rather austere is how I remember it, at least in the foot path direction, so they really must have thought we were a crazy lot with bottles hanging in the trees. But who cares, my mother obviously didn't and I am happy she did what she did, it looked so nice and it was fun to see how the pears grew and became too big to ever slide out of the bottles.

 When I made this Pear, Rosemary and Maple Syrup Compote on Cardamom Fried Bread, I made far too little of it, I wish I hade made too much for once but ten, maybe it was enough and it just felt it was too little. So my advice to you is to make enough of it, no make a lot and maybe don't invite your friends for tea just that day...


PEAR, ROSEMARY AND MAPLE SYRUP COMPOTE ON CARDAMOM BUTTER FRIED BREAD
8 units

4 big sweet and mature pears
1 sprig of rosemary
8 tbsp maple syrup
4 slices of bread
good pinch ground cardamom

 Peel and cut pears into small pieces, put these in a small pan and add maple syrup. Crush the rosemary a bit and add that too. Leave to simmer until nice and syrupy, it takes at least 15-20 minutes on medium heat.

 Meanwhile, cut the bread slices in two or use a cookie cutter to cut out nice shapes. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the cardamon, stir and then fry the bread until crispy.

  Spoon the pear compote on the bread and eat.