It’s pear time here in the Australia. Even in the tropical north we are enjoying beautiful pears from Australia’s southern states.There are some wonderful varieties here in Australia each with it’s own deliciousness. My favourite pear is the Josephine, richly flavoured, sweet and juicy! But it doesn’t matter which pear you choose –  the Josephine, Beurré Bosc, Packham or even the little Corella – this recipe is delicious to showcase the best of the season.

I remember as a child, my Italian born parents would buy a whole box of pears! My father loved them with bread and cheese. That box of pears fascinated me. Each one was wrapped in a little square of tissue paper to protect it and laid carefully into the box. I still love to see food treated with the respect it deserves. Farmers have put a lot of time and care into growing and producing our food that end up on our supermarket shelves, it’s a shame to see it bruised by carelessness. Maybe we should take a leaf out of other countries, like Italy, where the shopper doesn’t touch the produce. A couple of years ago, while on a holiday in Italy, I was shopping for some fruit and saw this for myself. I loved the care and pride that the greengrocer took with selecting the fruit I had asked for. No more squashed and bruised fruit! In saying that, it’s not like that in Australia, so be sure to pick your pears carefully and don’t let them become too ripe or they will fall apart.

These roasted pears are good warm or at room temperature which is perfect for a winter dessert. Combined with wine, a touch of honey and a hint of rosemary these pears have an intriguing flavour that doesn’t overpower. You can even have the leftovers with yogurt and granola for breakfast! Now that’s a breakfast of kings!

Do you remember the pears wrapped in the tissue paper? How do you feel about having the greengrocer select your fruit?