Pear, Brie and Arugula Skewers

Ingredients

• 2 pears
• Approx. 8 ounces brie cheese (~225 grams)
• Approx. 2 cups baby arugula
• Approx. 1/4 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• Balsamic glaze, to drizzle (or balsamic vinegar)

Instructions

1. Slice pears into quarters and remove seeds and stem. Cut quarters into roughly 1/2-inch cubes.
2. Cut brie cheese into similar-sized, 1/2-inch cubes.
3. TIP: I found that leaving the rind on made the skewers a little less sticky to handle!
4. Take a small (4-inch) skewer, and thread a piece of pear, a bundle of arugula, and then a piece of cheese onto it. Place skewer on a serving platter and repeat until all cheese and pears are used up.
5. TIP: fold the arugula in half to make it a smaller bundle and thread the skewer onto the rind part of the cheese!
6. Gently press a few pieces of chopped walnuts onto the brie cheese so that they stick. Drizzle balsamic glaze overtop of skewers and enjoy!
7. Serve around 4-8 people, depending on how many skewers everyone eats. Feel free to adjust accordingly.

*TYPE OF PEAR TO USE: I recommend using either Bosc, Bartlett, or another type of European pear for this recipe. You’ll want them to be ripe enough to eat, but not overly ripe or soft (or else they may fall apart on the skewer). *MAKE AHEAD OPTION: Because pears will brown after cutting them, I would recommend making this recipe within 2 hours of serving. Be sure to store the skewers covered in the fridge to help slow the browning process. Top with walnuts and balsamic glaze just before serving! *OTHER TYPES OF CHEESE: While I have not personally tried this recipe with another cheese, the flavour profile of pear goes well with the following cheeses and I’m sure they would make good substitutions: blue cheese camembert cheddar monterey jack parmesan pecorino