Polpette with blue cheese & crostini with pears & blue

Featuring Barbara of GiaBar

For the meatballs

• 2 cups (500gr) minced meat 7 oz

• (200gr) bread Milk as needed

• 1 egg

• 3 oz (80gr) parmesan

• 1 shallot Parsley Salt, pepper, and garlic powder Sauce Gorgonzola

• 1 generous tbsp per person Fresh cream

Grate the Parmesan cheese and chop the shallot and parsley. Cut the bread into pieces, add the milk, and let it soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze out any excess milk from the bread, then place it in a bowl with the other ingredients. Mix everything together using your hands. Form the mixture into small balls about the size of a tablespoon. Set them aside until you’re ready to fry. Heat a pan with some extra virgin olive oil and a little butter. Once the pan is hot, add the polpette and brown them on all sides. In a separate pan, add the Gorgonzola and a bit of cream. Allow it to melt, then remove it from the heat. Place the polpette on a plate, drizzle with the blue cheese sauce, and garnish with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Crostino with caramelized pear and blue cheese

• 1 pear

• 15gr of butter

• 30gr of sugar

Wash the pears, cut them in half, and then slice them. In a pan, add the butter and sugar, and cook until it caramelizes to a light brown color. Add the sliced pears. The caramel may harden initially, but be patient as the fruit's liquid will soften it. Slice the bread. In Tuscany, we use saltless bread, but Ciabatta-style bread works well too. Place the caramelized pears on the sliced bread and top with pieces of blue cheese. Put the bread in the oven and bake until the cheese melts. Serve warm.