Grilled Pear and Prosciutto Starter

This simple, elegant appetizer has an amazing combination of sweet, salty, tart and fresh flavors. Replace the mint with any type of herb that you like. Oregano is quite nice. For an even quicker version, use canned pears. Simply drain them and heat them up in the microwave until just warm, then proceed to step 4.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  pears, any variety
• 4  slices prosciutto
• 4  slices fresh parmesan cheese
• 4  sprigs mint
• 4  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Peel, halve, and core the pears.
2. Grill the pears on medium heat, turning once, until they are heated through and have nice grill marks on both sides. 5-7 minutes.
3. Alternately, you can sauté the pears in a little butter or apple juice to heat them through and soften them up a bit.
4. Place one pear half on each plate.
5. Top each pear half with a slice of prosciutto, followed by a slice of parmesan (use a potato peeler to get a nice, thin slice), and then a mint leaf.
6. Drizzle a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar around each pear half.
7. Season with salt and pepper if desired.