
„When the cat’s away, the mice will play!“
In this case:
Cat = Soeren
Mice = Tom + Me
It’s Fall break here and Soeren is away at his grandparents for the whole week. When Tom came back yesterday evening after dropping Soeren off, I was in the kitchen preparing a few nibbles for us to enjoy over a glass of white wine. We looked at each other and as if we knew what the other was thinking high-fived with huge grins on our faces.
It was 8 PM and on a normal Sunday, we would have already had our dinner, packed the school backpack and Soeren would have been in bed. On a normal Sunday.
This, however was not a normal Sunday, this was a Sunday where there was a slight giddy feeling of freedom. The freedom of breaking free from the normal shackles of routine. The freedom of breaking free from being responsible parents for a few days.
Tom turned up the radio as Katy Perry sang “I kissed a girl and liked it!” grabbed me and we danced in the kitchen like two teenagers!

Tom opened a bottle of white wine and both of us enjoyed the evening cooking together, talking (without being interrupted) and just eating and drinking for the rest of the evening without having one eye on the clock.
What do I prepare on such evenings? Something light but elegant, like this fig and pear wrap. An easy but flavorful dish, which I love serving with a variety of soft cheeses, but is also a perfect side for poultry, beef, veal, and fish dishes. It would pair up extremely well with the apple glazed duck filets, or make a fruity side to the veal with creamy mushrooms, or even play off with the flavors of the herbs de Provence in the fried fish Provencal.
For us though it was a loaf of fresh baguette, a bottle of wine, a platter of different cheeses and these exquisite wraps.

Fig, Pear and Bacon Wraps
Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.4 small ripe pears, peeled, halved and cores removed
4 ripe figs, halved
200ml white wine
Juice of 1/2 lime
50g sugar
2 tablespoon fig mustard, substitute with any other mustard like Dijon
8 slices bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Salt and fresh cracked pepperMethod
Pour the wine, lemon juice and sugar in a large pot. Place the pear halves into the liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the pears have softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the liquid.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C. Keep an oven proof dish ready.
Spread each fig half with a thin layer of mustard, close with a pear half and then wrap each fruit "sandwich" with a bacon slice. Place in the ovenproof dish.
Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried rosemary.
Place in the oven and roast for approx. 15 - 20 minutes.
Serve warm.
Verdict

This was a sensational indulgence. Using pears and figs it is perfect for this time of year. If you should find yourself without the kids one evening, seduce your partner with this delicacy. I simply love dishes like this - fruity, tangy with the mustard and smoky with the bacon. The rosemary adds a delicate highlight rounding the entire dish perfectly.
The Monthly Mingle is over at Ruth's Experiments and we're looking for Sensational Sides. This is my contribution to Ruth's brilliant choice.
You might like these sides from WFLH:
![]() | Sautéed Red Cabbage with Pomegranate Seeds and Cinnamon |
![]() | Pumpkin & Feta Tart |
![]() | Roasted Pumpkin & Mushroom Salad |
From around the blogs:
- Garlic & Green Beans - Delicious Delicious
- Crusty Oven Roasted Potatoes - The Perfect Pantry
- Baked Balsamic Beets with Majoram - Mooseabout
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:
- The Great Pumpkin by Mike
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
I full agree what a excelent way to do a sensational side dish on a sensational evening.
ReplyDeleteSensational.. in many ways..
ReplyDeleteEnjoy these precious moments :-)
ReplyDeleteA little bit of indulgence never hurt anyone! A wonderful dish with those beautiful cheeses!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are enjoying your time together! What a beautiful side dish.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! Three of my favorite foods wrapped in beautiful little bundles. Can't wait to try them. And with bread, wine and a little cheese, heavenly.
ReplyDeleteA romantic evening for two! That's what every parents deserve once in a while :)
ReplyDeleteI've paired figs with lots of foods, but not pears -- yet, that is. After seeing this recipe, I'll be trying it for sure!
ReplyDeleteBacon with figs...oh my! Sign me up, those look great.
ReplyDeleteSeems like you had a wonderful time..love the pics..as usual they are tempting and droolworthy.
ReplyDeleteMeeta, what an amazing dish! I would love these wraps!
ReplyDeleteWhat an unusual pairing , amazing pict & write-up as usual:) enjoy those precious time!
ReplyDeleteHi Meeta,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed checking out your blog. I love the bacon and fig combination but have never added pear into this mix, a must try.
--Marc
it sounds like you guys had a splendid evening! great job with the little fig & pear parcels... those two are perfect for each other :)
ReplyDeletewow i am drooling over ur pics :). tempting and mouthwatering. u have a trick of clicking pics :)
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are truly amazing!! Not too mention the fig and pear combination. Great work!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a real treat.
ReplyDeletePaz
Aww, so lovely that you two have time to spend with JUST each other - hooray!! :0)
ReplyDeleteSensationally elegant side dish!
Children away, hubby in a singing mode, bottle of wine chilled and what do we foodies do.....we cook!!!!
ReplyDeleteA lovely meal indeed!!!!
Thanks for posting this - it looks delicious. I will surely be trying this soon!
ReplyDeleteSounds like u guys had a very romantic evening.
ReplyDeleteThese looks sooo beautiful.
Figs, pears, bacon, cheese...mmm... That looks like a really nice treat.
ReplyDeleteNow I reallyy need to start cooking with figs! Plus, anything covered in bacon is delish. Loved this post :)
ReplyDeleteSues
Thanks everyone! We did indeed have a great evening and these little nibbles were just the perfect accompaniment. Hope you all enjoy making this - let me know what you thought!
ReplyDeleteReally fantastic!!! I love figs, pears... i think they would be nice with a table of cheese... as a savory dessert
ReplyDeleteana
Incredible! and so precious those moment.
ReplyDeleteLove that array of cheeses with the fig & pear wrap!!
That looks Fan-freaking-tabulous! Gorgeous little plate of indulgence there. Just lovely. All of those flavors... that's like some serious amusement park for the tastes!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for a romantic evening, thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies! Yup - this really is a great burst of flavors. Even Tom, who is not always keen on the sweet savory combo really liked this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments!
This sounds and looks so delicious - the photos are mouthwatering!
ReplyDelete