Another Simple Indulgence

A few weeks ago, I put up a post here describing an extremely simple but very tasty breakfast that I've been enjoying lately, namely fall pears combined with fresh ricotta cheese and lavendar honey.   I'd now like to tell you about an equally simple and incredibly delicious snack or post-meal treat, one that you may very well find to be dangerously addictive.

It begins with a slice of fresh pain de mie, the soft, sweet and buttery white bread that is available at many of the Bay Area's finest bakeries.   The Acme Bread Company in the San Francisco Ferry Building sells an especially good version that I buy quite frequently, but it's the one offered by Pascal Rigo's Boulangerie at Pine Street that reigns as my current favorite.   Next is a great product that I discovered during a recent trip to wine country, Cinnamon Pear Jelly from a company called A Perfect Pear.   Made from the juice of organic Bartletts, this spread has a uniquely spectacular flavor due to the presence of just the right amount of cinnamon.   I purchased my jar at Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg, but I have also seen it on sale at Andronico's here in San Francisco.   Last, but certainly not least, is the signature cheese from Cowgirl Creamery - Mt. Tam.   This triple-cream is made with organic milk from the Strauss Family Dairy, and it is simultaneously delicious, creamy and decadent.

Well, I'm sure you can see where this is going by now, so I won't belabor the point.   Simply toast a slice of the pain de mie, spread generously with Cinnamon Pear Jelly, and top with Mt. Tam cheese.   Now, of course, the general concept of combining toasted bread, a fruit spread, and good cheese is hardly novel.   Indeed, I hesitated briefly before posting this piece, for fear that I might be describing something so obvious as to not even be worth mentioning.   And yet, every time I tasted this particular trio, I found myself increasingly convinced that this was not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill combination, and that it was simply too good not to share.   So, if you get the chance, give it a try sometime and let me know what you think!