Poached Seckle Pears with Walnut Pound Cake, Blue Cheese Ice Cream and Rosemary Caramel

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
• 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves plus 2 whole sprigs, divided
• 1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• 8 Seckle pears, peeled
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 recipe Walnut pound Cake, recipe follows
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 whole egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon cake flour, divided
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1/2 vanilla bean, cut and scraped, seeds reserved
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon, at room temperature, divided
• 2 to 3-ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk, divided
• Peel from half a lemon
• 4 large eggs
• 1 recipe Blue Cheese Ice Cream, recipe follows
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 vanilla bean, cut and scraped
• 1 cup water
• 1 recipe Rosemary Caramel, recipe follows
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 stick cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups half-and-half