1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a baking dish with a 2-quart capacity.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together panko, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, and cardamom. Stir in melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Set aside.
3. In another medium bowl, combine pears,raisins, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, and lemon juice.
4. Spoon 1/2 cup of the panko crumb mixture evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon half the pear mixture on top of the crumbs. Sprinkle half of the remaining crumbs over the pears. Spoon remaining pears over these crumbs, and top with the remaining crumbs.
5. Bake until topping is golden and filling begins to bubble, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm, topped with ice cream if desired.
Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, September - October 2011