My current obsession...Roasted Grapes
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Excuse the whining Part 1…It’s Friday and the end of the first week of Fall quarter as a culinary instructor and I am TIRED. One of my students commented at a 7:30 a.m. class that one of the things they never tell you about being an adult is how tired you are, All…The… Time!!! And, that is for real. I’ve been saying to myself for years, “Some day when I’m rested.” Not today my friends.
With the weather so abruptly changing this year, I am really feeling the soggy, gray weather blues harder than ever. So, instead of falling into the abyss, I am choosing to embrace this new season as much as I can and find the things that “bring me joy”, as Marie Condo says. Now, I know that most people jump on the pumpkin bandwagon this time of year, with pumpkin in everything. But for me, pumpkin is going to be around for months to come, and there are more interesting, delicious foodstuffs that won’t be at their peak for long. For this, may I turn your attention to the humble grape…usually, I like my grapes crushed and fermented, I mean, I like them as wine, but then Fall comes and we need something bright and refreshing to go with our wine. So this is your official invitation to jump on my roasted grapes party bus. No RSVP required.
I’m not talking about your average table grape, you know, the ones we find 365 days a year in the produce department. It’s a party, live a little, and go for something more interesting. Maybe, hit up a farmers market where you might find some tasty varietals like Mars, or Canadice. Better grocery stores are, more and more offering fun varieties when in season like Moon Drop, Cotton Candy, Kyoho, Valiant, and Sweet Jubilee. All are delicious in their own right, but I am declaring a roasted grape to be the ultimate in deliciousness this time of year. It’s surprising and pairs so well with rich, succulent, garlic-laden sausages.
I was reminded of how delicious grapes are when roasted or cooked on my recent trip to Paris. At one of our favorite meals at Les Enfants Du Marche we had the most exquisite dish with a sea bream tartare and these delightful smoked grapes (they called them smoked raisins). It is the one dish that I continue to think about every day…addicting!
This is hardly a recipe, and you should mix it up with your favorite veggies, fennel would be awesome, use whatever sausage you love best. An herb salad would be a lovely addition to this combo…
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