I’ve been eating a ton of grapes this summer.
They’re so crunchy and sweet that I can almost fool myself into thinking I’m eating candy (almost).
Grapes are also a really healthy snack. All varieties contain polyphenols, a source of antioxidants. Apart from their health benefits, grapes taste fantastic and are favourites with kids (like anything that’s naturally bite-sized). Frozen grapes make a really refreshing warm-weather snack.
Just remove grapes from their stems, place them in plastic food bags and freeze. Voilà! Mini popsicles. Here are some other ideas to make the most of grapes while they’re at their best. Be sure to use only seedless varieties for these recipes.
Napa Chicken Salad
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
½ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1 cup halved red seedless grapes
1 cup thinly sliced celery
6 cups spring salad mix (designer greens)
Dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp poppy seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well blended. Cover and refrigerate dressing until ready to serve salad. To make salad, toss together the chicken, pecans, grapes and celery in a large bowl until well combined.
Add the dressing and gently toss salad until ingredients are evenly coated with dressing. Place 1½ cups of salad greens on each of four serving plates; top with about one cup of the chicken mixture. Makes four servings.
Grape & Goat Cheese Appetizers
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz soft goat cheese
Approximately 30 red or green seedless grapes (or a combination of the two), plus more for garnish if desired
1 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts or pecans
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and goat cheese until well blended. With your hands, form about a teaspoon of the cheese mixture into a ball around a grape so the grape is completely covered. Roll each ball in the chopped nuts. Refrigerate until cheese firms up.
Skewer each ball with a toothpick (you can skewer another “naked” grape on the toothpick above the cheese ball to let people know what’s inside). Makes about 30 appetizers.
Grape, Gorgonzola & Honey Crostini
20 baguette slices (about a half-inch thick)
1 cup quartered red grapes
¾ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
¼ cup honey
Preheat oven to 450º F. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake for about three minutes or just until light golden brown. Divide the crumbled cheese evenly onto the baguette slices and return to the oven until the cheese is slightly melted, about another three minutes. Place a few grape pieces on top of each crostini then drizzle each one with a little honey. Serve immediately; makes 20 appetizers.
White Chocolate Dipped Grapes
1 lb seedless grapes, removed from stems (try to find nice, big, fat ones)
2 cups chopped white chocolate (use a bar of quality imported white chocolate, not white chocolate chips or baking chocolate because they don’t melt well)
1 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
Place a sheet of waxed paper on a large baking sheet. Rinse the grapes and place them on paper towels until completely dry (this is really important because the chocolate won’t stick if there is any moisture on the grapes).
Microwave the white chocolate in a shallow bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each one, just until melted. Place the chopped almonds in another shallow bowl. Skewer each grape with a toothpick and dip it into the melted chocolate so grape is coated about halfway up; dip the bottom into chopped almonds. Place the grapes on the waxed paper until chocolate is hardened. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
