Roasted Grapes with Yogurt Cream

It’s hard to ignore the stunning bright beauty of grapes. They beam like clusters of jewels on market tables everywhere, their effortless beauty urging us to make the investment. There are so many wonderful varieties to pair with artisan cheese for a little something different and wonderful.

In this recipe, I roast the grapes with a loving splash of olive oil, a bit of sugar secured with a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt. As they roast, their skins split and they become juicy and sumptuous. The olive oil doesn’t overwhelm the taste at all but rather gives the grapes a luscious mouth feel.

I serve these roasted grapes with a dollop of Greek yogurt that has been mixed with a little honey and vanilla and expanded with a little bit of cream. The result is simple and beautiful and tastes like something you’d sample on the shores of the Mediterranean as you stare out into the deep blue sea. These are clean and robust flavors that come together in about 15 minutes. Pull up a chair and nibble at this light plateful of summer.

Bench notes:
- Choose grapes that are seedless and full of flavor. I like red flames but I’m sure there are other varieties that would also be delicious.
- It might be fun to add a splash of orange flower water to the yogurt cream instead of vanilla.
- These grapes would also be delicious with a bite of your favorite cheese: blue, goat, triple cream.
- The salt is a nice contrast to the essential sweetness of the grapes.
- This would be a good dessert to serve with a nice Beaumes de Venise or Muscat, Monbazillac, Semillon or Viognier wine.


Roasted Grapes with Yogurt Cream
Makes 4 servings

Yogurt Honey Cream

1 C (8 oz) plain Greek yogurt
3 T honey, to taste
1/2 t lemon juice, to taste
1/4 t vanilla
1/2 C heavy cream

Roasted Grapes

1 lb 4 oz seedless red grapes, such as red flame
generous 1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T sugar
pinch cinnamon
pinch sea salt

For the Yogurt Cream, whisk together the yogurt and honey.
Add the lemon juice and vanilla.
Whip the heavy cream just to a very soft peak.
Fold in the whipped cream. Chill.

For the Roasted Grapes, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cut the grapes into small clusters and place them in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with your hands to coat evenly.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the grapes. Sprinkle with sea salt. Place the grapes in a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish and roast in the oven for about 15 – 18 minutes, until the grape skins show signs of cracking. Plate the grapes, drizzle with their juices and serve with a dollop of Yogurt Cream.