I'm a sucker for a cheese plate. No seriously- put a cheese plate in front of me and I will melt at your feet (melt. lolz. pun definitely intended.) So when my mom asked for help with dinner party appetizers, what was the first thing my mind jumped to? You guessed it- cheese. I get way over excited when I make cheese plates though and try to cram a million things on to one platter. But I don't think I'm in the minority here. Cheese plates are an art. So I channeled every sophisticated vibe I had in my body and held myself back from putting the whole pantry on the plate. And let me tell ya- I'm pretty proud of myself. Not only did I limit what I used, I upped my game big time with the simplest recipe ever. Rosemary roasted grapes. BOOM. Does that sound fancy or what? Well it is. Or at least your guests will think it is. Little do they know it takes all of two seconds. So next time you're at a dinner party and the hosts serve their cheese with oh-so-basic grapes, I give you full permission to look down your nose at them. You can be all "Oh you put regular grapes with your cheese plate? Laaammmee, I win" (but only in your mind because let's be honest- you don't want to be that miserable dinner guest no one wants to invite back).
I got the idea for these when I had lunch at Ruscello in Atlanta a few days ago. They had something similar served with their cheese plate (yes, I ordered it. Did you even have to ask?), but with a little tweaking on my part.
I prefer to leave them on the vine (because it makes me feel fancy, duh.) That way you have the option to snack on them solo, or eat them with your cheese.
If you take them off the vine, I suggest roasting them longer and turn it into more of a jam that's great spread on top of goat cheese and a baguette.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb red seedless grapes
- 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 whole sprigs of rosemary
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Coat the grapes and rosemary in olive oil in a rimmed baking sheet (Make sure the whole sprig of rosemary is coated so that it doesn't burn)
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until fully coated
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, shaking pan occasionally
* To make more of a roasted grape jam/spread- Remove from vine and roast for 30-40 minutes until grapes have burst. *
This is so good with goat cheese or brie.
So go get yo dinner party on and let me know what you think!