Photo: Armstrong Pitts Studios

You tuck them in your lunch box or stash them in the freezer (like O's creative director Adam Glassman), but there's another delicious way to enjoy grapes, aside from in a glass at the end of a long day: roast them.

A little sweet, a little sour, roasted grapes are an easy addition to many foods and dishes you're probably already making. Holly Smith, the chef at Cafe Juanita outside Seattle, folds them into risotto with hazelnuts and cheese. Brad Farmerie, of the restaurant Public in New York, spreads creme fraiche on a toasted scone and drizzles it with roasted grapes for a sweet-savory breakfast. Farmerie also spoons the grapes over ice cream, uses them as a finish to grilled chicken or pork, or tosses them with baby spinach, olive oil and crispy pancetta.

And the recipe could not be simpler...




Holly Smith's Recipe for Roasted Grapes

1 bag seedless red and/or green grapes from California
1/4 cup fennel seed
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 Tbsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients together.  Roast in a 400-degree oven until soft and caramelized golden.  Take out and leave at room temperature.