Pickled Grapes with Rosemary
Pickled grapes look like olives and are served like olives, but have a refreshingly unique, sweet-and-sour flavor with just a touch of heat. Serve with toothpicks as a cocktail nibble or toss them into salads. They’re good for 1 week, refrigerated.
MAKES 4 CUPS
3 cups stemmed mixed red and green seedless grapes, preferably organic (about 1 pound)
1½ cups white wine vinegar or white distilled vinegar
¾ cup water
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
Leaves from 1 (3-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
⅜ teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
Pack the grapes into 1 quart-size or 2 pint-size glass jars or other glass containers with lids.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, garlic, rosemary, pepper flakes, and crushed coriander seeds. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool partially, about 20 minutes.
Pour the liquid into the jar(s), cover loosely, and allow to finish cooling, about 1 hour. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Black Bean Cakes with Tomato Salsa
Two of our daughters became vegetarians during their teenage years. While looking for an alternative to store-bought frozen veggie burgers, we were excited to find a class at JCC Manhattan’s Patti Gelman Culinary Arts Center called Vegetarian Techniques. Their recipe for black bean cakes inspired this dish.
You can make these cakes whatever size you prefer—small, medium, or large. They can be served as hors d’oeuvres, as a plated first course, or as a main dish. We serve them with sliced avocado in addition to the salsa.
MAKES 12 LARGE, 24 MEDIUM, OR 36 BITE-SIZE CAKES
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup minced onion
½ cup minced red bell pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1⅔ cups cooked soaked black beans, or canned
⅔ cup fine bread crumbs
⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs or 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
Tomato Salsa (recipe follows)
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, red pepper, jalapeño, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add the beans, bread crumbs, and cilantro to the food processor and season with salt and pepper. Add the beaten eggs and pulse twice to combine. Scrape down the bowl sides and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.
Line a large plate with parchment paper. Spread the cornmeal on a second large plate. For large cakes, form the bean mixture into 3-inch round cakes; for medium, 2-inch cakes; for hors d’oeuvre size, 1-inch cakes. (The mixture will be wet and soft.) Gently dredge the cakes in the cornmeal and transfer to the lined plate. Refrigerate the cakes for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook the cakes, turning once, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the cakes until cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes for 3-inch cakes; 10 to 15 minutes for 2-inch cakes; and 5 minutes for 1-inch cakes. Serve with the salsa.
Tomato Salsa
This superior salsa can accompany just about any southwest or Mexican dish. It keeps refrigerated for 5 or 6 days.
MAKES 2 CUPS
1 to 2 fresh jalapeño or chipotle peppers, seeded
1 medium red onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
3 large ripe tomatoes, quartered
½ cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
½ red or yellow bell pepper, quartered, cored, and seeded
¼ to ½ cup fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor, combine the chile peppers (to taste), onion, and garlic. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, bell pepper, and lime juice (to taste) and pulse to combine all the ingredients. The salsa should be chunky; don’t overprocess.
Transfer to a medium serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
