Mark Diacono
LATIN NAME
Vitis vinifera
SEASONALITY
British grapes: August–October; imported all year round
Generally, the grapes in our shops represent just a few varieties, including ‘Thompson Seedless’ (aka ‘Sultana’), ‘Muscat’ and ‘Concord’. These are sourced from Continental Europe in autumn, South America and South Africa the rest of the year – places where the growing temperatures suit these sun-lovers. Unfortunately, flavour is less of a priority than disease resistance, uniformity of form and size, and appearance, so the most delicious varieties are rarely available to buy. However, with over 600 vineyards in the UK, table grapes are increasingly being grown as a secondary product for farmers’ markets and other local outlets, so do keep an eye out for them. Some supermarkets are also trialling British grapes.
Whether grown for wine, juice or eating fresh, grapes are often subjected to a lot of spraying (they are prone to fungal diseases and a variety of pests). So it’s good to prioritise organic grapes if you can. Keep grapes in the fridge to extend their lifespan – they spoil very quickly – but allow them to get to room temperature before eating.
I like to serve grapes in warm salads. The warmth brings out their subtleties of favour and aroma, just as when they are still warm from the vine. And grapes have some wonderful natural partners, notably cheese (Cheddar with sharp grapes, blue cheese with sweet ones), nuts (especially hazels and walnuts), cured meats, roasted cauliflower, rocket and other spicy leaves, parsley and oily fish. A simple vinaigrette will bring together any of these combinations – tweak with honey or mustard to complement the relative sweetness or sharpness of the fruit.
Grapes are also good added late to summer soups or halved and strewn over a pizza with Parma ham and blue cheese. They roast surprisingly well too (see next recipe).
Growing your own grapes opens up a wealth of flavours beyond the usual shop choices. Search for a variety in the area where flavour, outdoor reliability and disease resistance intersect. ‘Solaris’ and ‘Phoenix’ are two wonderful white grapes for eating, juicing or wine and can be picked anywhere on the ripeness spectrum from sharpish to fully dessert-wine sweet. ‘Rondo’ (which, when fully ripe, tastes as close to a mulberry as any fruit) and ‘Regent’ are superb dual-purpose black grapes. Give them sun and a well-drained spot.
Mingled with a few seasonings, these roasted fruits create a lovely, rough, savoury compote. You can serve the grapes plain roasted, or add nuts for even more of a treat. Try this with gooseberries too. Serves 4–6
500g grapes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp clear honey or sugar
8–10 sage leaves, roughly torn, or the leaves from a sprig of thyme
50g hazelnuts or walnuts (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
Spread out the grapes in a single layer in a shallow baking tray. Sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper and trickle over the olive oil, vinegar, honey or sugar and sage or thyme. Roast for about 15 minutes until the grapes are just starting to burst.
You can eat the roasted grapes like this, perhaps alongside roast chicken or pork chops, or let them cool a little and then transfer them to a bowl (they’re very juicy) to serve as an accompaniment to cheese.
Alternatively, scatter the nuts over the grapes and roast for 5 minutes longer before serving, with good bread.