Roasted Grapes + Goat Cheese Crème Fraîche
First the recipe
Roasted Grapes with Goat Cheese Crème Fraîche, Za’atar Roasted Hazelnuts, and Tahini
Serves 4
2-3 cups seedless red grapes
1 tbs. + 1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. + 1/2 tsp. course sea salt, separated
2 tbs. + 1 tbs. turbinado sugar (can sub brown sugar)
1 lemon, zest and juice
1/3 cup raw hazelnuts
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom + 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. za’atar
3/4 cup crème fraîche*
1/4 cup goat cheese
2 tbs. honey
For topping: tahini, honeycomb, more za’atar, more lemon zest, and “grape caramel”
Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.
Toss the hazelnuts with 1 tbs. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, 1 tbs. turbinado sugar, 1/4 tsp. cardamom, and the za’atar. Roast on a baking sheet until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Toss the rinsed and well-dried grapes with the rest of the olive oil, salt, sugar, and cardamom. Roast 8-12 minutes, or until slightly wrinkled and wilted, but not too mushy. You want to see a good amount of juice or what I like to call “grape caramel” on the pan. Remove the grapes and allow the juice to thicken on the pan until plating.
While the grapes are roasting, whisk together the crème fraîche, goat cheese, lemon zest and juice, a pinch of salt, and honey until smooth. Refrigerate to rethicken and keep cool until just before serving.
To plate, dollop some crème fraîche on a plate or in a bowl, top with a bunch or two of roasted grapes, a few roasted hazelnuts, a spoonful of tahini and honeycomb, a sprinkle of za’atar, and more lemon zest. Drizzle it all with that thickened, sticky “grape caramel” reserved on the baking sheet and dig in.
*If you cannot find crème fraiche, sub 1/2 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup mascarpone, or make it from scratch.
Then the BS
I am currently in the middle of reading probably one of the best books I have read in a while—maybe even ever: The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty. I followed Michael Twitty on Instagram years back, and though I have known he is the author of this amazing James Beard award-winning book, it has never made its way on my book list (you know, that list of ongoing books I probably should read but never really will). That was until the other day when I walked by my new favorite bookstore in the south loop of Chicago, Sandmeyer’s Bookstore and decided to pop in, even though I had just bought about three too many cookbooks there earlier that week. I went in just to browse, and left with two more, one being The Cooking Gene. Whether you like cooking or not, this book is incredible. Twitty’s perspective on the history of African American cooking in the south and experience with it is thought-provoking, inspiring, and enlightening at minimal. One of my favorite lines from the book so far goes like this:
“All self-hatred is nonsense, and it’s a sickness only your soul food can cure.”
Well, this is my soul food. Or at least a snack-type-desserty-breakfast-ish version of it.
You might be thinking, “what the hell is this dish?”
If you are, I’m right there with you. The truth is, I don’t really know. It started as a savory “dessert” idea, but the further along cooking it I became and the more I tasted it, I realized it could easily work for nearly any meal of the day. Call it breakfast, a snack, a dessert, a side dish, even an appetizer. I picture it spread out on a platter or a board and devoured by multiple spoons after a quaint (or not quaint) dinner party.
I also picture it in a bowl, accompanied by a cup of coffee, on a Sunday morning, eaten alone in bed. It’s quite the versatile dish.
What I do know, is that it is the epitome of a sweet and savory dish. Its first impression is definitely very sweet-forward. It is creamy and nutty and rich and just sugary enough to qualify as a dessert, which is why that lemon is crucial to brighten everything up a bit. While it is a mainly sweet, dessert-type dish, it is also incredibly savory. Not in a salty, umami, typical “savory” way, but in a satisfying, checks off all the boxes of what you could possibly be craving, earthy, comforting way. Well, it’s my comfort food at least. I have decided anything even mildly reflecting Middle Eastern cuisine, somewhat sweet, and doused in za’atar, good honey, and tahini is my comfort food.
Regardless of what this dish is, I think it’s pretty damn delicious.
