Grab some grapes for cool summer meals
They’re fresh, fun food, California style. And during summer’s searing heat, every bite offers a burst of coolness.
No wonder fresh grapes are a favorite warm-weather snack.
Plus grapes are easy to like. They’re ripe and ready to eat at purchase. They travel well. They don’t need peeling, coring or (in most cases) seeding. And they’re packed with nutrition as well as flavor. That makes them an ideal recipe ingredient, too. They’re also a natural for summer hydration: Grapes are about 80 percent water.
Lucky for us, we live in grape country where California’s little gems will be in bountiful supply for months to come.
“It looks like growers are on pace for one of the largest crops in history,” said Jeff Cardinale, vice president of the California Table Grape Commission.
That follows the state’s third-largest table grape crop. During the 2015-16 grape season, California growers harvested 110.5 million boxes – more than 2.43 billion pounds. That harvest set a record for crop value: $1.83 billion. That’s a lot of black, red and green.
In recent years, red varieties have surpassed green seedless as most popular.
“Which grape you use really depends on the recipe and the level of complexity you want in a dish,” Cardinale said.
More than 99 percent of the nation’s commercially grown grapes come from California. Featuring about 85 varieties, the fresh season stretches from mid-May through January. Early grapes from the Coachella Valley are now in stores with many more on the way.
“The No. 1 use of table grapes is snacking, far and away,” Cardinale said. “We want people to think about grapes in different ways – in salads, side dishes, drinks, main courses. They’re a very versatile fruit.”
The same juicy crunch that makes them so appealing as snack food also make grapes a delicious ingredient in summer cooking. Like wine grapes, there are subtle differences in flavor, and all the colors are available in season.
“A juicy burst of flavor and balance of sweetness with acidity that complements so many ingredients and flavor profiles,” Cardinale said. “Salads are very popular; grapes are an easy add-on. Instead of tomatoes, try adding grapes to a recipe. In fact, just about any recipe that calls for tomatoes, try grapes.”
That includes pizza, salsa, pasta and gazpacho.
In its efforts to help home cooks make the most of grapes, the commission worked with professional chefs and dietitians to develop a trove of grape-based recipes. More than 200 recipes are online at www.grapesfromcalifornia.com Dozens are included in the cookbook “Green Black Red” (Chronicle Books, 2008, $16.95, 132 pages) by Susan Volland, which the commission is updating.
“We’re working with nationally known chefs to develop our recipes,” Cardinale said. “They look for specific flavors that complement one of the three grape colors.”
With Mediterranean roots, grapes work well in Italian, Greek, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines.
“They’re great with feta cheese,” Cardinale said. “The Mediterranean chicken and grape skewers is one of the most searched recipes on our website.”
This ancient fruit also pairs well with ancient grains such as farro, quinoa, bulgur and freekeh.
One of the easiest ways to enjoy grapes in summer: frozen.
“They only take two hours to freeze, and they taste like mini sorbets,” Cardinale said.
Frozen grapes can be whirred into smoothies or used in other recipes, too.
“Frozen grapes also make great ice cubes,” he added. “A tip for adults: Use frozen grapes to chill a glass of white wine or champagne. It won’t dilute the wine or change its flavor. And when you finish the wine, you can eat the wine-infused grapes.”
Debbie Arrington: 916-321-1075, @debarrington
Breakfast-to-go grape smoothie
Serves 2 (Makes 2 1/3 cups)
Recipe courtesy California Table Grape Commission.
1 1/2 cups frozen California grapes
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup vanilla or honey low-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup grape juice
1/4 cup wheat flake cereal
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Grape-arugula bread salad
Serves 4 to 6
Recipe courtesy California Table Grape Commission.
Dressing:
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
Salad:
1 medium red onion, peeled, sliced into half-moons
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
4 slices rustic bread
4 cups arugula, washed and dried
1 bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/2 cups green or red seedless California grapes, picked from stem and rinsed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients.
Place red onions in baking dish lined with foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of prepared dressing and toss well. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil with crushed garlic. Brush onto bread slices. Broil or grill bread for 1-2 minutes on each side until toasted. Cut bread into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Place bread, roasted onions, arugula, fennel, bell pepper, pine nuts and grapes in large bowl and toss with remaining dressing. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
Frozen grapes
This technique turns ordinary grapes into summer heat-busters. Use them as snacks straight out of the freezer, ingredients in other recipes (such as grape smoothies) or as eye-catching “ice grapes” to chill drinks.
Recipe courtesy California Table Grape Commission
Clusters of fresh red, green or black seedless California grapes
Rinse clusters under running water and drain well. Pick the grapes off their stems or place full clusters on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer. After two hours, grapes will be frozen and ready to eat or use.
Grape and honey yogurt pops
Makes 8 pops
This frozen treat is a fun, tasty and healthy way to beat the heat.
Recipe courtesy California Table Grape Commission
1 pound red or black seedless California grapes, rinsed and stemmed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 container (16 ounces) low-fat vanilla or honey Greek yogurt
Purée the grapes in a food processor or blender (about 2 cups). Transfer to a medium-size pot and bring to a boil. Boil the grapes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the sugar and honey and let cool to room temperature.
Fold in the yogurt just until nicely swirled, then spoon into ice pop molds. Cover with foil, insert ice pop sticks and freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until set.
Grape, feta and mint quinoa salad
Serves 4
This recipe was created by dietitian Patricia Bannan for the California Table Grape Commission.
Recipe courtesy California Table Grape Commission.
1 cup quinoa
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup red seedless California grapes
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
8 fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
Sliced green onion tops (optional garnish)
Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve. Put it in a medium saucepan with the water and bring it to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff with a fork. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Stir together the quinoa, grapes, cheese, lemon juice, and mint in a large bowl. Top with green onions, if desired.
Mediterranean grilled chicken and grape skewers
Serves 6 as appetizer or 4 as entree
This easy entree or appetizer is featured in “Green Black Red: Recipes for Cooking and Enjoying California Grapes” by Susan Volland (Chronicle Books, 2008, $16.95, 132 pages).
Recipe courtesy California Table Grape Commission.
Marinade:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
For skewers:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 1/2 cups green California seedless grapes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Prepare marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, rosemary, and lemon zest.
Thread alternating pieces of chicken and grapes onto 12-inch skewers. Place the skewers into a nonreactive dish or pan. Pour the prepared marinade over the skewers, turning to coat each one. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.
Remove skewers from marinade, and let excess oil drip off. Discard any remaining marinade. Season the skewers with salt.
Grill on a hot barbecue until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Arrange on a serving platter and drizzle with the lemon juice.
Green grape and tomatillo salsa
Makes 2 cups
Recipe courtesy California Table Grape Commission
8 ounces (by weight) tomatillos, husked and rinsed (about 5 to 8 tomatillos)
1 3/4 cups California seedless green grapes, separated and rinsed
2 tablespoon cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, coarsely chopped, seeded if you prefer it not too hot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime juice
Process all ingredients in food processor, pulsing until slightly coarse in texture. Serve.
Note: This salsa will keep for three days, covered and refrigerated.
This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Grab some grapes for cool summer meals."