got grapes?

have you ever walked down the aisle at the farmer's market and seen the huge section of grapes? all colors, black, red, green their glistening hues shining in the sun, just begging you to buy them and snack away. hands down there is nothing better than icy cold grapes on a hot day, but have you ever thought what else could you do with that fabulous flavorful tiny little fruit? believe it or not they can be used in all sorts of fun recipes, salads, cheese trays, even main courses. so i am having a summer fling with grapes and finding all kinds of ways to use them. this recipe is an easy breezy summer appetizer that is great for a warm day with an ice cold glass of prosecco. (throw a few frozen grapes in your glass just to keep the chill on)

grape and prosciutto appetizers

1 baguette, sliced 1/4 inch
4 Tbls olive oil
36 green, red or black grapes**
1 Tbls balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
4 oz softened goat cheese
6-8 slices of proscuitto

preheat oven to 350. lightly brush baguette slices with half of the olive oil and lay them on a sheet pan and place in oven. toast 5-10 mins until golden brown, and remove from oven and set aside to cool. put the remaining olive oil in a small saute pan and warm over med-high heat. add the grapes and saute for 2-3 mins. or until soft and warmed through. remove from the heat. sprinkle the balsamic vinegar over the grapes and add a few grinding of pepper.
spread each baguette slice with goat cheese. cut each slice of proscuitto in half and drape over the cheese. top each of the baguettes with grapes and drizzle with remaining oil and vinegar in pan. serve right away or at room temp.
** you can slice grapes in half (use half the amount) before heating if you desire so they don't roll off baguette slices, but if softened enough they usually are just fine.

not only is this recipe tasty, it looks beautiful. you can just imagine sitting in a small italian cafe on a warm summer day, enjoying the sweet and savory tastes of the grapes and proscuitto together. so as my summer fling continues i will try and photograph and post my new found creations. i feel a chicken, brie and grape sammie of some type in the near future.