"Try one", she said. Like warm sun-kissed tomatoes, they were fabulous. Delicate and soft skinned, they didn't snap and squirt like thick-skinned refrigerated supermarket grapes. They quietly popped and gently melted in my mouth, subtly tasting like the vines that nurtured them.
Like summer corn, fresh lima beans, heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, okra, or Casey county cantalopes, I wait for the arrival of fresh Kentucky grapes. When they finally appear at the market, I scoop them up like mad. After snacking on them for a while, tossing them into salads, or freezing them to chill glasses of crisp white wine,
I roast them.
Roasted Champagne Grapes...with stuff.

After tossing beautiful clusters of Black Corinth champagne grapes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, I roasted them in a 400 degree oven until they started to burst, collapse, and caramelize, about 35 minutes.
While the grapes bubbled away in the oven, I sliced the chilled polenta into triangles and sauteed them in olive oil until they were golden brown. I topped the warm triangles with thinly sliced aged gorgonzola piccante and let their slight heat gently wilt the cheese.

While the sauteed polenta triangles provided crisp neutral bases for the the wilted gorgonzola, the aged balsamico di Modena cut through its pungent creaminess with specks of tart sweet acidity.
The roasted grapes were key. While some of the grapes caramelized and broke down, others remained whole and plump, creating contrasting textures and layers of natural sweetness from their cooked concentrated sugars. Paired with the gorgonzola and polenta, the popping grapes added a mellow wet balance to the whacky flavor combinations.
Simple table grapes and cheese.
With a little sass.
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