Cooking with grapes

Grapes are in season and plentiful – so make the most of their juicy sweetness in any meal of the day

GRAPE CHUTNEY WITH ROSEMARY BISCUITS

MAKES ABOUT 300ml CHUTNEY AND 18-20 BISCUITS PREPARATION: 20 MIN CHILLING: 30 MIN COOKING: 1 HOUR

CHUTNEY 15ml (1T) oil 2 red onions, chopped 500g seedless red or black grapes 125ml (½c) white wine vinegar 125ml (½c) water 250ml (1c) sugar 5ml (1t) ground cumin 5ml (1t) curry powder 5ml (1t) salt BISCUITS 500ml (2c) cake flour 2,5ml (½t) cayenne pepper 5ml (1t) each salt and freshly ground pepper 15ml (1T) dried or 30ml (2T) fresh rosemary 125ml (½c) grated cheddar cheese 150g cold butter, diced 2 egg yolks

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. 1 Chutney Heat the oil in a deep pan and stir-fry the onions until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let the chutney simmer over low heat for 40-45 minutes or until thick and syrupy. 2 Transfer the chutney to a sterilised jar, seal and allow to cool completely. Store in the fridge and use within 3 weeks. 3 Biscuits Put all the ingredients except the butter and egg yolks in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixed. 4 Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and pulse until the dough starts sticking to the blade. Turn out, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 5 Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 2mm thick and cut or press out shapes using a cookie cutter. 6 Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown on the edges. Allow to cool and serve with the chutney.

SNOEK WITH GRAPE SALSA SALAD

SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 15 MIN COOKING: 15-20 MIN

SNOEK 1 medium-size snoek, butterflied 10 ml (2t) mixed dried herbs salt and pepper juice of ½ lemon 15ml (1T) olive oil SALSA SALAD 500g seedless green grapes, halved or quartered 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced handful of fresh coriander, chopped handful of fresh parsley, chopped 1 round feta cheese, roughly crumbled 1 red chilli, finely chopped juice of ½ lemon

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a large baking sheet with foil and grease with nonstick spray. 1 Snoek Put the snoek, skin-side down, on the baking sheet. Season with the dried herbs, salt and pepper. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until done. 2 Salsa salad Lightly combine all the ingredients and serve with the snoek.

PORK CHOPS WITH RED WINE GRAPE SAUCE

SERVES 4-6 PREPARATION: 10 MIN COOKING: 25-30 MIN

CHOPS 4-6 pork chops 5ml (1t) dried thyme salt and freshly ground pepper 15ml (1T) olive oil 15ml (1T) butter SAUCE 15ml (1T) butter 250g seedless red or black grapes 15ml (1T) balsamic vinegar 125ml (½c) red wine 60ml (¼c) sugar 5ml (1t) cornflour 15ml (1T) water pepper

1 Chops Season the chops with the thyme, salt and pepper. 2 Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chops in batches until browned. Add the butter and continue frying until done – 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops. 3 Sauce Heat the butter in a small saucepan and fry the grapes for a minute. Add the vinegar, red wine and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer slowly for 10 minutes. 4 Mix the cornflour and the water to a paste. Add to the sauce and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Season with pepper. 5 Serve the chops with the

sauce.

GRAPE BROCCOLI SALAD WITH SPINACH AND BACON

SERVES 6 AS A SIDE DISH PREPARATION: 15 MIN STANDING: 15 MIN

2 heads broccoli, broken into florets boiling water 150g spinach, shredded 1 red onion, sliced 250g green grapes, halved DRESSING 125ml (½c) seed and olive oil blend juice of 1 lemon 30ml (2T) white wine vinegar 15ml (1T) sugar BACON SPRINKLE 200g bacon, shredded and fried until crispy 100g pumpkin seeds, toasted finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 Put the broccoli in a large heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water. 2 Put the broccoli and the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix lightly. 3 Dressing Mix all the ingredients and pour over the salad. Toss through. Arrange the salad on a large platter. 4 Sprinkle Mix the ingredients and sprinkle over the salad. 5 Serve or keep in the fridge until needed.

GRAPE BRAN MUFFINS

MAKES 12 MUFFINS PREPARATION: 15 MIN BAKING: 10-15 MIN

500ml (2c) flour 250ml (1c) bran 10ml (2t) baking powder 5ml (1t) salt 5ml (1t) ground cinnamon 250ml (1c) sugar 125ml (½c) oil 250ml (1c) amasi or buttermilk 2 eggs 250g seedless grapes, halved 50g walnuts, roughly chopped (optional) extra grape halves for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease 12 hollows of a muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper cups. 1 Mix the flour, bran, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar in a large mixing bowl. 2 Mix the oil, amasi or buttermilk and eggs in a separate mixing bowl. 3 Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the grapes. 4 Spoon the batter into the muffin tin hollows and top with walnuts and more grapes if you like. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until done.