Simply Elegant - Roasted Grapes

When it comes to food and entertaining, there is one mantra I live by: details matter, but the details should be simple. It's so true that with a tiny bit of extra care, you can elevate everyday items to be something special. I hope each and every day that readers of Neurotic Kitchen can see how easy it is to turn out beautiful food with minimal effort.

One way I like to elevate ordinary foods is by focusing on plating and pretty presentation. As is is oft repeated, you truly do eat with your eyes. 

The best hostess tricks not only enhance the beauty of a dish, but also the all-important taste of it.

The beautiful cheese board featuring Roasted Grapes -
 prepared by my friend Louise, Photo: NK 

And the little flourishes you add to your meal need not be complicated to offer pizzazz or refinement (for whatever mood you're in).

I first learned about Roasted Grapes when my mom's good friend served them as part of a fantastic shower she catered in my honor. She used them to anchor the most beautiful cheese board. They also happened to taste great - they serve as a good example of how amazingly easy steps that make all the difference in flavor and presentation. 

Roasting Grapes concentrates their flavor and makes for a more interesting visual presentation. You can add them to Crostini or plate them as is with your Cheese Selection. They can't help but add elegance with almost no effort. 

Muscat Grapes Paired Perfectly with Baked Camembert, Photo: NK

Roasted Grapes

Ingredients: 
1 bunch of Seedless Grapes of your choosing - I like Red Globe or Muscat (pictured right) 

Olive Oil

Salt 

Pepper

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 400.
On a baking sheet, toss small bunches of grapes in a Tablespoon or two of Olive Oil, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Bake for 17-20 minutes until slightly crisped and soft on the inside. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature - can be made a few hours in advance. 

Check out how my Roasted Grapes came out with baked Camembert and a toasty Baguette: 

Roasted Muscat Grapes and Baked Camembert with
Pear Jam & Thyme, Photo: NK 

Enjoy!!

A Salad to Swoon For - French Cucumber Salad + Crème Fraîche

Today, I give you French Cucumber Salad...

French Cucumber Salad with Dill and Creme Fraiche, Photo: NK

better known as one of my absolute favorite fancy (but easy to make) salads. Whether you serve it as a luxe barbecue side, for a lovely ladies lunch, bridal or baby shower, this dish is as delicate as it is delectable. I've quiet literally observed guests tilting the serving bowl in mid air in an effort to scrape clean every last bit. Nothing makes me happier, by the way. 

I've been making French Cucumber Salad for quite a while now. Years ago, I enjoyed a version of it at a cute little Brooklyn Wine Bar called The Castello Plan. Thanks to crisp, chilled cucumbers, I found it refreshing and light (yet slightly creamy because of the creme fraiche). Bright notes of vinegar and an ever so slight sweetness from a pinch of sugar were brought together with dill, which imparted an herbaceous freshness. Once I got home, I scoured the internet until I found a recipe that appeared the most similar to the dish I'd just experienced. My search brought me to a wonderful food blog that I've been referring to ever since - It's called JintanManis.

Here's how it should look before you creme fraiche-it-up: 

Photo: NK

This salad is also a favorite of mine when I'm looking for something to bring to a party that is both simple, impressive, and make-ahead. I'll include instructions on how to make this portable. Here it is at a recent barbecue: 

If you're in the market for a Labor Day side dish, I'd certainly recommend French Cucumber Salad. It's really hard not to love. Here goes...

French Cucumber Salad with Dill and Creme Fraiche

Lightly adapted from JintanManis blog

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 large cucumbers
12 ice cubes
Salt
1 large shallot  
1 tablespoon white vinegar (wine or distilled)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons freshly minced dill  + dill sprigs for garnish 

1/2 cup (4 ounces) crème fraiche

Method:  
1. Peel all the cucumbers leaving some thin strips of green skin. Cut them in half lengthwise and cut off and discard each of the ends. To de-seed cucumbers, drag a teaspoon down the length of the cucumber half (cut side up) until seeds are scraped out. Don’t be afraid to apply some pressure. Discard seeds. What you will be left with should look like a canoe shape. Slice the cucumbers very thinly until you have pile of little half-moons.  If you have a mandoline it will make things quicker!

2. Next, mix the sliced cucumbers with the ice cubes and add enough water to reach past the surface of the cucumbers.  Add 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt to the water. Mix together gently and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Drain very well.
 
3. Slice the shallot very thinly and add to the cucumber. Mix in the vinegar, sugar, pepper, dill, and another 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine well. Allow the mixture to sit at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stop here if you are making this in advance or bringing to a party.

4. A few minutes before serving, drain away all the juices. Stir in the crème fraiche or sour cream and toss very gently. You can add extra if you prefer it more creamy. Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed. To serve, spoon the salad into a shallow, pretty bowl and garnish with minced dill and dill sprigs.

Enjoy!