Pickled red grapes

Active: 20 minutes; Chill: 24 hours

Grapes, red, cleaned, stems removed	1 pound
Vinegar, apple cider	1 cup
Water	¼ cup
Sugar, granulated	1 cup
Cinnamon stick	3-inch stick
Vanilla bean	½
Cloves, whole	¼ teaspoon
Peppercorns, black	¼ teaspoon
Mustard seeds, yellow	1/8 teaspoon

1. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, and sugar. 
2. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. 
3. Place the spices in the bottom of a quart jar. 
4. Add the grapes to the jar. 
5. Pour the hot pickling mixture into the jar; let cool. 
6. Place a lid on the jar, and refrigerate; let rest for 24 hours before serving. 

Serve with a green salad, pâté, or cheese plate.

Recipe from seriouseats.com.

Roasted grape crostini

Grapes, red, seedless	1 pound
Oil, extra-virgin olive	1 tablespoon +
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon +
Pepper, freshly ground
Thyme, halved widthwise	4 sprigs
Rosemary, halved widthwise	2 sprigs
Mascarpone cheese	2/3 cup
Cashew butter	2 tablespoons
Canna butter, room temperature	2 ½ teaspoons
Bread, focaccia or francesi	1 loaf

1. Preheat the oven to 400F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. On the baking sheet, toss together the grapes, 1-tablespoon oil, ½-teaspoon salt, ½-teaspoon pepper, thyme, and rosemary. 
3. Roast for 30 minutes, until the grapes are blistered and jammy, stirring once halfway through; remove and set aside. 
4. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the mascarpone, cashew butter, canna butter, and ½-teaspoon salt. 
5. Whip for 30 seconds on medium speed until well combined; do not overbeat or the mixture can separate. 
6. Preheat the broiler to high. 
7. Split the bread in half. 
8. Brush the cut sides with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
9. Place the crostini on a baking sheet and under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly golden. 
10. Spread 2-tablespoons cashew cream onto each crostini, and top with a spoonful of roasted grapes. 
11. Drizzle any juice from the pan, and enjoy immediately. 

Recipe mildly modified from Edibles: Small Bites for the Modern Cannabis Kitchen by Stephanie Hua with Coreen Carroll.

Green grape, duck & apple salad

Duck leg	1 pound
Salt	1 teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Coriander, ground	½ teaspoon
Shallot, minced	2 tablespoons
Vinegar, balsamic	2 tablespoons
Grapes, green seedless, halve some for garnish	2 cups
Watercress, tough stems removed	2 bunches
Apples, granny smith, cored, thinly sliced	2

1. Remove the skin and fat from the duck leg; set aside. 
2. Place the fatty layer, skin side down, in a frying pan over medium heat. 
3. Cook, turning occasionally, until about ¼ cup fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. 
4. Discard the skin. 
5. Measure out 2 tablespoons fat; set aside.
   (Save remaining for another use.) 
6. Increase the heat to high. 
7. Season the duck leg with salt, pepper, and coriander. 
8. Sear until browned, about 3 minutes. 
9. Add the shallot, turn the duck, and cook on the other side for 3 minutes. 
10. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until the duck is rosy only in the center, 1 to 2 minutes. 
11. Transfer to a cutting board, and let rest. 
12. Add the reserved duck fat to the pan, and place over high heat. 
13. When the fat is hot and glistening, add ½ cup water, vinegar, and whole grapes to the pan, and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the pan bottom. 
14. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. 
15. Remove the duck meat from the bone, pour any collected juices into the pan. 
16. Arrange the watercress on a platter, and top with alternating chunks of duck and slices of apple. 
17. Pour the grape sauce over the top, scatter the halved grapes, and serve. 

Yield: 4
Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Salad of the Day by Georgeanne Brennan.

Arugula, blue cheese, & grape salad

Arugula leaves, stemmed	6 cups
Olive oil, extra virgin	2 tablespoons
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Grapes, seedless purple	1 ½ cups
Blue cheese, crumbled	5 ounces

1. Place the arugula in a large bowl. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, salt, and pepper to make a dressing; drizzle over the arugula, and toss well. 
3. Add the grapes and cheese, and toss again.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Salad of the Day by Georgeanne Brennan.