Blue Cheese and Pickled Grape Toasts
| Serves | 8 |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Grapes, Cheese |
| Menu Part | Appetizer/Small Plate |
Chef Adam Moore
Flashpoint Innovation
Chicago
These two-bite toasts are quick to put together and pass around as an hors d’oeuvre at parties and events. Some consumers prefer not to dig into a platter of food, so individual foods like these are in demand. Chef Adam Moore preps the pickled grapes ahead to save on labor and combines tangy, savory and sweet flavors to give the toasts complexity.
Ingredients
Pickled black grapes
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 lb. black seedless grapes, halved
Pickled grape jam
1 cup pickled black grapes (recipe above)
2 tbsp. fruit preserves
Toasts
¼ lb. unsalted butter
¼ lb. blue cheese, crumbled
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
8 slices cocktail-size sourdough bread, toasted
Sliced fresh grapes
Edible flowers, optional
Steps
- For pickled grapes, in medium saucepan, bring vinegar, water and brown sugar to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Cool liquid and pour over grapes. Marinate in refrigerator for 24 hours or use a vacuum sealer to instantly pickle.
- For jam, in food processor, combine pickled grapes and fruit preserves. Pulse until chunky, but not quite smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To serve, spread butter and grape jam on top of toasted sourdough bread. Top with crumbled blue cheese, chopped hazelnuts, fresh grapes and edible flowers.
Photo courtesy of California Table Grape Commission