Okay, I don’t know about you guys, but I am SO new to roasted grapes and I can’t believe I was missing out on something so incredible all this time! I thought it was time I brought these to the table in the form of this incredible appetizer, just in time for Thanksgiving. 🙂
These literally taste like little bites of heaven, that sweetness from the roasted grapes, the tart goat cheese, hints of rosemary and crunchy roasted walnuts atop oven fresh garlic crostini. Take it from me and make an extra batch. Use the creamiest goat cheese you can find, do not skimp on the rosemary and as far as possible, get the freshest crostini you can find. I am all for store-bought crostini, but this time I had to slice the baguette myself (quite an experience, but incredibly rewarding.)
I hope you make this soon, it’ll definitely be a huge Thanksgiving hit! As always, don’t forget to send me a picture, tag @thedancingcookbook and #thedancingcookbook whenever you do. Happy Eating! 🙂
Roasted Grape & Goat Cheese Crostini with Rosemary and Walnuts
An appetizer perfect for the holiday season, these bite sized pieces of heaven are the perfect marriage of sweet and savory flavors! Come fall in love with roasted grapes, the acidity from the balsamic, creamy goat cheese, hints of rosemary and the crunch of roasted walnuts atop fresh garlic crostini.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Organic Red Grapes
- 0.5 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 0.25 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 24 pcs Crostini/Sliced Baguette
- 1 clove Garlic
- 8 oz. log of Goat Cheese
- 1/2 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
- 12-14 Rosemary Sprigs
- 1 tsp Salt, more to taste
- 2 tsp Fresh cracked Black Pepper, more to taste
- 2 tsp Honey (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. In the meantime, wash the grapes and pat dry.
- To a bowl, add the grapes and coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and a few rosemary sprigs. Massage a little to get the seasoning on.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and make sure the grapes are spread out evenly. Bake for ~30-35 minutes, until the skin on the grapes appears wrinkled.
- While the grapes roast, prep the crostini. If using a baguette, slice into crostini using a serrated knife.
- Slice the head off a clove of garlic and rub each piece of crostini with it. Brush on some olive oil onto each piece, place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Remove grapes from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Then transfer to a bowl and drizzle on some balsamic vinegar, toss to coat evenly.
- Now pop the crostini into the oven at 350 F for ~7-10 minutes (until edges are a little golden-brown).
- You can also add a few pieces of walnut to the same tray to roast but remove within 5-6 minutes.
- Once the crostini are out of the oven, start assembling.
- Onto each piece, layer on goat cheese evenly, top with the roasted grapes (slice some pieces in half if they are huge to get more grape on there), add on the walnuts and some rosemary.
- You can drizzle on some honey and/or finish with an extra sprinkle of fresh cracked black pepper. Enjoy warm!
Notes
- Roasted grapes make a wonderful addition to salad bowls as well, so I always roast a little extra.
- The ingredients can be prepped ahead of time (roasting the walnuts, prepping the crostini and the grapes) and assembled right before your gathering. Make sure to have the crostini warm for the best experience.
- To reheat (from room temp), you can pop the assembled crostini back into the oven at 350 F for ~4-5 minutes.