Pluck a fat grape from its cluster, pop it into your mouth, and bite down gently — the sweet, smooth juiciness is the taste of early fall. Thin-skinned table grapes, in contrast to their thicker-skinned winemaking cousins, offer bright acidity, few if any seeds, and enchanting names like Perlette, Princess and Flame. Colors range from rosy pink to icy green to deep blue-black.
Table grapes are wonderful on pizza and other flatbreads. And have you ever tried grilling them? Pull them off the bunch, pop them in a grill basket and roast over the grill for a few minutes, then serve with feta cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and crusty bread.
Table grapes play beautifully in this easy white gazpacho, which has been part of early Spanish food culture since long before the tomato arrived in Europe. This version, made with bread, garlic, almonds and peppery olive oil, is finished with sliced table grapes and Marcona almonds — a welcome first course at the fall table.
Ajo Blanco
Serves 4-6
5 to 6 ounces sturdy sourdough bread, a few days old, in chunks
6 plump garlic cloves, peeled
Hot water
1 cup raw almonds, blanched and peeled
4 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 tsp. hot Spanish paprika
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
6 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3/4 cup sliced seedless table grapes
1/3 cup toasted and salted Marcona almonds
Place the bread in a deep bowl and add room-temperature water to cover. Set aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
Put the garlic into a small bowl, cover with hot water and set aside for the same amount of time.
When the bread is very soft, squeeze out as much water as possible and put the wet bread into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Drain the garlic and add to the bread, along with the blanched almonds and sherry vinegar. Add 1 cup room-temperature water to the mixture and pulse several times, until the mixture is quite smooth. (Soaking the bread, then squeezing out the water, then adding water back in gives the soup a velvety texture.)
Add the paprika, season generously with salt, and add several turns of pepper. Pulse several more times, then, as the machine is processing, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream.
Taste the soup and adjust to your taste.
Add a bit more vinegar if not tart enough, or a bit more olive oil if too tart. Try a bit more salt or pepper to help the flavors bloom.
Set a strainer over a deep bowl, pour the soup into it and use a sturdy wooden spoon or pestle to press as much of the liquid through as possible. Discard what is left behind. Cover the soup, and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
To serve, pour the chilled soup into small bowls and add a swirl of olive oil to each portion. Top with sliced grapes and toasted almonds and enjoy right away.