Honeyed Blue Cheese Grapes Recipes

WALNUT AND BLUE CHEESE GRAPES

Steps:

• Line a small baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese, blue cheese, and heavy cream until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the grapes and stir until coated with the cheese mixture.
• In another small bowl, mix together the walnuts, sugar, and parsley.
• Using a fork, transfer the grapes, one at a time, to the walnut mixture and, using clean hands, gently roll in the mixture until coated. Place the grapes on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours and serve.
• Cook's Note: To toast the walnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.

BLUE CHEESE GRAPES APPETIZER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place nuts, each kind separate, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Let cool.
• In a food processor, pulse one kind of nut at a time, until just finely chopped (don't overprocess). Place in separate bowls.
• Remove blade; wipe processor bowl clean. Add cheeses; process until blended and smooth. Scrape into a medium bowl.
• Line rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Gently fold grapes into cheese mixture. Remove 1 coated grape at a time with a spoon, then push grape gently into one of the bowls of chopped nuts. Shake bowl to turn grape until coated. Place on lined baking sheet.
• To serve: Arrange grapes on a leaf-lined plate to resemble a bunch of grapes.

GRAPES ROLLED IN BLUE CHEESE AND NUTS

Steps:

• Blend the blue cheese and the sour cream and place in a shallow bowl (if the blue cheese is either too thin or dry to stick to grapes, adjust sour cream and cheese amounts accordingly). In a mini-chop or food processor, coarsely chop nuts. Place nuts in a separate shallow bowl. Roll grapes in blue cheese mixture, then roll grapes in nuts. Serve with toothpicks.

ROSEMARY FLATBREAD WITH BLUE CHEESE, GRAPES AND HONEY (FOCACCIA)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the flour. Stir in 1/4 cup of the warm water and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary, fine salt, pepper and the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of water; stir until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a draft-free spot until billowy and doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a pizza stone in the bottom of the oven, and preheat for at least 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press and stretch the dough into a 13-inch round, then transfer to a piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Press the grapes into the dough and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Slide the flatbread with parchment onto the hot stone and bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the grapes have begun to release some of their juices. Sprinkle the blue cheese on top and bake for about 2 minutes longer, until the cheese melts. Slide the flatbread onto a work surface and drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the chives. Cut into wedges and serve.

HONEYED BLUE CHEESE GRAPES

Steps:

• Clean and pick through your grapes--you want only pretty and round grapes otherwise you'll have a mess on your hands.
• Dilute the honey with some water- enough so that you have a liquidy/sticky mixture that you can easily coat your grapes with.
• Coat your grapes with the liquidy honey- I put my grapes in a strainer over a bowl, that way I can just pour the mixture over my grapes a few time to ensure good coverage.
• Put your blue cheese crumbles in a large bowl- toss the grape in this mixture a few at a time until well covered in cheese (For this to work well the cheese must be *finely* crumbled).
• Chill grapes at least 1 hour prior to service to allow honey to 'set'.
• Enjoy!
• Additional ways to serve these- freeze the grapes prior to the honey/blue cheese portion of this for a delightful cool summer treat, If you have a 'flavor injector' try removing some of the grape liquid and replacing it with honey.