Anticiplate

I already know what you are thinking. Don’t. These are quite spectacular. The marriage of the sweet grapes and the tangy brine create miracles in your mouth . Miracles, I say…

These come from Molly Wizenberg’s new book A Homemade Life, which I feel like I talk about incessantly. Well, I am on hiatus for a while because I lent it out. Are you relieved? Now for the fun part. I actually paired these gorgeous little black balls with another amazing recipe I discovered for roast chicken. This is not just any roast chicken. This is THE roast chicken. I am proud to announce that I am a Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken convert. Wow, That’s a mouthful. Say that ten times.  The recipe is foolproof and it only requires a couple days of preparation and a working smoke alarm. Yes, mine went off. And not just once.

I would give you the recipe but I have decided against this because, well, I am just plain lazy. And, why would I recopy a 2,000 word recipe when she does it so beautifully, and so does she!

So, back to the pickles. I just want to tell you that when I was a child, I would eat jars and jars of pickled cucumbers that my mother canned. Jars. I would get sick, yes. But the brine and crunch kept calling my name, and alas, I would give in and suffer the consequences. I also did the same thing with frozen blueberries by the gallon bag, but that is another story involving blue poop and stained fingers.

Maybe I have a problem with quantity?

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2-3 minutes

Chilling time: 8 hours to Overnight

Makes 3 cups

*Adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s book A Homemade Life

1 pound black grapes, preferably seedless
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 (2 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick, cut in half
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Rinse and dry the grapes, and pull them carefully from their stems. Using a small sharp knife, trim away the “belly button” at the stem end of the grape exposing a bit of the flesh inside. Put the grapes in a medium bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour over the grapes in the bowl. Let cool.
3. Once cool, chill the grape and brine mixture in either mason jars in the refrigerator, or in the bowl covered with plastic wrap for at least eight hours to overnight. I thought they tasted better after they chilled overnight. But, that’s just me. Serve cold with cheese, prosciutto, these almonds, and some crusty bread.

*The most fun thing to do is to tell people they are olives. Ha!