Roasted Grape and Goat Cheese

Summer is always the time for salads. My sister-in-love clipped this recipe from a newspaper in Victoria and sent it to me as a birthday present. She also sent two t towels coloured with fruit and vegetable themes on bright green backgrounds.Fabulous gift! I made this recipe as the salad course for two friends so three of us shared a salad for four. It was more substantial than I imagined and next time I would serve it as a main course and just add grilled fish, chicken or pork. The flavours worked together: sweet, salty, nutty. I like baking the seedless red grapes in oil and vinegar. The sweet juices of the grapes mingled with the acid of the vinegar and the baking caramelized the entire mixture. The recipe is definitely a keeper. 2 cups red seedless grapes, halved 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp black pepper pinch of salt Combine the above ingredients and bake in a 400 F for 30 minutes until the juices are released and the grapes shrivel. If the grapes are very large, bake longer. Cool. On four plates, divide 8 cups of Mesclun, 4 kiwi fruit peeled and cut into circles, 4 oz good quality crumbled goat cheese and 1/4 cup coarsley chopped toasted walnuts. Spoon grapes and juice mixture on top. The presenation is impressive. The grape mixture would be idea on a soft ripe cheese and served with dipping crackers.