ROASTED GRAPES

California cooking guru Alice Waters has an easy grape preparation that works especially well with Concord grapes: roasting them whole on the vine.

Cut them into small, attractive bunches, drizzle them with olive oil and treat them to a 450-degree oven for 10 minutes. The warm, purple-juicy grapes burst through their skins during cooking.

Waters doesn't call for any other seasoning, but if you sprinkle them with Maldon sea salt, the crunchy-tender salt flakes are the perfect complement to the soft, sweet fruit. They're great with sweet or savory dishes, on top of ice cream or alongside grilled meat.

Source: Betty Hallock and Donna Deane, Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2007