Silky sweet flesh poised between the sharp tartness of skin and seed, New Zealand table grapes grace us for a short time. A fleeting moment, their brief local season reminds me of hot childhood days in the Hamilton, plump ripe grapes fecund on the vine. 

I loved popping out the center and carefully avoiding the bitter astringency of the cracked pip.  

So if you see them grab them quickly, they make a wonderfully stylish and simple starter. Great for after work drinks and looking way more glam than the 10 minutes it takes to whip it up.

If you can’t get local grapes use the red or purple ones, they’ll look more dramatic against the ricotta.

I used Zany Zeus ricotta and crunchy Acme bread toasted on the barbeque. I had the grill on for the later course of butterflied lamb, so it made sense. You can just toast under a grill although the smokiness played counterpoint to the clean milky ricotta and the fragranced sweetness of the thyme roasted grapes.

Roasted grapes and ricotta

Grapes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh thyme sprigs

good bread, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces

olive oil

fresh ricotta, preferably not a commercial brand or homemade

Instructions
Preheat oven to 220ºC Spread grapes onto a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Lay thyme leaves over top. Toss all together gently with your hands.

Place pan in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until grapes look about to burst.

Toast the bread- i used my barbeque grill but keep an eye out, they burn quickly.

Delicious with a gin and tonic, bubbly or aromatic.