Roasted grapes, thyme and goats cheese on toast. Sweet and savoury, this is one of my favourite FODMAP friendly lunch or canapé ideas for this time of year. If you’ve never roasted grapes before, I promise you’re in for a treat. Just twenty minutes in the oven, with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of flaky salt, makes them pucker, soften, split and get so deliciously jammy – just perfect for enjoying with cheese. I love that roasted grapes work in both sweet and savoury dishes (grape pie is on my cooking list this autumn, as is braised chicken with grapes) and the fact that they’re FODMAP friendly at a time of year when most other seasonal fruit isn’t, is just a bonus.
Their season is short – the dark, sweet muscat variety you only find in late summer and autumn are delicious for this recipe – so make the most of them while you can. They’re best enjoyed warm, so roast them just before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
- I left the grapes on the stalks as it looks oh so pretty for pictures, but if serving others, it might be easier to take the grapes off the stems for roasting
- Tarragon is also delicious here instead of thyme
- Try roasting the grapes with fennel seeds for another twist
Ingredients
Olive oil
A few small bunches of red, green and black grapes
Maple syrup, for drizzling
Flaky salt (I like Maldon salt)
4 slices of good quality gluten free bread – even better if you’ve made your own!
160g goats cheese
A small bunch of fresh thyme leaves
Method
Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lightly oil a baking tray, then add the bunches of grapes, placing them in a single layer. Drizzle the grapes with maple syrup and shower with a sprinkle of salt and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the grapes are starting to burst and blister.
Toast the gluten free bread, then spread with the goats cheese – you’re looking for roughly a tablespoon per slice if you need to keep things low FODMAP. Top the cheesy toast with a handful of the roasted grapes, not forgetting to spoon over the delicious leftover roasting juices, then drizzle over a little more maple syrup and scatter with fresh thyme leaves. Twist over some freshly ground pepper a final sprinkle of salt and one more drizzle of olive oil. Serve as is, or cut each slice into smaller pieces to serve as canapés.
