Grape-Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sausage

I HAVE LONG LOVED ROASTED GRAPES. One of the first things I picked up from my days watching the Food Network was the jaw-dropping idea that just by putting a seedless grape in the oven, I could transform it into something savory.

Wildly enough, I never tried to roast a muscadine until recently. I thought the skin would just be too tannic and tough. I was wrong. The skin holds its shape but loses its chewy brawn, and the flesh becomes the jammy essence of muscadine. If the seeds weren’t such a pain to extract, I’d probably put roasted muscadines on everything from ice cream to steak.

This mixed roast pairs caramelized muscadines with toasty Brussels sprouts, link sausage, and Dijon mustard. It hits every element of taste we humans have. Serve it in early fall with roast meats, all by itself, or next to a bowl of greens.

INGREDIENTS

“2 cups muscadines, halved and seeded

2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

8 ounces of your favorite link sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1¼ teaspoons salt, divided

15 turns of the pepper mill or scant ½ teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Toss together the muscadines, Brussels sprouts, sausage, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture out on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan. Slide the baking sheet onto the middle rack of your oven and roast for 25 minutes.

As it roasts, whisk together the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, the Dijon, and the lemon juice. As soon as you take the grapes out of the oven, slide a metal spatula underneath it all, and scrape up any caramelization that’s accumulated on the pan. You want that sugary stuff to be a part of the final dish, not a part of your roasting pan. Serve warm drizzled with the Dijon dressing.

It's Cliché for a Reason | Party Magnet Cheeseball

THE CHEESE BALL IS A CLICHÉ. I believe, however, that like the pig in a blanket and the baked potato, cheese balls are so clichéd they’ve actually become cool. Socially acceptable or not, when this thing is put out at a party of any kind, people hover over it like it’s a crystal ball.

Once you get used to the idea of making a cheese ball, keep a few things in mind. Bring it out at least thirty minutes before you plan on serving. This forethought will make it spreadable and allow the complexity of its flavor to come through. Also, consider doubling the recipe. A fully formed cheese ball freezes and travels nicely. And, last, keep your cracker choice simple. This is not the place for roasted-garlic Asiago Triscuits. Sea salt or plain Jane is the way to go here, possibly everywhere.”

INGREDIENTS

Cheeseball

“¼ cup high-quality blue cheese (I like Maytag)

⅓ cup (5½ tablespoons) butter

¼ cup fresh goat cheese

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cream cheese

¼ cup chopped dates *Please do not use pre-chopped dates from a bag. They are covered in sugar and taste like sweet cardboard. Use whole, dried dates and remove the pits.

“2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions (both white and green parts work here)

½ teaspoon hot sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup Salt-and-Butter-Roasted Pecans (here), roughly chopped

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley”

Salt & Butter Roasted Pecans

“2 cups pecan halves or pieces

2 tablespoons melted butter

¾ teaspoon salt, divided”

PREPARATION

1. For the cheese ball:
   Take the blue cheese, butter, goat cheese, and cream cheese out of the refrigerator to soften 30 minutes before making your cheese-ball mixture.

2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the ingredients except for the pecans and parsley. Paddle it up till homogenous. It will be loose and sticky and you’ll wonder how you’re ever going to form that mess into a ball. The answer is, you transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so. During that time the cheese mix will firm up enough for you to pat it into a sphere. Once it’s stiff enough to hold up, form the ball and roll that ball in the pecans, followed by parsley.

3. For the salt-and-butter-roasted pecans:
   Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Toss the pecans thoroughly with the melted butter and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and slide that sheet onto the middle rack of your oven. Roast the pecans for 11 minutes if using whole pecans and 10 minutes if you’re using pieces.

4. Bring the slightly darkened and toasty-smelling pecans out of the oven and hit them with the remaining salt. Let them cool 5 minutes before you eat them. These will keep for 7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.