I’ve had another California first, I bought the tastiest grapes I’ve ever had at the farmers market. Ok, well that does sound underwhelming but these grapes were picked that day and had the most intensely sweet grape flavor. It was nothing like I ever had before and I knew these were some grapes to have some fun cooking with. I decided to make Balsamic Roasted Grape Crostini and man were those delicious!
If you’ve never tried roasting grapes before, you are in for a treat! Roasting grapes brings out the sweetness and caramelizes the flavor. That paired with balsamic is a recipe for deliciousness. I used fresh time to brighten the dish and a lightly seasoned ricotta as the base to tie everything together. And the bread? Hand sliced, brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven (although these did get a little bit darker than I intended, they were still delicious!)
So far California is really agreeing with us. I can’t officially say anything, but things are really looking up for Tai in the job department. As much as I would like to gush, I am sworn to secrecy and am banned from mentioning anything on social media/the blog. BUT it’s really good news so I have to gush a bit right? You won’t say anything I’m sure 😉
As crazy as it sounds, I still have not been into the actually city of San Francisco. After living in one of the largest cities in the world for over 4 years, I’m just not really feeling the city vibe anymore. I like that we have space and can do outdoor activities here like hiking, biking, swimming here easily. I will always be a country girl at heart and right now I’ve found a good medium of city to country.
And the new apartment? Well I am the happy new owner of a DISHWASHER! I haven’t had a dishwasher in years. You have no idea how excited I am to have one again. We lucked into renting out a cute little one bedroom condo that’s only a 10 minute commute from my job. California really does do it better 😉
If you have any good tips about places to visit near the San Francisco area, please let me know! Since we are new we are totally ok with being tourists 😀

Balsamic Roasted Grape Crostini
Ingredients
- 1/2 Pound Red Seedless Grapes
- 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 4-6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 Cup Ricotta
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 Baguette
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Place grapes (stems removed) in an oven proof baking dish. Drizzle balsamic over grapes, then put in the oven to roast for 15 minutes or until grapes have softened.
- Slice baguette thinly and brush each side of the slices with olive oil. Spread baguette slices onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5-7 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
- Season ricotta to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spread ricotta on crostini, then place grapes on top. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and enjoy!
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