The Wrath of Grapes; Grape Expectations; You Ungrapeful Bastard

 
Grapes four ways

Never stop playing with your food! This is one of my favorite kitchen creativity games. Take a single ingredient, and cut it as many ways as you can think of, then observe the way the cuts and textures change your perception. Then take it a step further and let those new perceptions suggest simple flavor pairings.

These enormous, nearly black seedless grapes gave me all sorts of ideas. 

• Peeled and rolled in crispy crumbled rice crackers, Hawaiian black salt
• Sliced so thin they are transparent, with fennel pollen and lemon zest
• Peeled and cut into irregular "icebergs" with cilantro/pepita pesto
• Fileted with sunflower butter
• (below) Tops and bottoms removed, thinly sliced vertically, again with the cilantro/pepita pesto

Serve chilled.

Grapes with cilantro/pepita pesto