Roasted Grapes with Thyme

I went back and forth for a few days trying to decide whether or not to share this recipe today. I mean, it's roasted grapes—that's it. Simple to make, no big frills, no huge backstory. Just roasted grapes. For all I know, I was the last person on the face of the earth to actually make (or try) them. I've seen them floating around in one form or another for a number of years now. I've been meaning to make a batch. I finally did. They're everything I thought they would be. I didn't roast them alongside a chicken or a pork roast. I didn't press them into any focaccia dough. I didn't toss them with some perfectly cooked tender grains. They're just grapes, but they're totally worth sharing. Because maybe I wasn't the last person in the world to try them.

It's usually the simple pleasures that delight me the most. I'm constantly amazed by the product of time and temperature. Slowly simmering fruit and a bit of spice can yield a jar of rich, silky fruit butter (like this Cardamom Pear Butter). Roasting broccoli and cauliflower takes both of those humble veggies to a whole different level. Pureed fruit and a low, slow heat produces chewy and sweet fruit leather. Duck legs wiling the day away in a bath produce meat so meltingly tender it just falls into your fingers at the lightest touch (like these Asian-inspired Braised Duck Legs). Nothing more than time, steady heat, and its own rendered fat can turn pork into the most flavorful Carnitas you'll ever taste.  It's kind of amazing.

Cardamom Pear Butter + Castello Aged Havarti Cheese Pairing

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Castello® in conjunction with Honest Cooking. All opinions are my own.

I've often waxed poetic on the subject of cheese, otherwise known as  my ultimate weakness. I could live on cheese plates alone. You know, because they're always accompanied by other good things like bread or crackers, fruits and nuts, slices of charcuterie, perfect little condiments, and of course, alcohol. Nibbles and tastes, turn into swoons and flutters, turn into claiming a cheese tray as my dinner plate. Really, what more does a person need?

I could blabber on and on about the virtues of a well thought out cheese plate, the kind that includes several cheeses and an array of complementary food and drink. Today I'm partnering with Castello® as part of their #CastelloArt campaign, so I'm going to do something a little different and feature a single cheese—Castello® Aged Havarti.

"Castello® Aged Havarti is based on the authentic Danish recipe for Havarti dating back to 1952. Made from traditional cheese methods with the addition of a special culture, the Castello® Aged Havarti is then matured for 12 months.

Castello Moments Cheese Tasting & Pairing

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Castello Cheese.  All opinions are 100% my own.

What does a girl who is totally obsessed with all-things-cheese do when three quarter-wheels of gorgeous Castello Alps Selection cheeses show up at her door?  She squeals like a teenager at a New Kids on the Block (okay, my age is showing - who is it now, One Direction?) concert.  Her heart races.  Tears threaten to spill from her eyes.  Cohesive thoughts elude her, and instead she babbles on about love and marriage and best-day-of-her-life.

She then composes herself as she sees the Fed-Ex man slowly backing away, the desperate look of a trapped animal in his eyes.  The cold, harsh hand of reality grabs her by the arms and shakes her.  Or maybe it's her husband.  Either way, back to being 37 years old.

Her brain carefully starts doing what any mature, sane brain would do.  It formulates a plan to pair those glorious cheeses with food and adult beverages.  She decides to use every day items foods, not specialty items that will cost a lot of money.  Menus and recipes and visions of table settings vie for a front row seat until everything comes together just right.  She invites over a few friends to join in the fruit of her labors.  She enjoys herself thoroughly.

She decides to stop referring to herself in the third person and tell you all about it.

Course One

cheese selection: Castello Classic - firm texture, smooth dry consistency, slightly smoky aroma with hints of spicy mountain herbs.  I found Castello Classic to taste very grassy and musky, similar to the flavor of raw milk.

food pairings: Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, thinly sliced Prosciutto, freshly baked bread

beverage pairing: Michelob Amber Boch (or another dark lager)

notes: I wanted to cry when I bit into the combination of these items, they were perfection...especially when accompanied by the dark lager.  I can't really elaborate, because perfection doesn't need further explanation.

Course Two

cheese selection: Castello Weissbier - very soft and creamy with a smooth buttery consistency, a hint of nuttiness with an almost sweet finish, and a whisper of beer at the end.

food pairings: Two sandwich options...
1. Grilled Veggies: Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Eggplant, Red Bell Pepper, and Red Onion with a thick slice of creamy Weissbier on a Sourdough Roll.
2. Smoked Ham, creamy Weissbier, and a thick, ripe, juicy tomato slice seasoned with sea salt and black pepper on a Sourdough Roll.

beverage pairing: Barefoot Riesling, chilled (or another Riesling or Gewurztraminer)

notes: Though I served Castello Weissbier on room temperature sandwiches, I think that its creaminess would lend perfectly to a melty, grilled sandwich.  Weissbier is very understated, so I think simple, delicious ingredients like the grilled veggies (simply brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper before grilling), as well as a basic ham and tomato were just right.  The crisp, sweet Riesling on a hot summer's evening washed the whole thing down like an old friend (comfortably).

Course Three

cheese selection: Castello Hirten - crumbly texture that reaveals beautiful crystals when shaved, sweet overtones with hints of caramel and pine, rich and strong.

food pairings: Hershey's Symphony Milk Chocolate Bar, Cadbury Fruit & Nut Bar, thinly sliced pear.

beverage pairing: 10 Year Old Laphroaig Scotch Whisky (or choose your favorite "good & peaty" Scotch)

notes: While I usually opt for a bit of dark chocolate, especially after dinner or as a snack, I really recommend trying a good, creamy milk chocolate with Hirten.  The creaminess is the perfect foil for the rich salty shards.  Hirten reminds me a bit of Parmesan in its texture and flavor.  Thin shavings atop a warm apple pie would be bliss.

Wrap-Up: Really, I couldn't ask for a better way to spend an evening.  The cheese-lover in me enjoyed each and every single bite.  If forced to rank the three in terms of what I, personally, enjoyed best, I would choose "Classic" as my favorite.  I don't know if it was just that perfect combination of flavors and textures that surrounded the first course or what...and I don't want to think about it.  I only want to remember the glory that it was.

My second favorite is the "Hirten".  Sure, you could eat it with any meal, but I tend to lean towards desserts with this style of cheese. I love challenging its richness with a bold Scotch, but you could easily pair it with a bold red wine.  Also, try it with bolder savory ingredients like raw onions or chiles!

Rounding it out at number three is the "Weissbier".  Don't get me wrong, I loved ALL THREE of the varieties...so last place doesn't equal a lose here.  I can't wait to make some melty grilled cheese sammies with it this week.  Oh, and mac and cheese is in my very near future, as well.

So yeah, that's what this girl (who is totally obsessed with all-things-cheese) did when three quarter-wheels of gorgeous Castello Alps Selection cheeses showed up at her door.  What would you have done?

Win a Private Cheese Tasting in your own home - enter by clicking on the banner below. Castello Moments and this post is a collaboration between the blogger and Arla Foods USA.