Grapes and New Year's Eve are a wonderful combination. In Spain and other latin areas of the world, it's considered good luck to eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve. One grape with each stroke of the clock at midnight, with each grape representing one month of good luck and prosperity.
For years, I've celebrated this annual good luck tradition. Sometimes I've brought skewers of 12 red grapes to festive celebrations, other times I've frozen the grapes and served them in martini glasses along side a flute of bubbles. However you serve them, I love the idea of a shared group of people wishing well for the year ahead.
As with any good tradition, I think it must be adapted to the groups and communities celebrating. So this year, as we ring in a not only a new year, but a new decade, I am serving the celebratory New Year's Eve grapes, not just naked at midnight as the clock strikes twelve, but throughout the meal, beginning with this Roasted Mushroom & Grape Crostini appetizer.
Whether you choose to start a new tradition of serving each guest 12 good luck and prosperity grapes at midnight, or you celebrate with other time tested traditions, I wish you health, wealth and happiness this coming year.
Cheers to 2020,
Krista
Roasted Mushroom & Grape Crostini
makes 12+, adapted from here
Ingredients
1 baguette, sliced into 1/4" -1/2" slices cut on the bias
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper (optional)
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature (I have also used Boursin Pepper Cheese)
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives & thyme leaves
250 grams, cremini mushrooms, sliced finely with stems removed (about 6-8 mushrooms depending on their size)
1 cup red grapes, cut in half
2 shallots, finely diced (or sliced if you prefer larger pieces)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons chive slices, to garnish
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt
12+ wide shavings of parmesan, to garnish
Method
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Brush olive oil on both sides of bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place baking sheet into hot oven for 6-8 minutes or until crostini turns golden, the thinner you slice the crostini the less time it will take to toast. Remove sheet from oven and let cool slightly. Rub whole garlic clove on crostini tops, discarding any extra garlic after done.
While crostini is toasting, mix together the cream cheese, chives and thyme until smooth. Set aside until assembling.
Turn oven temperature up to 450 degrees. On same tray you baked the crostini, add mushrooms, grapes, shallots and thyme sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and mix to coat. Roast for 8-10 minutes until mushrooms brown and grapes release their juices. Remove baking sheet from oven and place contents into a heat safe bowl. Drizzle with sherry vinegar and stir to mix.
To Assemble
Take one cooled crostini and spread evenly with herb cream cheese. Add 1-2 spoonfuls of mushroom and grape mixture to each crostini. Top with chive slices, a sprinkle of Himalayan pink sea salt and one parmesan cheese shaving.
Serve on a platter.
