GRAPE-NESS

In 1817 novelist and poet Thomas Love Peacock wrote, “The juice of the grape is the liquid quintessence of concentrated sunbeams.” And as I nurse a fresh throbbing wasp sting on my hand, I can’t help but agree.

Harvesting a few bunches from my own vines for this shoot was not without risk, such is the wondrous flavour of these nectareous orbs of historical significance. Apparently, we’ve been growing them since 6500BC; they feature strung between ancient drawings in far off places, wrapped around the wanton marble brows of ripped muscular gods, and this all before we even get to overflowing chalices of their juice lovingly made into wine and morsels of deliciousness wrapped in their baked leaves.

However you like them – crushed, stolen from swarms, or peeled and dropped into one’s mouth by a bestowed lover – they are undoubtedly the joy of early autumn. These are some of my favourite ways to eat them fresh, frozen, roasted and dried.