There is too much to do, not enough time, not enough hours, not enough arms, and what suffers is the food. However, rather than reaching for the closest fast food item, I tend toward the opposite: less is more, and things like warm yogurt and questionable looking toast* become lunch.
With most of my kitchen packed up, I geared up for my last cookbook club meeting before the move and headed to Read It & Eat for the last time, for what has become one of my favorite days of the month. This month’s book, Short Stack, was initially underwhelming, but after overstuffing myself I was once again proved wrong. Dish after dish, none disappointed.
For my selection, I had to go with something that would be quick, easy and involve few ingredients and even fewer kitchen implements. The winner? Labneh with Roasted Grapes, sprinkled with sumac and served with some warm pitas.
Labneh, for those of you not in the know, is essentially strained Greek yogurt. Regular, whole milk Greek yogurt sits over a strainer for 24 hours creating super thick Greek yogurt. That’s it. Really.
The grapes add some sweet, and since they’re roasted atop fresh rosemary, end up a bit earth. All in all, the perfect appetizer to make your guest go mmmm. Or, in my case, today’s grab and go lunch.
*A few days ago for lunch I had some yogurt that had been sitting on my desk for 4 hours and some toast that was toeing the line of its shelf life. My stomach was not so good after that. Must aim to do better for the next few weeks.
**Also, apologies for the meh pictures. Sometimes the android is as good as it gets.
Written after book club, during Bones.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Labneh with Roasted Grapes
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 pounds red grapes, rinsed and dried
- 1 TB olive oil
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 5 sprigs rosemary
- 1/2 tsp sumac
- warm pita triangles, to serve
Directions
- Step 1 Line a fine sieve with cheesecloth or a sheet of paper towel. Mix the yogurt and 1/4 tsp salt, and place all the yogurt in the sieve. Fold over the cheesecloth or paper towel, place a plate on top and let sit in the fridge for at least 8 to 24 hours to let the liquid strain out.
- Step 2 Once the yogurt has done its thing, preheat the oven to 400F.
- Step 3 Place the sprigs of rosemary to the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the grapes, still on the vine, on top of the springs. Drizzle with 1 TB olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat well. Roast 15-30 minutes until the grapes have burst and are soft. Remove from the oven, discard the rosemary, and set aside to cool.
- Step 4 To serve, spread the yogurt over the bottom of the plate. Top with grapes, sprinkle with sumac and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve with warm or grilled pitas.
- Step 5 Adapted- http://www.shortstackeditions.com/products/the-short-stack-cookbook
