4 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Grapes this Summer (and a Twitter Party Announcement!)

“Oooh, grapes!” My kids and I can’t get through the produce section without some sort of exclamation like that. There’s something about them — green is my son’s favorite, red is my daughter’s — that makes them so fun and alluring. Maybe it’s their portability … I don’t know.

Fortunately, California grapes are in season from May through January, so they are almost always available.

And, since they are a natural source of antioxidants and have no fat or cholesterol, they’re something I am happy to keep on hand. Did you know a serving of grapes (that’s 3/4 cup) only has 90 calories and are a great source of Vitamin K? Vitamin K helps blood to clot (that’s a good thing!) and may be good for bone health too.

A favorite in our house, grapes are great for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Here’s a few way to enjoy them:

4 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Grapes This Summer

Freeze ‘Em for Lunch Boxes: Did you know that frozen grapes make a great ice pack in lunch boxes? Freeze them in little pouches, and tuck them into your kids’ lunch box for camp. It will help keep everything cold.
Halve ‘Em for Salads: They aren’t just for snacking! Grapes make a great addition to salads like my recipe for Grape, Roasted Squash and Blue Cheese Salad.
Toss ‘Em in Smoothies: My kids love to have a smoothie every morning, and we are constantly mixing up the flavors. Grapes are an expected addition — but a tasty one. How about a grape and banana smoothie?
Roast ‘Em for Appetizers: Did you know that grapes are also delicious roasted? Toss them with a little olive, salt and pepper, and roast them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until they burst. Then serve them in a bowl on an appetizer plate with cheeses, crackers, bread slices, apples slices, hummus and more. Or just top crostini with a little herbed ricotta, a bit of good prosciutto and a spoonful of roasted grapes. Mmm.

Do you love grapes too? Then I hope you’ll join me at a fun Twitter party in June. The California Table Grapes Commission is hosting a “Serve up Summer” Twitter Party to celebrate and share the many ways to enjoy California grapes on June 20, 2016 at 9 p.m. EST, 6 p.m. PT, and I’m so excited to be a part of it.

I’ll be joining with other bloggers to share some of my favorite recipes and ideas for enjoying grapes. Want to join in the fun (and maybe win a cash prize)? Join us on Twitter by following and tweeting with hashtag #GrapesfromCA that evening. And be sure to register for the party with the Eventbrite registration (linked here) for your chance to win.

In the meantime, you can also check out the California Table Grapes Commission on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy California grapes?

This post was sponsored by Kitchen PLAY on behalf of Grapes from California. All opinions expressed are my own.