Great grape ideas

MANILA, Philippines - The aphorism “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is perhaps more accurate if “grape” is substituted for “apple.” The line might not work as well, especially since the catchy meter would be lost, but there is a logical basis for the contention that grapes are more healthful than apples. This is because while apple seeds have been found to have small amounts of cyanide, a beneficial antioxidant called resveratrol with anti-cancer properties is contained in grape seeds. To extol the favorable effects of grapes and resveratrol on general health, the modern maxim “a daily bunch of grapes helps you avoid serious medical scrapes” has more solid scientific foundation.

Filipinos generally love grapes, a fact supported by statistics that show considerable consumption of the fruit. David Wolf, agricultural attaché of the United States embassy in Manila, says the Philippines is the eighth biggest (out of 60 markets worldwide) California table grape importer. This translates to about US$18 million worth of fruit consumed each year by Filipinos. But while fresh grapes are delicious as a healthy snack, or with cheese to cap a meal, the fruit is just as good when incorporated into regular cuisine.

The challenge posed by the California Table Grapes Commission for several top Philippine chefs was to create innovative menus that would demonstrate the versatility of grapes. Dubbed the California Table Grapes Adventure, this campaign features the fruit from start to the finish of a full-course meal. Would grapes added to everything from salads to dessert become redundant? We soon found out that that in the hands of culinary magicians, the humble grape can acquire a spectacular range of flavor.

At Aubergine, Chef Stefan Langehan started us out with a cold grape and grenadine drink he called Dark Knight. This was light enough so that it was refreshing without killing the appetite. This was soon followed by an amuse-bouche of one thin slice of ham served on a bed of grapes. The dry, salty ham provided a nice contrast to slices of sweet and juicy fruit. Amuse-bouche means “amusing to the mouth,” a little something served before the main meal meant to awaken and rev up the taste buds. This small starter certainly did that. One useful tip for diners: Don’t set the garnish aside. The tarragon leaf garnish lends a faint and pleasant anise-like taste.

A trio of duck foie gras terrine in blue grape jelly, smoked duck breast on walnut-grape salad and mesclun greens tossed in raspberry dressing was an interplay of varying textures. While others consumed their three small servings one after another, it was more interesting to take alternating bites of the different portions. The crunch of the walnuts followed by the smoothness of the terrine, and then the lightness of the crisp tender greens were all very agreeable. The dark grape jelly that ringed the terrine was faintly tart, yet also sweet and natural — so unlike the stereotypical high-sugar grape jelly spread that was our childhood favorite. The emphasis on grapes was further strengthened by a glass of crisp and sparkling Chardonnay.

Soup consisted of cream of grapes and apples with oyster fritter and Champagne foam, which wasn’t much to look at because it was a dull yellowish color. But a mouthful dispelled whatever prejudices we had against the dish. It was slightly tart, yet full and flavorful, and we fished out the tasty oyster fritter to eat before its light batter became soggy with soup.

The seafood medley with lobster, Norwegian salmon and scallop on grape-celeriac puree and grape nage was expectedly lovely. The seafood at Aubergine is always excellent — fresh, firm, faintly sweet and cooked just right. A la nage is a French preparation method where the seafood is cooked in a court bouillon. This nage was made special by the addition of grapes and was a delightful pastel shade of lavender. We definitely enjoyed this part of the meal and thought it couldn’t get better.

However, we had a surprise coming. A grape sorbet served on a teapot steaming with dry-ice fumes delighted our group. Looking like Aladdin’s magical lamp, it was a visual delight that also cleared our palates for the main course.

It was a choice between oven-roasted quail stuffed with grapes, porcini mushrooms and pine nuts, served on truffled grapes, with grape-potato mousseline, vegetable cassoulette, honey glazed grapes and port wine jus; or grilled Chilean sea bass topped with a grape-prawn ragout, served on grape risotto and grape beaurre rouge.

 Our dilemma was solved when Chef Stefan decided to serve us half portions so that we could try both. The quail was tender and tasty and good to the bone, the Chilean bass was excellent, and at this point, we were totally convinced that adding grapes to anything was a really great idea. The crispy fried brie cheese praline on balsamic glazed grapes and dessert of flamed grape tartlet, grape spring roll served with grape ice cream that followed was just icing on the cake. Hurray for grapes! Good things really do come in bunches.

The California Table Grapes Culinary Adventure is ongoing until Dec. 31 at Aubergine, Tagaytay Highlands Steakhouse, Sugarhouse, Le Souffle and Chef Laudico’s Bistro Filipino. For more details about California Grapes, visit www.grapesfromcalifornia.com or call Reji Retugal-Onal at 534-8534 or 534-8223.