I like to consider myself a spontaneous person, but when Ali texted me about riding roller coasters on Sunday afternoon, I balked. I hid from her text underneath a blanket on the couch for a solid ten minutes. Then I mustered up the strength to reply that roller coasters scare me to death, so probably not. Seriously, people die on roller coasters. They’re terrifying. Then she said no one else could go. I started to feel bad. Whatever happened to being spontaneous? I looked up the park’s safety record, which was pretty solid except for the one rickety wooden roller coaster. She challenged me to face my fears. I asked how much the amusement park costs. All of this was just a downward slide toward a reluctant yes.
As I was getting ready, I seriously considered calling my mom to say my final goodbye. I almost asked my friend Matt to be Cookie’s godfather. I lamented not growing old and gray with my brothers. I’m a goner. Then I remembered that brother no. 1 survived sky diving. The odds were in our favor, as long as we avoided that wooden death trap. Quit being a sissy, self. Long story short, we rode some roller coasters, and lived to tell. Can’t particularly say I enjoyed the thrill or that my fear of roller coasters is gone, but we did it. I don’t care if I never ride one again. After our nausea subsided, we left the amusement park for margaritas and queso on a rooftop patio. I’d do that part again in a heartbeat.
So no more roller coasters for me, friends. For the record, though, here’s an incomplete list of adventures I will say yes to: hiking, skiing, ice skating, roller blading, biking (look no hands!), zip lining, snorkeling, rock climbing, paddle boarding, paddle board yoga, aerial yoga, spontaneous trips/flights to pretty much anywhere. I could probably be convinced to go hang gliding (again), parasailing and scuba diving. I say no to horror movies and sky diving. See also: base jumping. I feel better now that we cleared this up.
None of this has anything to do with crostini. My grandmother and aunt came to town last week and we went to dinner at Urban Table. We ordered an appetizer of grilled crostini with strawberry purée, brie and basil—one bite, and I knew I had to recreate it. When it came time to make this recipe, strawberries turned into more seasonal raspberries, but then I couldn’t find organic raspberries. I switched to organic grapes, which solves my blog’s zero grape recipes issue. Then basil turned to thyme after an unscientific comparison taste test with the brie and roasted grapes.
I think you’ll be hooked on roasted grapes after you try these crostini. They’re jammy and sweet, almost like fig preserves. Roasted grapes pair remarkably well with creamy brie, but goat cheese or mild blue cheese would be delicious, too. This simple late summer appetizer would be perfect for girls’ night! For more seasonal inspiration, check out other #eatseasonal group members’ September creations on Foodie Crush! And for a refresher on what’s in season now, check out my September produce guide!
