Grapes!

Glossary of grape varieties:

Here is a selection of grapes you might find at Bay Area farmers' markets and at some specialty stores.

Bronx. Considered by some to be the Rolls Royce of table grapes, this rare hybrid is grown by Lagier Ranches in the Ripon area. It has a reddish-gray color, silken texture and muscat-like flavor.

Champagne. Also known as Zante grapes. Although they have a lovely, distinctive flavor, the table grapes from this wine variety tend to sell for their looks: tiny burgundy-colored berries in tight, appealingly shaped clusters.

Concord. Containing a lot of their distinctive flavor in their dark blue skins, these native grapes pop open to reveal a sweet, gelatin-like interior.

Muscat. This grape goes into Italy's Moscato, a perfumey dessert wine. Table grapes have similar qualities, with a honeyed sweetness and a background of acidity.

Thompson. This common, very sweet green grape has a complex flavor when completely ripe and slightly golden. You're more likely to see ripe ones at farmers' markets.

How to use specialty grapes:

The complex, wine-y flavor of Muscat, Concord and other specialty table grapes allows them to work in savory preparations in a way similar to figs. Here are some ideas from Laurent Manrique of Aqua restaurant in San Francisco.

Grape panini. Toast sourdough bread and rub it with a little bit of fresh garlic. Mix halved Muscat or Cabernet grapes in a bowl with olive oil, fresh black pepper and sea salt. Spread them over the bread and top with dry goat cheese and sliced prosciutto.
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Bread and grape salad. Toss diced toasted sourdough bread with halved Concord grapes, walnut oil, sherry vinegar, fresh walnuts and salt and pepper to taste. The grape juices will soak into the bread like tomato juices do in panzanella.