Easy finger food idea

Maybe all the foodies 'out there' already know about this, but I didn't. On the presumption that I may not be the only person who had no idea, I thought this easy little nibbly idea has to be shared. I saw this on the teev. Not even a cooking show, just a random little aside as the person was chatting about something else. It's just such a good idea, and I think the finished product looks so good, and my goodness the variations are endless.

I have called them:

Pistachio and Grape Nibblies

100g soft cheese*
Small bunch of seedless grapes (we like Thompson)
80g pistachio nuts**

Chop or pound the nuts until you are left with some powder and some chunks of nut.

Using your fingers scoop up about a teaspoons worth of cheese and roll the grape into the cheese in the palm of your hands.

Dunk the cheese-coated fruit into the nuts and roll about until well-covered.

Continue until you have made as many as you want. The above quantity should yield about 18 or 20 coated grapes (depends on their size).

Serve immediately OR store in the fridge until ready to serve, taking them out about 10 minutes before you plan to eat them.

*Go for your favourite here. Adults or more mature palates might love a soft goat's cheese here. Another option that my children love is Philadelphia style or curd cheeses.
**Once again you can veer off here and choose your favourite nut, just avoid anything salted as the cheese has enough salt.

That's it. These would be a rather cute treat with drinks before a dinner party, but work equally well as an afternoon snack for children. They are very easy, though a little messy which means the kidlets can manage this recipe from go to whoa - though some grapes may end up with rather more cheese than you want.

The combination of flavours here, especially the contrast of the salty, slightly tart cheese, against the juicy *pop* as your teeth break into the grape is wonderful. PLUS they look so cute!