My apologies for the wordplay. I simply can't resist. The talented farmers up the road from us at River Brook Farm in Cochecton grow a few grapes and I was lucky enough to get my hands on some. These green beauties had the most amazing smell! I don't know which variety they are but they were bursting with fruity flavor, sweet and tart and juicy. I was beside myself trying to come up with a way of using them and I finally decided to make a syrupy juice that could be diluted with water. Of course, we ate quite a few of them as a snack and now that I've been clued in to the nutritional benefits of the seeds, I have taken to chewing them (not that bad) or simply swallowing them whole (less bother).

Grapes contain resveratrol, a polyphenol antioxidant that has been found to inhibit cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and viral infections. Recently, I read it may help to prevent fat from building up in the liver. It also makes you irresistibly sexy. (Not really. I wish.) Grape seed extract belongs to a class of free-radical-scavenging antioxidants called bioflavanoids, and is much more potent than vitamins C and E. Much of the goodness in grapes is concentrated in the skin and seeds, so bear that in mind for both eating out of hand and cooking.