I grow grapes along the fence. Actually, I grow vines along the fence. After 10 years of vines, we had grapes for the first time last summer. I didn’t let the girls pick them because they weren’t ripe. Unfortunately, when we came back from vacation, the mockingbirds had helped themselves. Cherry and Coco weren’t happy. First, I wouldn’t let them pick the grapes green, and then, they didn’t get to pick any at all.

This year’s crop was lush, until a single afternoon when our bird friends claimed half of them. Mockingbirds don’t care if the grapes are tart. We couldn’t let the thieves eat them all, so we picked every unclaimed globe. Here’s our harvest in pictures:

Recipe for Sour Grape Sorbet

Wash and de-stem three cups of grapes. Place them in a heavy pan with one cup of sugar and one cup of water. Bring to a boil, and then, turn the heat down to simmer until the grapes are very soft. Pour all of the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, mashing the solids through with a pestle. I used a big wooden one my mother gave me years ago. Discard the seeds. Return the mixture to the pan, heat again on medium-high. Dissolve 2 T cornstarch in half a cup of water, whisk into the grapes. Stir until it’s thick enough to coat a spoon. Pour it into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until completely solid. Cut the frozen pieces into chunks with a knife and blend until smooth. I used a hand mixer with a blade, but a food processor would work. Scoop into bowls and serve immediately.

The sour grapes are sweet and sharp like cranberry sauce. A small serving packs a lot of taste.