I am not a picky eater, by any means. The list of foods I dislike is short and unsurprising: green bell peppers, wasabi peas, raw clams, liver. Oh, and grape jelly. I positively loathe it. Nothing ruins a perfectly good diner experience like asking the server for jam for your toast and being told that all they have are those horrible little packets of grape jelly. Why even bother?

Alas, I have a two-year-old who is a very fussy eater. And one thing he likes is whole wheat toast with butter and grape jelly. So I begrudgingly bought a big jar that lives on the door of our fridge.

Until very recently, it had never occurred to me to use it in anything I was actually going to eat myself. I used to write about jam, and I have a pretty outstanding collection of fancy spreads for my morning toast, thank you very much.

But when the idea for a hearty winter salad with spinach, pecans, and roasted grapes and red onions started percolating in my brain, I began to reconsider my personal grape jelly embargo. I knew I wanted the dressing to be warm and slightly sweet, thick but not at all creamy. Balsamic and a hint of Dijon would be good. Maybe some fresh rosemary, maybe not.

This just might be my new favorite cold weather salad. It’s quick and simple, and infinitely adaptable. You could toss some radicchio in with the spinach, or use thyme instead of the rosemary (or just leave it out). Turn it into a full meal with some roasted Portobello mushrooms or cubes of baked tofu. For non-vegans, it’s delicious with roasted or grilled chicken, or crumbles of blue cheese. You can roast the grapes and onions ahead of time and serve the salad at room temperature. Make the vinaigrette ahead, too, and then reheat gently just before serving.

Spinach Salad with Roasted Grapes and Warm Balsamic-Grape Vinaigrette
Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side salad

For the salad:
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes
1 small or 1/2 large red onion, sliced into half moons
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons grape jelly
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny side down, for easy clean up. Toss the grapes and onions with the olive oil, rosemary, and a pinch of salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast until the onions are soft and beginning to char in spots and the grapes are tender and starting to brown, about 30 minutes.

Put the spinach in a large serving bowl and top with the grapes and onions. Sprinkle with the pecans.

To make the vinaigrette, combine the grape jelly and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk until the jelly is melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the olive oil and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salad and serve.