How
could anyone not LOVE grits? One taste of restaurant grits and you've
got your answer. They often resemble plastic curd. I am a huge fan of
grits and I enjoy them in several different recipes, but if you've only
had them cooked "according to package directions", made from "quick
grits", or in a Waffle House and you hate them, we need to talk. Let me
give you a southern lady's introduction to grits. I promise that
you'll love them.
Grits in the raw are simply ground corn. Like most foods, they are best enjoyed in their purest, freshest state with a little butter. Some friends, Tim & Alice Mills who live just outside of Athens, Georgia provide the local foodie community with their pure, organic Red Mule Grits. Their grits are ground from dried corn by their mule, Luke who grazes in a pasture just outside their back door. These grits are yellow (like the corn) unlike what you might find in a breakfast restaurant or in the grocery store. If you're interested, here is an article from a local newspaper about the Red Mule Grits.
So we're starting with REAL GRITS! Ground corn. Not anything labeled grits in the grocery store or a restaurant. If you are shopping at your local farmers' market or specialty grocer, look for "stone ground grits" or "pure corn grits" or even "yellow grits". The ingredient list should be pretty simple: corn.
Next, I'll share the two ways that I enjoy grits most:
1- The basic breakfast cheese grits. I boil the grits in low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth, then add seasoning salt, any sort of cheese (my favorite is pepper jack), a dash of milk (or if you're really living on the edge - heavy cream) and a little butter. Serve HOT. Grits do not reheat well.
2- Nassau Grits. This recipe was given to my mother by a dear family friend, Harold Byrd, who lived in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. He was so kind to our family and we've spent several wonderful family vacations relaxing, scalloping, fishing, and enjoying Aunt Ebby's Ice Cream at his home! A few years ago, "Pop" went on to be with the Lord, but this recipe can transport me back to his kitchen in an instant. This is truly a taste bud explosion. Grits are bland no more! His recipe, which I entered in the "Taste of Monroe" several years ago, won! I served Nassau grits, asiago cheese flatbread, caprese salad cups, and ginger and molasses cookies to a few hundred people and was in competition with some of the area caterers and restaurants. These grits were the big hit.
Pop's Nassau Grits
Ingredients:
-1/2 pound bacon
-1 cup chopped onion
-1/2 cup chopped green or red bell peppers
-1 jalapeño
-2 cloves garlic
-2 cups peeled & diced tomatoes
-1 cup Red Mule Grits
-3 cups water
-salt & pepper to taste
1-Fry the bacon and reserve 1 tbsp of the grease. Set bacon aside.
2-Saute peppers, onions, and garlic in tge bacon grease. Add the tomatoes. Simmer until mixture is thick.
3-Cook grits as package directs.
4-Add vegetable mixture to the grits. Add salt & pepper to taste. Top with bacon crumbles & serve hot!
So if you have a grits prejudice, please PLEASE give these a try. I guarantee you'll have a whole new opinion of this southern staple. If you were already a grits lover, please share your recipes with me!
My mom, myself, and my cousin who worked so hard at the Taste event! This was a few years ago and we got rained on for hours, so excuse the hair!
Grits in the raw are simply ground corn. Like most foods, they are best enjoyed in their purest, freshest state with a little butter. Some friends, Tim & Alice Mills who live just outside of Athens, Georgia provide the local foodie community with their pure, organic Red Mule Grits. Their grits are ground from dried corn by their mule, Luke who grazes in a pasture just outside their back door. These grits are yellow (like the corn) unlike what you might find in a breakfast restaurant or in the grocery store. If you're interested, here is an article from a local newspaper about the Red Mule Grits.
So we're starting with REAL GRITS! Ground corn. Not anything labeled grits in the grocery store or a restaurant. If you are shopping at your local farmers' market or specialty grocer, look for "stone ground grits" or "pure corn grits" or even "yellow grits". The ingredient list should be pretty simple: corn.
Next, I'll share the two ways that I enjoy grits most:
1- The basic breakfast cheese grits. I boil the grits in low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth, then add seasoning salt, any sort of cheese (my favorite is pepper jack), a dash of milk (or if you're really living on the edge - heavy cream) and a little butter. Serve HOT. Grits do not reheat well.
2- Nassau Grits. This recipe was given to my mother by a dear family friend, Harold Byrd, who lived in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. He was so kind to our family and we've spent several wonderful family vacations relaxing, scalloping, fishing, and enjoying Aunt Ebby's Ice Cream at his home! A few years ago, "Pop" went on to be with the Lord, but this recipe can transport me back to his kitchen in an instant. This is truly a taste bud explosion. Grits are bland no more! His recipe, which I entered in the "Taste of Monroe" several years ago, won! I served Nassau grits, asiago cheese flatbread, caprese salad cups, and ginger and molasses cookies to a few hundred people and was in competition with some of the area caterers and restaurants. These grits were the big hit.
Pop's Nassau Grits
Ingredients:
-1/2 pound bacon
-1 cup chopped onion
-1/2 cup chopped green or red bell peppers
-1 jalapeño
-2 cloves garlic
-2 cups peeled & diced tomatoes
-1 cup Red Mule Grits
-3 cups water
-salt & pepper to taste
1-Fry the bacon and reserve 1 tbsp of the grease. Set bacon aside.
2-Saute peppers, onions, and garlic in tge bacon grease. Add the tomatoes. Simmer until mixture is thick.
3-Cook grits as package directs.
4-Add vegetable mixture to the grits. Add salt & pepper to taste. Top with bacon crumbles & serve hot!
So if you have a grits prejudice, please PLEASE give these a try. I guarantee you'll have a whole new opinion of this southern staple. If you were already a grits lover, please share your recipes with me!
My mom, myself, and my cousin who worked so hard at the Taste event! This was a few years ago and we got rained on for hours, so excuse the hair!
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