Garlic Grits
This weekend, the Garden of Eve Organic Farm, in Riverhead, NY, is holding their 3rd Annual Garlic Festival. (Check out the festival write-up in Growers and Growers.) All that garlic in the air reminds me of home as garlic is an integral seasoning used in cajun and creole cooking. It is part of the “trinity” of vegetables, along with peppers and onions, used to start many stews and gumbos. We chop it up and mix it with softened butter, red pepper and parsley to make Louisiana Garlic Bread and a quick look into the index of one of my Louisana cookbooks, River Road Recipes III, A Healthy Collection, yielded 8 recipes with garlic in the title, garlic and parsley vinaigrette, garlic jelly, garlic laced pork tenderloin in wine, garlic-lemon chicken, orange garlic roasted potatoes, roasted tomato garlic pizza, cream of garlic and onion soup and my favorite of all time…….garlic cheese grits.
Open any great southern cookbook and you are likely to find a recipe for cheese grits. Most recipes are generous with the butter and cheese and the version I grew up with also included bacon. Growing up a favorite breakfast or dinner meal would be cheese grits with bacon, topped with a fried egg (cooked in the bacon grease). Not necessarily fit fare.
The recipe for garlic grits that I prefer these days was developed by my sister, Laura, and comes directly from our family cookbook. It doesn’t include any cheese or bacon - but gets its kick instead from cayenne pepper and garlic. It works great as a side dish with grilled meats and salad or could stand on its own as a vegetarian main course smothered in grilled vegetables and a serving of black-eyed peas. My sister says in her recipe notes that if you feel congested in the morning, these grits are sure to open up those sinuses!
Cajun Bayou Grits
1/2 c grits
1/2 c water
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 minced garlic toes
2 Tbsp Smart Balance margarine (butter works OK too)
In a bowl, combine grits and water. Cook in microwave for five minutes until the water is absorbed. (If you use instant or quick grits this will only take 1-2 minutes and the proportions of water to grits will differ.) Prepare remaining ingredients and add to mixture. Grits should be orange in color, and spicy to taste.
