One of the first signs that I am slowing turning into a Southerner was when I found myself craving sweet tea. Another is that, over the last several months, “shrimp” and grits has become my go-to, easy meal to whip up quick. I have no idea whether the version I make comes close to mimicking the real thing, but I do know that when I’ve made this for dinner my husband and I have practically licked our bowls clean.
No real recipe here. I make the grits following instructions on the box and add a ton of grated cheese. I sauté lots of garlic, vegetarian shrimp (I’ve found this in Asian stores and, just recently, in Whole Foods), spinach, and/or whatever else I have on hand (e.g., pine nuts, shallots, the tiny nubs of chard I have growing in my container garden on the deck…) and serve on top of the ooey gooey grits.
I’ll have to figure out a substitute for fried oysters to complete my transformation.
