THE RECIPE

NY Cheddar Cheese Grits

serving size:  4 generous helpings

prep & cooking time:  40 minutes

bake time:  40 minutes

Foraging Note: I got my bayberry leaves from Far Rockaway Beach in Queens (yes there are beaches in Queens, NY) and dried them in a paperbag. 

 

 

1 1/2 cups local &/or organic whole milk

1/2 cup local &/or organic cream

2 cups water

1 1/2 tablespoons sweet cream local butter, the closer to home the better. 

1 cup stone-ground grits*, NOT INSTANT

1 clove garlic, finely minced (Beautiful heirloom garlic bulbs are in the farmers' market now.)

1 bayleaf, or a 4-5 leaf twig of wild bayberry leaves** (see above Queens reference)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (You can always add more to your liking.)

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

dash of cayenne, (I like Connecticut cultivated Salemme pepper, www.salemmepepper.com.)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme or oregano, finely minced (Ideally grow your own or find close to home.) 

1 cup + 1/4 cup grated local cheddar, or cheddar-type cheese ( I love Cato Corners' Bloomsday in my grits.  Remember New Yorkers, among other things, our state is known for its cheddar!)

1 egg

1/4 cup diced wild onion tops or local scallion (optional)

sprinkling of homemade bacon bits (optional)

 

1.  Butter oven-proof crock with a teaspoon called for.  Set aside.  In a large sauce pan, add milk, cream and water and cover.  On medium-high heat, bring to a gentle boil.  Uncover, reduce heat to low, and add grits, bay leaf or bayberry leaves, garlic, salt, peppers and butter.  Simmer, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes.  Don't forget about it!  If you do, and burn the bottom, immediately transfer to another saucepan and keep on cooking!

 

2.  While simmering, grate a cup of your local cheddar-type cheese.  After grits have absorbed the liquid and have a firm and creamy consistency, add and blend 1 cup of the grated cheese and contine to simmer for 5 minutes, constantly stirring .  Remove from heat, add thyme and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

 

3.  In small bowl or 1/2 litre glass measuring cup, gently beat the egg.  Gradually add 3/4 cup of grits mixture to beaten egg, blending as you go.  Then add egg and grit mixture to grits and blend thoroughly.  Transfer to buttered crock, sprikle with 1/4 cup grated cheese and bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, until golden around the edges. Sprikle with coarsely cut fried bacon and scallions.

 

When serving, be careful of the bay and bayberry leaves.  They can sometimes have sharp edges.  In Russian tradition, it's good luck if you get the bay leaf in your borscht and I apply the same fortune to wild bayberry leaves, just be careful.  I wouldn't let children injest them whole, just remove the leaves from their serving. 

 

*I'm lucky to have a source.  When I go home to Georgia, I always leave with "the goods".  My sister Lisa gave me a delicious bag of grits from the Logan Turnpike Mill in Blairsville, Georgia, where by the way, the country's largest sorghum festival is held in October!