A funny thing happens when you join a CSA. You start trying to cram unusual vegetables into just about anything you can.
"I shoved 3 bunches of kale into lasagna," my neighbor and fellow CSA member proudly told me one day earlier this week.
"Oh, it cooked down so much that you needed to use 3?" I replied.
"No, I had to get rid of three bunches of kale," he said.
This week our item to use was scapes. I could have made pesto again, but when I wanted to make shrimp and grits and didn't have any scallions, I immediately thought of the other long green shoots in my fridge. The scapes needed to be cooked in bacon fat for a bit before I added them to the recipe, (A Paula Deen creation) but since I was going to be using the bacon fat to cook the shrimp, no big deal.
I loved the flavor the scapes gave the dish - grassy and fresh, but more complex than scallions. A major success.
Here's the recipe, adapted from "Paula Deen and Friends" (Simon and Schuster, 2005)
Shrimp and Grits
1 cup stone-ground grits
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup butter
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, left whole if small and roughly chopped if medium or large
6 slices bacon, chopped into tiny pieces
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup sliced scapes
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 cup stone-ground grits
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup butter
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, left whole if small and roughly chopped if medium or large
6 slices bacon, chopped into tiny pieces
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup sliced scapes
1 large garlic clove, minced
Directions
1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook the grits until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.
2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add the scapes to bacon grease in pan and saute until browned and softened. Add shrimp to the skillet and saute over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Immediately add the lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Remove the skillet from the heat.
3. Pour the grits into a serving bowl. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits. Garnish with the bacon bits and serve.
1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook the grits until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.
2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add the scapes to bacon grease in pan and saute until browned and softened. Add shrimp to the skillet and saute over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Immediately add the lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Remove the skillet from the heat.
3. Pour the grits into a serving bowl. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits. Garnish with the bacon bits and serve.
boo ya creativity
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