Shrimp and Grits

Doesn't that lettuce and arugula taste great?!  It's so nice to have some good salads. The pretty edible flowers of the bolted arugula add that spicy arugula flavor to whatever to sprinkle them on.  

The little white turnips are so tender they can be sliced up and eaten raw like radishes.

The scape are great sautéed and remind me of a garlicky asparagus.  I think it makes great pesto, just puree it in the food processor with some raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, olive oil and salt.

Tarragon is one of my favorite herbs.  It is great with chicken.  Add some to your favorite chicken salad recipe.  Tuck a sprig into a bottle of white wine vinegar and use can use it all winter.  It's also great with carrots.  Plain butter carrots are elevated with a bit or tarragon.

The first fresh strawberries are always a treat.  Yum.

In the late 1980's I started buying shrimp from the Fabian trucks that would stop in Ames, Iowa.  They were fresh and sweet and pretty cheap if you bought them with the heads on.  My little Rachel would stand on a chair at the kitchen sink and work on them with me.  Here little fingers made quick work of pulling the heads off and peeling the shells off.  I'd use the trimmings for rich bisques and cook of the rest any number of ways.  Imagine my delight when I found that Fabian has a truck in Minneapolis, too.  It's really a pretty neat company.  The family started selling fresh shrimp from trucks in 1975.  They would ice them down and drive hundreds of miles to sell them the next day.  Now they fly the shrimp and other seafood into MSP and sell them in a couple of locations around the city.  It's the only fresh shrimp you can get around here, outside of a restaurant.  It is all wild caught and it's fun to see how the shrimp's texture and flavor changes as the season progresses.  It's always good, but my favorite is in the fall when the water is cold.  They seem to be extra sweet and snappy.  I'm going to pick mine up today in Minnetonka.  They will be in Minnetonka June 23rd from noon to 6 pm at Lucky's Gulf Station 15114 Highway 7 and on Saturday, June 24th in Apple Valley from 10 am to noon at Pahl's Market 6885 W 160th St.  .  Here is the Fabian website where you can sign up for an email from them telling you when and where they will be in town.

Riverbend Farm's grits are  a rich golden color and have a "cornier"flavor than most.  It is simply ground and sifted retaining the germ and natural oils.  This makes it more perishable--keep it in the fridge or freezer for best results. 

Simply stir 1 cup of grits into 4 cups of cold water, add a big pinch of salt.  Put it on the heat it and simmer it, stirring occasionally, until it's thick and creamy, about 15 minutes.  Taste a spoonful to check if the corn grits are tender.

I'm updating a favorite recipe of mine to make Garlic Scape Shrimp and Cheddar Grits.  While the grits simmer you can cook up the shrimp.  It will all be done in less than 30 minutes.

Garlic Scape Shrimp and Cheddar Grits

Cheddar Grits

The sharp cheddar complements the mellow corn flavor.  A mound of this cozies up well with shrimp, smokey grilled meats,  braised ratatouille , or a slow cooked short rib.  Leftovers are delicious but the cheese keeps it's too soft to slice for pan frying.

4 cups cold water
1 cup Riverbend Farm grits
1  cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. butter
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, stir together the cold water and cornmeal.  Bring it to a boil and reduce heat to medium.  Simmer, stirring occasionally,  until thickened and no longer raw tasting, about 15 minutes.

Stir in remaining ingredients.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Makes 8 servings

Garlic Scape Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice (from 1/2 a lemon)
2 Tbsp. chopped parsely
4 garlic scapes, sliced (about 1 cup)

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp.  Remove and set aside. Spoon off all but a tablespoon of bacon fat.  Add shrimp and cook over medium heat until they just start to turn pink.  Add remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.   

Serve spooned over cheddar grits, or rice.

Makes 4 servings.