Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients:

• 1 C     Grits  (stone-ground, i love Anson’s and Logan Turnpike)
• 4 C    Water
• 3 TB  Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 C     Lucini Organic Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 LB   Shrimp (peeled, deveined)
• 6 slices Bacon (chopped coarsely)
• 2 TB   Parsley (chopped fine)
• 1 tsp  Turmeric (optional)
• 1 TB   Lucini Garlic Infused Olive Oil
• 1 tsp  Lucini Lemon Infused Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper (fresh, ground)

Preparation:

Salt the water well and bring to a boil.   Add the grits and cook until all of the water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, garlic and lemon infused olive oils.

Clean the shrimp and pat dry.  Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; remove and discard or save for another use.  Remove 1 TB of bacon fat and add to the grits.  Add the shrimp to the remaining grease.  Cook until the shrimp turn pink. Add the parsley and turmeric – saute for 3 more minutes.

Spoon the grits into a serving bowl, add the shrimp and mix well.

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried green tomatoes are a great way to show off the deep flavor of Lucini olive oils.  The last time I made them I was in North Carolina, so I added a tablespoon of Cheerwine to the milk and found that the tomatoes had an added sweetness that balanced well with the salted crust.  I have seen many recipes recommend avoiding olive oil for frying, but it actually makes the best frying oil.  When heated, olive oil is actually a very stable fat, working well at frying temperatures, in part due to the plentiful anti-oxidizing agents such as phenols and vitamin E.  Its high smoking point (over 400º F) is safely above the ideal temperature for frying food (350º F).

Ingredients:

• 2 C          Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4              Green Tomatoes (sliced 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 C           Milk
• 1 TB        Cheerwine (LUC Cherry if you’re not in the Carolinas)
• 1 C           Flour
• 1/2 tsp  Salt
• 1/2 tsp  Ground Pepper
• 1 C           Corn meal
• 1 tsp       Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 tsp  Salt
• 1/2 tsp  Ground Pepper
• 2              Eggs (beaten lightly)

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mix the milk and cherry vinegar.  In another, combine the flour with 1/2 tsp  salt and pepper.  Mix the corn meal, paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper in a third bowl, and the beat the eggs well in a fourth.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Dip each tomato slice in the milk to coat, then in the flour mixture. Dip the floured tomato slice into the egg, and then into the corn meal and make sure the slice is completely coated. Place the coated tomato slices in the hot oil, and fry until golden brown on each side, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Cole Slaw

This is a great recipe for a sweet, vinegar based cole slaw.  I do like mayonnaise and buttermilk slaws as well, but this version brings back memories of summer evenings warm enough to eat outside and veggies freshly picked from the garden.  Cole slaw is a must for barbecues and picnics, fried chicken and hot dogs, friday night fish fries and pot lucks at the town park.   Sometimes referred to as “German” or “Carolina” cole slaw, I prefer the vinegar version with fresh cabbage from the garden or farmers market, as it balances well with the earthier flavor of non-mass farmed cabbages.

I always assumed that the name came from a person or place named “Cole”, but the name is actually an Anglicization of the Dutch term “koolsla”, itself from “koolsalade”, which means “cabbage salad” in Dutch.  “Kool” and “Cole” derive from the Latin, colis, meaning “cabbage”.  Kool.

Colorful cole slaw

Ingredients:

• 4 C        Cabbage (Green and or Red)
• 1            Onion (small, minced)
• 1            Carrot  (peeled, coarsely grated)
• 1            Bell Pepper (red or yellow for color, sliced fine)
• 1⁄3 C     Lucini Pinot Grigio Italian Wine Vinegar
• 1⁄2 tsp  Dry Mustard
• 1⁄2 tsp  Celery Seed
• 1⁄2 tsp  Salt
• 1⁄4 tsp  Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• 1⁄4 C      Sugar
• 1⁄4 C     Lucini Tuscan Basil Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:
Toss shredded and minced vegetables together in a large bowl.  Combine sugar, salt, pepper celery seed, mustard seed, vinegar, and pepper; whisk together. Toss with vegetables; cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  Taste for sweetness and spices – many people prefer more sugar.

Burgoo Recipe

Burgoo is a spicy stew that got its start in Kentucky, before spreading to nearby areas.  It actually looks, cooks and tastes similar to chili, but swaps in local ingredients.  If beans are used they tend to be lima, heat comes from tabasco or other hot sauce, okra and turnips are common and the meats are different then those generally found in chilis.  Burgoo always contains multiple meats and can include:  mutton, pork, beef, chicken and even squirrel.  Many of the famous burgoo purveyors are in and around the Owensboro, KY area, but I have also seen references to Indiana and Illinois burgoos.  I have subsituted pickled okra for fresh on occasion, but that is definitely NOT a traditional choice.

Ingredients:

• 1           Chicken, cut up
• 2 LB    Beef shank  (other lean beef will also work)
• 2 C       Lucini Tuscan Harvest Plum Tomatoes
• 4 C       Water
• 2           Onions (chopped)
• 1 C        Lima beans (fresh or 10 oz frozen)
• 1 C        Corn
• 1 C        Okra (fresh or 10 oz frozen, You can substitute chopped green pepper if you do not like okra.)
• 3            Bay leaves
• 1 TB      Worcestershire sauce
• 2 TB     Lucini Pinot Grigio Italian Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp     Hot Pepper sauce (Tabasco, etc.)
• 1 tsp     Salt
• 2 TB     All-purpose flour

Preparation:

In a large kettle or Dutch oven combine chicken, beef shanks, tomatoes, 5 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 2 hours or until meats are tender and falling off the bone.
Remove meats from the pot and let stand until cool enough to handle.  Cut the meat from bones and chop.  (Save the  skin and bones for stock!).  Return the meat to the broth mixture, then add onions, lima beans, corn, okra, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, hot pepper sauce and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Add water, if necessary, and stir from the bottom to prevent scorching.  Add salt to taste towards the end of the 30 minutes.
If you are not using okra, combine 1/2 C cold water with the flour and stir until the flour is fully dissolved, then mix this slurry into the burgoo.  Cook and stir into the mixture until it thickens slightly.  Okra acts as a natural thickener, and I have not found any need to add flour when using okra.  Remove bay leaves and serve.

Collard Greens recipe

Collard greens are one of my favorite dark leafy green foods to cook.  There are many different ways to prepare them, from traditional to creative.  Most people seem to think of them as an overcooked or over sweetened mess, but if prepared correctly, they are actually full of nutritious goodness and are an excellent source of, among other things, calcium, lutein and vitamin K.  This recipe reflects my preference for smoked turkey wings, but I have included ham substitutions.  For a vegan/vegetarian version, I  have replaced the turkey with a chipotle pepper during cooking and a splash of garlic or basil infused olive oil before serving.

The finished product!

Ingredients:

• 2 C         Water (Or mushroom stock if not using meat)
• 1/2 LB  Smoked Turkey Wings or Neck (you can also use a ham hock or 1/2 LB of pork ham scraps)
• 1 LB       Collard Greens
• 2 TB       Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp  Salt
• 1/2 tsp  Black Pepper (fresh ground)
• 1/2 tsp  Hot Pepper (dried, crushed)
• 1 tsp      Honey
• 1 tsp      Lucini Pinot Grigio Vinegar (use only an exceptionally smooth, mellow vinegar like Lucini or skip)

Preparation:

In a large pot, bring the water to boil over high heat.  Add smoked turkey, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

While the turkey is cooking, clean the collard greens well until all the dirt and grit has been removed.  Chop into large pieces.

Add the collards, olive oil, salt, black pepper, hot pepper, honey and vinegar to the pot. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat immediately and simmer covered for 30 minutes longer.  Chop the turkey meat and add it to the collards. All four of Lucini Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oils, particularly the Chili, are excellent finishes for this dish.