The Recipe Box #14: Parmesan Grits with Jammy, Garlicky Tomatoes
A perfect summer dinner
Hi!
I hope you’re having a great week. This week’s recipe is one born out of my rediscovered love for grits. I grew up eating them, but never make them for myself, so I only really eat them when I’m back in the south. I had an idea to make them more dinner-friendly without going the shrimp and grits route, and decided to treat them almost like a bowl of pasta instead. The result is this extremely creamy bowl of grits with parmesan and butter swirled in, topped with jammy, garlicky cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. It’s my ideal summer meal—filled with lots of good tomatoes, and not too heavy, but still has the stick-to-your-bones comfort I love about grits. They make such a nice, elegant base for simple summer vegetables.
Tomatoes are my favorite part of summer, so I like to keep them as simple as possible, either eating raw with salt and pepper, or cooking in olive oil and garlic, with some chili flakes for heat. These cherry tomatoes turn silky tender, and they leave behind a tomato-y, garlicky, spicy oil perfect for drizzling over the creamy grits. Basil adds a nice touch of freshness and crispness, but you could go a step further and top it with some olive oil-fried breadcrumbs or walnuts for a little crunch. I prefer it simple. If you want to sub something for the tomatoes, summer squash or zucchini would be excellent here, cooked the exact same way.
The grits really steal the show here, and you should use stoneground if you can. This method is a great base for any grits recipe, and is very adaptable. You can use stock or water, add some cream or milk at the end for extra creaminess, sub in a different cheese for parmesan, and you will still have a fluffy, creamy bowl of perfect grits in the end. No more watery, runny, flavorless grits. I’ll be making them this way for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, topping them with anything I’m in the mood for.
Parmesan Grits with Jammy, Garlicky Tomatoes and Basil
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
4 cups water or stock
1 cup stoneground grits
2 tbs butter
3 tbs whole milk or heavy cream (optional)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 cup basil leaves
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, bring 4 cups water or stock to a boil. Add the grits, stirring or whisking until no lumps remain, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer, and cover the saucepan. Cook until the grits are cooked through, thickened, and tender, adding more water as needed, about 25-35 minutes. Add 2 tbs butter, and 3 tbs milk or cream if using. Cook for a few more minutes, then add 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, and keep warm over low heat.
2. While the grits are cooking, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes, just until it starts to turn golden. Add red pepper flakes if using, then add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook the tomatoes until they soften and some begin to burst—you can speed this process along by gently smashing them with the back of a wooden spoon as they start to soften. Once they are very tender, but still somewhat intact (aka not yet sauce), keep them warm over the lowest heat if the grits are still cooking.
3. When you’re ready to serve, divide the grits among bowls, top with the tomatoes and torn basil leaves, some more grated parmesan, and drizzle some of the oil from the tomatoes on top. Season with flaky salt and pepper and more red pepper flakes if desired. Enjoy!
Pairings
Nico is back on playlist duty this week with a very good grits-cooking soundtrack, feat. Bruce Springsteen, Tanya Tucker, and Diana Ross.
Thank you for reading and cooking. If you have any questions, email or DM me, or leave them in the comments of this post. I hope you have a lovely rest of the week, and I’ll be back this weekend with the third installment of Dinner and a Show.
Love,
Jane
