Fare Exchange: Grateful for grits and using your nog’in for bread

Good morning, good day, good year, good friends. A wonderful thing happened at the end of 2016: You all sent a Christmas-plenty of recipes and we will continue to draw from them in the weeks just ahead.

Today there is just one request from a Christmas visitor from New York City. A.S. wrote, “How about a recipe for the wonderful spinach and artichoke pizza that you can buy at Crust, with a very thin crust?”

GOING GRITS

Jim Sparks added to the discussion of best grits recipes.

Garlic-Cheese Grits

2 cups grits (not instant)

1 stick unsalted butter (no substitute)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups shredded cheddar

3 eggs

1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare grits according to package directions. Add the butter, salt, black pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and cheese. Mix until butter and cheese melt.

Beat together the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Add to the grits and mix well. Pour into a baking dish and bake about 1 hour or until mixture sets.

Sylvia Smith makes her grits with Swiss and Parmesan, not cheddar, describing the effort simply as “a recipe we like very much.”

Swiss and Parmesan Grits

1 quart milk (whole milk is best)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup quick grits

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring milk and butter to a slow boil and slowly add grits, stirring until thick.

Put grits into a large bowl and beat for 5 minutes (yes, 5 minutes) until creamy. Add Swiss cheese and salt and pepper, mixing with a wooden spoon. Pour into a 2-quart, greased casserole dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Dot with butter and bake in heated 375-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

The grits finale, but only for this column, is from Mrs. Nicholas Aspen, who wrote, “This Garlic Grits recipe comes from an “All-American Comfort Food” book of recipes that reach back to the turn of the century. Garlic Grits: A dish you can serve to beggars and to kings.”

Garlic Grits for Beggars or Kings

1 cup uncooked grits

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3 cloves garlic, pressed (I guess one could omit or lessen amount or use garlic powder)

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2/3 cup milk

4 large eggs, beaten

Grease a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook the grits in salted water according to the directions on the package. Add the butter, garlic, cheddar cheese and milk and stir until blended.

Add the eggs and stir well. The mixture will be like soup. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

TANGY SOUP

Here’s a piquant recipe for a gingery soup, offered by Esther Lusk.

Ginger and Lentil Soup

1 pound brown lentils

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (1 to 2 cups)

3 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped

3 to 4 tablespoons fresh, peeled ginger root, chopped or grated

3 to 4 carrots, peeled and diced

3 2/3 cup water

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (1 large can)

Salt and pepper to taste

Dashes of balsamic vinegar to taste

Rinse lentils in a colander. Set aside. Heat oil, then sauté onions, garlic and ginger. Add carrots and a splash of the water. Simmer briefly. Add lentils, stock and remaining water.

Partly cover and simmer over a low flame, stirring often, for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are cooked and the soup has the consistency of porridge. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, pepper and dashes of balsamic vinegar to taste.

Yield: 8 servings.

NOG’IN

On this 2017 day there is probably a little eggnog left over from the Christmas celebration. So it is at our house, and the following recipe from Melissa Stafford is one she has made several times, “and everybody loves it.” You will need 1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons eggnog.

Eggnog Bread

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups eggnog (not low-fat)

2 teaspoons spiced rum extract

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 (3.4-ounce) package instant white chocolate pudding mix

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Rum Glaze

1 cup sifted confectioners sugar

2 teaspoons eggnog

2 tablespoons spiced rum extract

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Using the paddle attachment to your mixer, mix eggs, eggnog, rum extract, sugar, vanilla and butter.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, pudding mix, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to mixer and blend together. The butter might be clumpy and that is OK. It will melt as it cooks.

Pour into greased pan(s). Bake at 350 degrees; using a mini-loaf pan takes about 30 minutes and a regular loaf pan will take about 45-55 minutes.

Whisk together glaze ingredients and pour over cooled bread.

Thank you for your company in years past; here’s a toast to you in 2017.