January 22nd is National Southern Food Day, Southern Food Heritage Day is October 11th. On both days we turn to one of our favorite dishes from Charleston, South Carolina: Shrimp & Grits.

Why didn’t we ever think to make it a seafood medley: shrimp plus crab meat, fish, even scallops?

Leave it to a restaurateur, Ebony Austin of Nouveau Bar & Grill in Atlanta.

It’s a great idea, and she shares the recipe with us.

If you can’t have shellfish, just substitute cod or halibut in the recipe.

If you’re in the Atlanta area, there’s much more upon which to feast at Nouveau Bar & Grill. Take a bite of:

Buffalo Shrimp, Cajun Shrimp & Chicken, Chicken and Waffles, Deviled Eggs, Four Cheese Spinach Dip, Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy, Impossible Burger, Jerk Wings, Sticky Fried Ribs, Turkey Burger Sliders and Windy City Crab Cakes.

Plus, great sides and desserts.

Yes, please!

> A brief history of Shrimp & Grits follows the recipe below.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> More ways to serve grits.

> The difference between grits and polenta.

> The history of shrimp.

> The year’s 56 fish and seafood holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: ULTIMATE CAJUN SEAFOOD & GRITS

You can purchase Cajun seasoning or make it from ingredients you already have in your pantry.

The Cajun seasoning recipe below is from Emeril Lagasse.

For a wine pairing, we suggest Sauvignon Blanc for a white wine, or Pinot Noir or Shiraz for a red wine.

Prep and cook time is 30-35 minutes.
 
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

For The Stone Washed Grits

 
For The Shellfish Medley

 
For Emeril’s Cajun Seasoning

Combine thoroughly:

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the grits. Pour two cups of water into a small pot and bring to a boil. When the water starts to boil, add the white wine, then the grits and salt.

2. REDUCE the heat to low and cook for 18-20 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. (Stirring is is important so the grits don’t get lumpy. Once lumpy, it’s hard to get the texture back.)

3. SEASON the salmon to your liking (e.g. salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, lemon and butter).

4. COOK the vegetables and seafood. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Once hot, place the green pepper, red pepper and onion in the skillet and let cook for two minutes.

5. PLACE the salmon in the skillet with the peppers and onions. Add the crab meat to the skillet for 1 minute.

6. ADD the shrimp to the skillet and for 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

7. ASSEMBLE. Place the grits inside the Martini glass and top with the seafood medley. Garnish with the sauce, fresh parsley and more Cajun seasoning as desired.

[1] If you have large Martini or Margarita glasses, they give Shrimp & Grits a touch of whimsey (photo © Nouveau Bar & Grill | Atlanta).

[2] A typical (less glam!) presentation of Shrimp & Grits (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[3] Yellow grits from Anson Mills—the best grits we’ve ever had (photos #3 and #4 © Anson Mills).

[4] White grits are milder-tasting. The yellow variety has a stronger taste and a gentle hint of sweetness.

[5] Jumbo lump crabmeat is the most expensive type of crabmeat. Here are alternatives (photo © Phillips Foods).

[1] Tomato sauce has so many uses beyond pasta. Here, its shakshouka, a spicy egg dish (all photos © Jar Goods).

[2] Jar Goods sauces are non-GMO, gluten free, and three of the four are vegan.

[3] Jar Goods sauces are thick enough to top pizza.

[4] How about trying something different, like pappardelle—a wider variation of fettuccine?

[5] Chili, anyone?

Many food entrepreneurs we’ve met have started their businesses because friends and family said, “This [salsa-pie-barbecue sauce-relish-whatever] is so good, you should sell it.

In the case of Melissa Vitelli, co-founder of Jar Goods, it was her father-in-law’s “famous” tomato sauce—recipe that she cooked in advance and relied on to make dinner quickly.

She used it for everything, from cassoulet to ratatouille to pizza. She wondered why more people didn’t use tomato sauce beyond pasta.

She studied the sauces in grocery stores, and saw an opportunity for a better sauce, with top-quality ingredients.

She recruited her sister-in-law, Laura. Using an initial investment of $150, they began bottling Pa Vitelli’s tomato sauce by hand, and branded it Classic Red.

The sauce used vine-ripened tomatoes, pure olive oil, fresh onions, garlic and basil: clean label sauces that get dinner on the table “easier, faster, and happier,” says Jar Goods.

They sold it at farmer’s markets and street fairs, gained fans, sold on Amazon, and ultimately gained shelf space in the type of grocery stores where consumers look for new and better products.

We, too, became a fan. This is great sauce—as good as we could make personally (and our heritage is that our mother’s own pasta sauce was famous).
 
 
JAR GOODS TOMATO SAUCES

Vitelli calls her line “tomato sauce” instead of “pasta sauce,” because there are so many more uses for the sauces than pasta. See them below.

These are very thick sauces—they won’t run off a pizza.

The line currently includes:

 
How good are they?

We started eating them from the jar!

The line is certified GMO and certified kosher (pareve) by OU. All four are gluten free. Except for the Classic Vodka Sauce, which contains cream, the sauces are vegan.

The stylish jar surrounding the excellent sauces place them on our “giftable” list, whether for the holidays or more frequent opportunities.

We’ll be giving jars as party favors!
 
 
GET YOUR JAR GOODS

Use the store locator, or head online to Amazon.
 
 
TOMATO SAUCE VS. PASTA SAUCE: THE DIFFERENCE

Tomato sauce is any one of a number of tomato-based sauces where the predominant ingredient is tomato.

Marinara sauce, meat sauce, pasta sauce*, pizza sauce, red sauce, Sunday gravy, among others, are all types of tomato sauces.

The different types of pasta sauce reflect different seasonings: arrabiata (chile flakes), bolognese (meat), marinara (garlic, onions, oregano) etc.
 

MORE USES FOR TOMATO SAUCE

Beyond pasta and pizza, here’s how to use tomato or pasta sauce:
 
Breakfast

 
Lunch

 
Appetizers

 
Dinner Mains

 
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*Not all pasta sauces are tomato based; e.g., Alfredo sauce and pesto.

For dinner yesterday, we made this salad from Discover California Wines, the consumer website of the Wine Institute. Its focus is recipes with wine pairings.

This asparagus salad recipe (photo #1) reminded us to have as much asparagus as we can while it’s in season.

In some parts of the country asparagus is in the market as early as February. April is the peak month for harvesting, and June marks the end of the season.

There always seems to be asparagus in stores, because customers demand it. But out-of-season, the asparagus travels from Chile and Peru, and the extra travel time means less fresh asparagus (less fresh = less flavor).
 
 
SPRINGTIME SALAD

This salad proclaims springtime. Pick up a rotisserie chicken and dinner is ready to go in 10 minutes. The fun here is that you shave the asparagus: a delightful visual and texture.

It’s also an opportunity to get to know ricotta salata cheese (photo #2—there’s more about the cheese below).

The dressing is perked up with Vietnamese fish sauce, nuoc cham, which adds umami flavor. Thailand’s prik nam pla is a similar fish sauce.

There are many uses for fish sauce in everyday cuisine. Check out some uses below.

But if you don’t have fish sauce and don’t want to buy it, substitute soy sauce, tamari, oyster sauce or Worcestershire sauce.

If you’re a from-scratch cook, you can make your own nuoc cham from scratch.
 
 
RECIPE: ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH RICOTTA SALATA

Discover California Wines recommends a pairing of Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc.
 
Ingredients For 4 Servings

For The Dressing

 
For The Salad

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, fish sauce and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. SHAVE the asparagus, one spear at a time. Lay the spear flat on a work surface and shave it lengthwise into thin ribbons with a sharp vegetable peeler.

3. PLACE the asparagus in a salad bowl with the arugula. With a cheese plane or vegetable peeler, shave 3 ounces (90 g) of cheese—or as much as you like—into the bowl.

4. ADD enough dressing to coat the salad lightly; you may not need it all. Toss gently, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately.
 

WHAT IS RICOTTA SALATA?

Ricotta salata (photo #2)is a firm Italian cheese with a mildly salty flavor. (If you can’t find it, substitute feta.)

It’s a table cheese—a term used for any cheese that can multitask: grated, shaved or sliced in appetizers, soups garnishes, salads, as part of the main course and a dessert with fruit.

Most people are familiar with the fresh, soft form of ricotta. But as a fresh cheese, ricotta has a limited shelf life.

Long ago, to extend its life, the fresh ricotta was salted, baked and smoked. Today the pressed, salted, dried and aged version of ricotta is known as ricotta salata (salted ricotta).

The cheese, made in wheels, is milky-white and firm. In addition to salads, grate it over potatoes, rice, soups and grilled vegetables.
 

USES FOR VIETNAMESE FISH SAUCE, NUOC CHAM

In addition to other Asian dishes like pad thai, fish sauce can be used in:

 
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*According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, approximately 502.4 million pounds of fresh asparagus was imported in 2017, mostly from Mexico, Peru and Chile. The value of the 2017 U.S. commercial asparagus crop was approximately $73.1 million.

[1] Shaved asparagus salad with arugula (photo © Discover California Wines).

[2] Ricotta salata, an all-purpose table cheese (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Nuoc cham, Vietnamese fish sauce with umami flavor. Buy it at an Asian market; or here’s the recipe from Gastronomy Blog (photo © Gastronomy Blog).

[4] Pick up a rotisserie chicken to turn asparagus salad into a main meal (photo © McCormick).

[5] Enjoy your salad with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris (photo © Tommy Bahama | Facebook).