August, 2018 | Brit In The South

Autumn is definitely on the way.

I’ve just returned from a few days in London, where this summer’s heatwave is now a memory and cooler temperatures and showers are the order of the day.

In Georgia it is still warm but the thermometer is gradually winding down. Next Monday is Labor Day, which is widely recognised as the unofficial end of Summer in the USA.

The change of the seasons is also apparent in the contents of my weekly CSA box.

We’ve seen the last watermelons. We’re still getting the odd tomato or two but that won’t last for too much longer. This week also saw the first apples and sweet potatoes of the year in our box.

Last week saw the welcome return of kale, so I celebrated with a simple and comforting dish to help with the transition from one season to another, combining the kale with creamy grits and blue Stilton cheese.

Grits with Stilton and Kale

Serves 2

8oz kale

8oz stone ground grits

6oz Blue Stilton, cut or crumbled into dice (or use another blue cheese of your choice: gorgonzola works well)

2 tablespoons Butter

First of all, cook your kale in salted boiling water until tender. For these leaves that took 5 to 6 minutes, but will depend on the type and age of your greens. When cooled slightly, squeeze out any excess water and coarsely chop.

Next, cook your grits. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil and then slowly whisk the grits into the water to avoid lumps. Once it has started to thicken turn the heat down to low. Stone ground grits can take 30 to 45 minutes to cook and require regular stirring. The traditional way of gauging if the grits are is done is when they come away from the side of the pan when stirring but you can also taste it to ensure it is cooked through and has a soft consistency.

Once the grits are ready, finishing and assembling the dish is pretty straightforward. Add the butter to the grits to add richness and glossiness. Stir in the Stilton and then add the kale and stir together. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If desired, finish with some extra Stilton on top.

Think of rich green extra virgin olive oil and most people’s minds will think of Italy, Spain or Greece, who between them produce over 90% of the world’s olive oil.

On this side of the pond people may mention California, where olives have been grown since the 18th century. The Californian olive oil industry declined for many decades until a resurgence in the last 20 years or so as more people began to appreciate the taste and benefits of olive oil.

Olives were also being grown in Georgia in the 18th century, as English settlers found them when they arrived in the 1730s, according to this history of olive growing in the state. It is believed that Spanish colonists may have planted them two centuries earlier.

Production dwindled in the 19th century thanks to a combination of factors including the Civil War and land being given over to more lucrative cotton plants.

The last decade has seen olive growing and oil production in Georgia enjoy a renaissance, led by Georgia Olive Farms in southeastern Georgia.

I recently invested in a bottle of their extra virgin olive oil and was pleasantly surprised. This isn’t an oil to cook with but one to use to drizzle and dress to enjoy the taste.

One simple yet delicious way to use good olive oil is “fettunta”. Literally translated from Italian as an “oiled slice” it is one of those things where simple but good ingredients combine to produce something sublime.

It doesn’t really need a recipe: take some good bread, grill it, rub with a clove of garlic and then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Eat and enjoy.

Brit In The South

A Blog from the Deep South with a British Twist

Monthly Archives: August 2018

Grits with Stilton and Kale

Georgia Olive Oil Fettunta