cozy rice grits with crispy roasted okra and gremolata

I have fallen deeply in love...with rice grits, that is. Rice grits=broken Carolina gold rice. It is the creamiest dish ever. It reminds me of risotto, but even more luscious. Crispy okra and a zesty caper gremolata top this dish off. Feel free to add shrimp, maybe even some butterbeans and bacon! Olinda olive oil is part of both the gremolata and the okra. Roast okra with intention, taking cake to cook it after slicing it down the middle, vertically, and roasting it with the seed side down. Cozy rice grits with crispy roasted okra and gremolata comes together in no time and will make

your heart happy!

ozy rice grits with crispy roasted okra and gremolata — rice grits

Feeds 4-6

1 cup rice grits

5 cups water

1 cup whole milk

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste

6-8oz fresh okra, halved vertically and slightly trimmed at the top

Any other vegetables that you want to roast!

2 teaspoons olive oil, I prefer Olinda

Handful of thinly chopped chives

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 garlic clove, peeled and grated

Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed

To cook rice grits:

Combine rice , water, milk, bay leaf, and salt in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often. Turn the heat lower if it starts to boil. You need to have a slow simmer. Cook until the mixture is creamy and the rice grits are soft to bite, about 35-40 minutes. Add in freshly cracked black pepper and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, if you wish!

To cook okra (and other vegetables, such as thinly sliced carrots):

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread the cut okra on the baking sheet with olive oil, making sure the okra have the seeds side down. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until evenly crispy. These are best served hot as they tend to lose their crispness as they cool.

To make gremolata:

Combine chopped , garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and capers in a small bowl.

To assemble:

Serve the grits hot, topped with the crispy okra, gremolata and beautiful chives.