Gussied-Up Grits

Though the days are technically getting longer, these days of gray skies and cold temperatures make comfort food more important for the next few months.

In the South, that often means grits.

Grits is/are dried corn ground into meal but not quite as fine as cornmeal. Cooked with water and salt, they are the stuff that many of us grew up eating and, with the addition of some butter, can be the sum total of comfort-giving sustenance.

But grits dress up well too. While cheese grits are a delicious and dependable version, grits can be a vehicle for nearly anything, from garlicky shrimp to sausage gravy. In honor of the upcoming holiday season, dressing grits in green and red seems appropriate. For New Year’s, a black-eyed-pea interpretation.

Crispy kale chips make a great counterpoint to the grits and red pepper gravy, but if the presentation is too much trouble just fold red pepper and greens into your favorite grits recipe (with cheese if you like) and pay homage to the season that way.

Eating black-eyed peas and greens is supposed to bring you good luck in the new year—the black-eyed peas are said to resemble coins and the greens represent money. They’re stirred together in the following dish, which is also a great candidate for your Meatless Monday dinner throughout the year.