When last week we found ourselves with beautiful okra from Lehman Farms in Sanger, CA, the kitchen’s thoughts quickly turned to grits (I think our resident Atlantan, Joel, had a hand in it). And we knew what grits we wanted to serve.
We served Anson Mills grits a couple years ago when we did a Carolina dinner featuring Ossabaw pork, and we remembered how amazing the difference is between the heritage grits made by Anson Mills, and the regular grits we can buy. Anson Mills is basically recreating the way these grains tasted prior to the Civil War. This means organically growing heirloom mill corn (and in the process becoming breed stewards for the varieties), and restoring and using antebellum hand-operated milling equipment. Because of their passion for preindustrial ingredients and methods, we can taste what it was about this food that made it a signature item for a whole region in the 1800s.
We ordered the grits last week and they arrived today, so the dish will now be fully complete. It comprises wild-caught market fish, Anson Mills grits, okra from Lehman Farms, and Elegant Lady yellow peaches (natch) from Tenerelli Farms in Littlerock, CA.