Easter '06 - Bloody Marys and Cheese Grits

Easter greetings!! I'm heading over to an ADC's house today (noon-ish) for brunch. Good size group of folks heading over, too, I gather. Some vegan. I've offered to make Bloody Marys and Cheese Grits. As usual, I am a stickler for the best, freshest, organic ingredients possible. Here's the rundown...

BLOODY MARYS
I decide to make one big batch as opposed to preparing them when I get there... 2 cups Ketel One Vodka, 2 quarts R.W. Knudson organic unsweetened tomato juice, the juice of 2 organic lemons, 2t Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce (vegans beware), 2t Tobasco brand pepper sauce, 1/2t celery salt, and 36 grinds of pepper. All mixed up in a pitcher, chilling in the fridge. Before I head over, I am going to grate some fresh horseradish, in case anyone wants any, I've got kosher salt for the rims of the glasses, and lemon wedges and celery stalks (washed and cut) for garnish. Mmm.

BAKED CHEESE GRITS
I really want organic yellow grits, but I have no luck at New Seasons (Bob's Red Mill is supposed to make them, but the store didn't have 'em). So, my options are some crappy instant brand, or Arrowhead Mills "All Natural" White Corn Grits. I get the later. I hope the recipe I am using can handle white instead of yellow. We shall see.

These are going to be creamy, buttery cheese grits (again, vegans beware). I'm feeling ambitious, and knowing how easy it is to make butter, and how much better homemade butter tastes, I take on that task. I need 1 cup of butter (which is the approx. yield of a pint of cream after the buttermilk is removed). I get started. Again, in a quest to use only the best ingredients, I get a pint of Norris Farms organic whipping cream (pasturized). I use one of the two quart jars from the tomato juice as my 'churn.' Cream goes into the jar. Lid goes on the jar. I shake and shake and shake. The contents transform from liquid cream to whipped cream, and finally, the separate into butterfat and buttermilk. I pour the contents through a sieve, and the squeeze any excess liquid out with the help of a swath of cheesecloth.

And then I wait. Brunch has been postponed until 1. I need to begin prep for the grits at around 11...

OK, waiting over. Boil 6 cups water in big pot. Add a teaspoon of salt (coarse Kosher). Add 1.5 cups grits. Stir for about 6 minutes, simmering. Add 2 cloves garlic, about half pound cheddar (in this case, Grafton Classic Reserve Extra Aged [2 yrs] Vermont Cheddar), some ground pepper, and about a cup of my amazing homemade butter. Stir until cheese and butter are melted and integrated. Add a mixture of 1 cup milk and 3 eggs, lightly beaten. When incorporated, pour into 9x13x2 in baking dish. Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top. Place into a 350 degree preheated oven for 45 min to 1 hr.

When the 45 min buzzer goes off, I am grating the horseradish, so the grits actually bake for more like 50 minutes. There is a little toasty beautiful browned cheese on top, and the smell is fabulous! This photo looks a little washed out... They looked better in real life, promise...

I put everything into a New Seasons double bag (except the grits). I carry the bag with one hand while the other hand (in a protective oven mit) balances the pan of grits. I walk to the ADC's house without dropping anything.

Everyone seems to like the drinks and the grits. I'd make 'em both again with little or no alteration...