Lida Wilkins’ Roasted Tomatoes and Grits
“In the South, we love our grits. If the rest of the world tried them, they’d love them too. It could be the foundation for world peace.
In the Carolinas they make shrimp and grits. Tennessee is short on shrimp, but we have lots of tomatoes. Down at the Depot Diner, we make this dish as a side. But you can cook up some crumbled sausage or bacon, add them in, and it makes a wonderful main course.
You can use any kind of tomato, but I love using the red and yellow cherry tomatoes that are busting out in the garden this time of year. I slice them in half and they make for both a colorful dish and perfect bite size eating. Roma tomatoes are a good second choice.
It is Southern Cooking at it’s best! (Note to self: Send grits to the UN.)”
From the Southern Seduction Cookbook)
Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees
For the Roasted Tomatoes:
3-4 Cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon sugar
1-2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon fresh-gound pepper
Place the tomatoes cut side up in a roasting pan. Sprinkle other ingredients liberally over them and place in oven for 25-30 minutes.
For the Grits:
Grits, Water, Salt
If this is your first time making grits…well, bless your heart. Read the instructions of the side of the package. Otherwise, use the ‘bout right method. Boil some water and add grits and salt till it looks and taste “bout right.” (You can also gourmet it up by using chicken broth instead of the water and salt.)
Spoon the roasted tomatoes and sauce over the grits and serve. Yum!
And when you can, come see us down at the Depot Diner! Happy Eating!
