Hominy Spoon Bread

Interesting cucumber recipe, Max, but I think I will stick with raw baby cucumbers.

Did I ever tell you the story about my husband taking in some excess garden vegetables to the office? There was this pretty young secretary who had mentioned that she loved cucumbers, so he brought her a lunch sack full of cucumbers, fresh off the vine that morning.

She pulled one out and went, “Ugh! They’re dirty! And they’re not shiny like the ones in the store.” She would not believe him when he told her that the “shine” came from wax so they would store longer, and she gave the sack back to him. I wonder how many other bright pennies think the same way? Certainly, a lot of city girls have not idea one where food comes from or what it looks like before cleaning up for the grocery.

Since we are on a nostalgic trip back to our roots in Colonial and Pioneer Times, I’m sending along an old Southern Spoon Break Recipe for you to try. The only place I’ve ever heard of that even knows what Spoon Bread is Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. All the South loves cornbread, and I think (of course, this is just my theory) that Spoon Bread developed as a way to serve plain old cornbread at a fancy meal. I’ll bet Jefferson was served Spoon Bread at Monticello. Cornbread is everyday fare, Spoon Bread is company fare. Usually Spoon Bread is made only with corn meal, the addition of hominy grits makes this one a little different.

Hominy Spoon Bread:

½ cup hominy grits (Quick grits can be used)
2 ½ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
3 eggs, separated
½ cup white cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Cook grits with water and salt as directed on package in a large heavy saucepan. Stir constantly. If cooked on a high temperature, near a boil, the grits will splatter out of the pan. Take off the heat and stir in the butter. Cool slightly and stir in the egg yolks.

Mix the white cornmeal, baking powder and salt; and slowly stir into the grits.

Beat the egg white with a mixer until soft peaks form. Fold into the grits and place in a greased 1 ½ quart casserole, like the CorningWare French White Casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour until golden brown. Serve immediately with lots of butter.

Make 6 servings.