Lynch Wedding Reception ~ Farm to Table Style

We've had a lot of work and a little drama going on the past several days preparing and working and prepping and cooking and cleaning... and the list goes on! The first drama/horror was a stove that didn't work. The microwave worked long enough for my son to heat up a hot dog Friday afternoon. There was no hot water and the breakers kept tripping! (BTW... try cleaning up with no hot water! LOL) The people that we were doing this for were VERY understanding! You do what you can do and that's ALL you can do! Thank you Rick and Faris!!! 

In the spirit of the recent Farm to Table movement, I wanted to create an event for the bride using a lot of local resources/farms. She told me she really loves using local fresh ingredients and farm products. In the picture below the, the hubby and I are setting up the buffet server that had Cheese Logs on the side that I'm working on. I used a Fromage Blanc from my farm friends Alice and Earle at Middle Sparrow Ranch in Sardis, SC to make those! I also had two more fromage spreads: Rosemary and Black Olive & Honey and Cranberry!

Fromage Spreads from Middle Sparrow Ranch

My beautiful Buffet Server with Ham Biscuits,

Chicken Salad and Cheese Ball/Logs

I put my step-son, Cory, in charge of making my very tasty and elegant Shrimp-n-Grits! We used Stone Ground Grits I ordered from Carolina Plantaion in Darlington, SC, which have a nice and creamy texture. The longer you cook them, the creamer they become! Cooked in chicken broth, they become rich and savory which is perfect for my shrimp and sausage gravy. Thanks Cory! Awesome job! I really lucked out with a two-fer in this dish! I just happened to find some sausage from my farm friend, Russell at Sunny Cedars Farm in Sumter, SC in my freezer, which put this dish over the top!

The bride requested a Taco Bar, which I have never done for a wedding, but I did have fun playing with all the options! We had all the typical Mexican Rice, Charro Beans, Lettuce and Tomato, Guacamole, Sour Cream and Cheese, Cheese, Cheese! I did, however, throw in a TWIST! (Pun intended!) I had Pulled Pork and a couple of toppings from my friend Bobby at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen. I made her Cilantro Lime Crema and Grilled Pineapple Salsa. These made AWESOME tacos!

We also had three varieties of wings:

Buffalo Wings!

Memphis~Style Sweet Heat Wings!

Teriyaki Wings!

Of course, no party is complete without trays/bowls of gorgeous fruit and the popular vegetable tray complete with yummy ranch dip!

My foodie friend Chef Christopher Hill over at the Bachelor Kitchen, shared his recipe for Bourbon BBQ Sauce because I had a request to sauce the cocktail wieners with a bourbon BBQ sauce! I had to try the sauce on a chicken tender! Yummy!

Because I forgot my camera, and I can't find anyone yet that has pictures of the dessert table or the Coffee Bar, (I will find them and add them soon! I didn't want it to delay the post any longer.) I'm ending with the Spinach Dip, Pimento Cheese Sandwiches (The hubby mixed it up, but my daughter-in-law Jamie made the pretty sandwiches! Thanks Jamie for all your hard work!) and Sausage Quiche! 

A special thanks to my son Elliott who handled the Coffee Bar and much, much more, and to Autumn who handled her first catering job with style and grace! She was right there ready to take on the next task and executed her tasks perfectly! Thanks y'all! Thanks to all y'all! 

...and finally

Congratulations Tricia and Chris!!!

Shrimp and Grits

*Notice in this picture that I used Italian sausage

in place of the bacon this time... it works either way!

This is wonderful basic Shrimp and Grits recipe. It is so easy and relatively quick to make. It's timed every well and by the time you finish with the gravy and shrimp, the grits are cooked well. You can add to it or change it around. I found that cooking the grits in Chicken Stock added a lot of flavor, but watch how much salt you add when using stocks.

•1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled
•1 1/2 cups stone-ground grits
•6 cups chicken stock
•1 teaspoons salt or more to taste
•1 pound Italian sausage, remove casings and crumble
•1 small onion, finely chopped
•1 garlic clove, minced
•2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
•1 cup chicken stock (more many be needed to get the consistancy you want)
•Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

Make the grits in a large heavy saucepan, first bringing 6 cups of chicken stock, and salt to taste, to a boil. Whisk in the grits a few handfuls at a time. When you have added all the grits, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently toward the end.

While the grits simmer, get your gravy started. Fry the Italian Sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat until about done. Stir in the onion and garlic and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and continue sauteing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat while you finish the grits.

When the grits are thick and creamy, stir in as much butter as you wish (optional). Add a splash of hot pepper sauce and additional salt if you like. Cover the grits while you finish the gravy.

Return the gravy to medium heat and stir in the shrimp. If your gravy has formed a skin over the top, (It happens. Don't worry!) add a splash of stock and whisk for a second, then stir in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. (I used some boiled shrimp I had left over that were cooked in Old Bay Seasoning. I didn't have to add any additional salt or pepper. They were seasoned perfectly... good shortcut!) Serve immediately, mounding the grits in large shallow bowls or on plates and covering them with shrimp and gravy.

A pretty option for serving at a

special occasion!

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