Watermelon, Hominy grits, An' shortnin' bread, Alligator ribs, Some pig tails, Some black eyed peas, Some chili, Some collard greens

I have a little confession to make. I got really excited when I got my recipe for this month's recipe exchange. This month the theme was "regional dishes" and my recipe came from Georgia!!!!!!!

I am a sucker for Southern specialties. Barbeque, Cajun, Soul - Just like the gourmands laud France for their indiscriminate love of butter, the South also enjoys food that is full of fat and goodness. Living in Florida, vacationing in South Carolina and Georgia I used to be able to get my fill of grits, hush puppies, pecan pie.......but here on the west coast these things are hard to find. And when you find them they're not nearly as good.

My second confession - I already had almost all the ingredients for my recipe. All I was missing was the collard greens (which as a rule I don't keep on hand, but they're easy enough to pick up). I emailed this fact to Melissa who was organizing this exchange, she laughed at me. I mean really, what California girl has grits in her pantry at all times? Although as I've said many times before, I am hardly a California girl.Jon gave me a really weird look when I put this bundle of goodies on his plate, right next to my chickpea crusted mango chutney chicken (I told you I'd post a picture Cara). But after a bite he was in love. What's not to love about cheese grits? They're almost perfect! So thank you to whoever submitted this recipe - it was great!

Grits-Stuffed Greens (Southern Living)

Prep: ~20 min
Cook: 35 min
Stand: 5 min

You can assemble these up to a day ahead and
refrigerate. Just steam them for an extra 5 minutes
when ready to serve.

Ingredients:
6 large fresh collard green leaves
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
3/4 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
1. Rinse collard greens. Trim and discard thick stems
from bottom of collard green leaves (about 2"); place
greens in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover
and steam 10 to 12 minutes or until greens are tender.
Cool completely.

2. Bring milk and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan
over medium-high heat. Gradually stir in grits. Cover,
reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally,
5 minutes or until grits are thickened. Remove from
heat; stir in cheese and next 3 ingredients, stirring
until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes.

3. Place one collard leave on a flat surface, and
spread out sides. Spoon 1/2 cup grits toward bottom
center of leaf. Fold one side of leaf over filling.
Fold opposite side of leaf over filling. Beginning at
1 short side, roll up leaf tightly, jelly roll
fashion. Repeat with remaining collard leaves and
grits. (I also seal them with toothpicks)

4. Place bundles in a single layer in a steamer
basket; steam, covered 10 to 15 minutes or until
thoroughly heated.