Jen tells a classic story which I’ll call “Jen’s Mom and the ‘Cheese’ Grits.” Once, way down south, Jen’s mom volunteered to bring cheese grits to a school function. When she got home to make them, she realized she only had 2 slices of American cheese for the whole vat of grits. Not to be outdone by a lack of cheese, she set about making the dish. A few drops of red and yellow food coloring, a couple dashes of garlic powder, and a blanket of shredded cheese originating from those two small slices made a mound of grits with barely any cheese inside. Her “cheese” grits were the hit of the party, no one the wiser.

I was reminded of this story when we received a pouch of pureed Butternut Squash from a winter CSA we’re a part of. Every time I looked at it, I couldn’t help but think of how cheddary the squash looked. I found myself forgetting what butternut squash tasted like, and began imagining it must taste only like something cheesy and decadent. I decided to use this lapse of memory to my advantage by using the squash in a place I would expect to find cheese and see how my mouth reacted. What I ended up with was something even more decadent than actual cheese grits – grits with such a rich array of flavors I actually ate them for dinner, as a main course no less.

Recipe: Vegan Extra Cheesy Grits

Makes 4-6 servings

• 2 cups cooked and pureed butternut squash
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup instant grits
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• tsp salt
• hot sauce to taste
• fresh ground black pepper as garnish

1. Combine all ingredients except the hot sauce and black pepper into a large microwavable bowl (1.5 quart or larger, preferably non-plastic). Stir evenly.
2. Microwave for 5 minutes at a time, stirring between each round. Cook until grits are fully puffed. The grits I used cooked in about 20 minutes total.
3. Stir hot sauce and black pepper into the whole thing, or into each individual serving. Serve warm as a main dish or a side.