Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 portobello mushrooms, cubed
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1-quart okra, chopped
2 lb fairytale eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
24 oz medium shrimp, peeled

to serve: over Old Bay Chive Cheese Grits

Directions:
Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the garlic, mushrooms, eggplants, onion, okra and eggplant and saute until the eggplant and mushrooms are tender. Stir in the shrimp and cook 3-5 minutes or until pink and fully cooked. Server over rice or over Old Bay Chive Cheese Grits.

My thoughts:

This is my seasonal take on the traditional shrimp and grits. I added in my favorite variety of eggplant, some local portobello mushrooms (the mushroom festival is next weekend!) to make a dish that is less traditional and more hearty. I love okra and eggplants but I think they are both some of the more polarizing of vegetables. I think this is a great way to showcase both so if you are on the fence, give it a try! They get nice and soft during the sauting and shrimp adds some light seafood flavor to round out the dish. I liked them over grits but I bet rice would be good too.