Zucchini Rice Pilaf

I got a second letter from Angela Simmons. The woman in Memphis whose marriage was saved by my shrimp and grits. She wrote — another real letter, another envelope, another stamp — to tell me that she and Gerald are still together. Three years since the night she made the shrimp and grits and they sat down and started talking again. They're still talking. They're still sitting at the table. They're still married.

She wrote, "Mrs. Henderson, I wanted you to know that the table is still the table. We eat together every night. I make your shrimp and grits once a month. Gerald calls it 'the Henderson special.' The food didn't save us. But the food got us to the table, and the table saved us."

I put the letter on the refrigerator. Next to the first one. Next to the Amara tomato drawing and the newspaper clipping and the wedding cake photo and Kayla's Mother's Day card. The refrigerator museum has a new exhibit. The exhibit is: proof that the food works. Not in a mystical way. Not in a magical way. In the simplest way: the food gets people to the table, and the table is where people remember who they are, and the remembering is the saving.

Three years. Angela Simmons in Memphis has been eating my shrimp and grits for three years, and her marriage is alive, and the table is set, and the food is the bridge. I wrote her back. I said, "Angela, thank you for telling me. Thank you for sitting at the table. Thank you for letting the food do what the food does. And give my best to Gerald. A man who eats shrimp and grits every month is a man worth keeping. Now go on and feed somebody."

Made shrimp and grits tonight. For Angela. For Gerald. For every person who has ever sat at a table with someone they love and let the food be the bridge between what was broken and what can be built.

Now go on and feed somebody.

I don’t always have time for a full pot of shrimp and grits on a weeknight, but I never skip the table — and this Zucchini Rice Pilaf is exactly the kind of dish that earns its place there. It’s humble, it’s warm, it asks nothing of you except that you sit down and share it. When I think about Angela and Gerald finding their way back to each other over a bowl of something simple and made with care, I think this is that kind of recipe — the kind that clears space for a real conversation. Make it, set the table, and let the food do what the food does.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. In a medium saucepan or deep skillet, heat the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Toast the rice. Add the dry rice to the pan and stir to coat in the butter and oil. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes until the rice begins to turn lightly golden and smells nutty.
Add the zucchini and broth. Stir in the diced zucchini, then pour in the chicken broth. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir once to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer covered. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover the pan tightly, and cook for 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
Rest and fluff. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a fork, folding the zucchini through. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Serve. Spoon into bowls or onto plates, garnish with fresh parsley, and bring it to the table while it’s warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Zucchini Rice Pilaf — The Food That Gets You to the Table