Friday Fences - Science Hill Inn

Friday Fences is a great way to meet creative photographers from all over. The meme is hosted by my blog buddy Janis at Life According to Jan and Jer . Go there to check out other fence photos and stories.

This is the iron fence that runs in front of the Sceince Hill Inn and Wakefield Scearce Gallery in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Science Hill has an interesting history, especially for educators. In 1825 Julia Ann Hieronymus married a young Methodist minister and settled in Louisville. She was a teacher who was determined to provide girls with a broader education beyond homekeeping, entertainment, painting and music which was thought to be sufficient for girls from "good" families of the time. In particular she wanted to teach her students about science. So, she opened a girl's preparatory school, first class had 20 students. That school was in operation for around 100 years.

Now the very elegant southern building houses a fine restaurant, Science Hill Inn, and Wakefield Scearce Gallery, which specializes in British Antiques. During the holiday time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this especially a wonderful place to visit. You can have lunch in the inn featuring the best southern cuisine. Then spend the afternoon going through room after room (used to be the school dormitory) of British antiques, each room fully decorated around a certain theme.

A group of my friends will be going there for a pre-Thanksgiving lunch. Already know I'll be ordering the Shrimp and Grits. If you're still looking for a new Thanksgiving or Christmas dish, here is the Science Hill Inn recipe:

Cheesy Grits:

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 2-quart casserole and set aside.

In a large pan add 1 tsp. salt to 4 cups of water and bring to boil over high heat. Slowly stir in 1 cup instant grits and cook until the grits thicken and take on a pudding-like texture, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup butter, 4 oz. mild grated cheddar cheese, 6 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat 3 eggs and 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream together just until the eggs are thoroughly mixed. Stir into grits mixture.

Pour into casserole and bake 45 minutes.

Shrimp Gravy:

In a large sauce pan melt 4 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add 1 medium chopped onion and cook until edges are slightly brown. Add 1 lb. peeled and deveined medium shrimp, 1 tsp. Herbs de Provence seasoning, 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning and 4 tbsp. butter. Increase heat to high. Cook, stirring constantly, to create a gravy-like sauce, until shrimp is an even shade of white. This will take about 5-10 minutes.

Pour shrimp gravy over grits. Garnish with 4 strips crisp bacon, crumbled, and 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley. Serve with lemon wedges. Don't skip the lemon as it is needed to make the shrimp pop and brighten the richness of the whole dish.

Serves 4.