I love discovering new foods from Virginia. This week I found a new Virginia Pepper Sauce from Clark + Hopkins. (Available at Wine Gourmet in Roanoke, Virginia or on-line.)

https://clark-and-hopkins.myshopify.com/

This recipe does require marinating the Shrimp overnight, but it is worth the wait! The sauce ingredients spoke to me…jalapenos, habaneros, peaches and peanut butter…said “Grill some shrimp!” I bought some Private Selection (Kroger) Extra Large Antarctic Argentinean Wild Caught Red Shrimp (peeled and deveined). I partially thawed the shrimp and put them in a freezer container. The marinade was so simple!

Clark + Hopkins Virginia Marinade for Shrimp

(Enough marinade for 12 Extra Large shrimp – multiply the recipe if you are preparing more than 12 shrimp.)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Clark + Hopkins Virginia Pepper Sauce

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pour the marinade over the shrimp and toss with a spoon. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Shake the container to coat the shrimp once during the marinading process.

Brush a cast iron grill pan lightly with vegetable oil. (grill pan available for purchase on Ladles and Linens website: https://ladlesandlinens.com/collections/cookware

or at their stores in Roanoke, Lexington and Richmond, Virginia)

Heat the pan until the oil is sizzling. Place marinated shrimp in a single layer on the grill pan. Cook shrimp for a minute or two over medium low heat, then turn and cook the other side. The shrimp will be pinkish and opaque with some nice grill marks. Watch shrimp carefully so they do not burn and move the center ones to the outer rim of the pan while moving the outer ones to the center to allow them to completely cook since the center of the pan is the hottest area. Remove shrimp from pan and enjoy!

I gave a friend of mine a sample of these shrimp and she loved them – she said they tasted like Maine lobster, so tender and flavorful!

One of my favorite local foods is Gunther Salsas. The owner of Gunther is the son of my orthodontist so his family always makes me smile! https://www.gunthersfoods.com/

I made a super simple scrumptious dip with Gunther’s Salsa Verde. Only 4 ingredients!

Virginia Salsa Verde Dip

4 ounces cream cheese

3/4 pound good quality Pepper Jack Cheese, grated (it’s worth visiting the deli counter to get the best pepper jack cheese you can find – I used Murray’s pepper jack)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup Gunther’s Salsa Verde

Hint of Lime Tostitos Tortilla Chips for serving

Place cream cheese in a saucepan and melt and stir over low heat. Once the cream cheese begins to melt, add the pepper jack cheese and continue to heat and stir until cheese is melted. Add sour cream and salsa verde, stirring to combine all ingredients. Remove dip from heat and allow to cool. Place in a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with Lime Tostitos Tortilla Chips.

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