the wandering tastes of charley crockett
and how grapefruit made it's way across the gulf coast.
I was introduced to Charley Crockett during a recent drive to Georgian Bread, a restaurant tucked into a strip mall on a long boulevard of post-Soviet eateries in suburban Philadelphia. Listening to Jamestown Ferry, my favorite person to discuss music with predicted that this Gulf Coast Texan’s blend of outlaw country, blues and zydeco was bound to blow up the alt-country charts at any moment.
Within a week I had made my way through all nine Charley Crockett albums.
Early tracks like Driving Nails in My Coffin and I Am Not Afraid echo the unshakeable ragtime of his years busking in New Orleans. Refreshingly, when an artist makes six albums in four years their sound can evolve in a way that others take decades to accomplish. So by 2020’s Welcome to Hard Times Crockett has landed on a more scalable, distinctly Texas sound.
Well I come from the gulf
Where even Houston is way up north…
I was down in Texas
With Louisiana always on my mind
But it was somewhere in the middle of 2018’s Lonesome as a Shadow where the lyrics reveal the larger story of a wandering heart clinging to the Gulf Coast. A story that has a lot in common with grapefruit.
Origins rooted in multiple centuries of French and Spanish interference in the Caribbean. Persistent re-blending of tastes and contributors. A close proximity to the Gulf Coast and a habit of unexpected mutation. The recorded history of Texas’ famed Ruby Red grapefruit shares more that you might expect with Charley Crockett’s sound.
Unfortunately, since then grapefruit has been typecast as best in its liquid form. But I can think of no better Gulf Coast pairing than setting it squarely beside shrimp in a perky sweet and sour fall salad.
Have a favorite citrus fruit or Gulf Coast musician?
grapefruit and olive salad
Shrimp’s sweet undertones work to balance out grapefruit’s tartness with green olives grounding the taste profile. Make sure to grab pink or Ruby Red grapefruit while you’re at the market. If you’d like to go vegan here, chickpeas work well but you may want to revert to a sweeter citrus like oranges.
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Celery and Orange Salad (2009)
what you need
12 ounces large shrimp, steamed or precooked ◾ 1 pink grapefruit, cut into 1” segments ◾ 1 small or 1/2 large red onion, diced (1 cup) ◾ 1 cup green olives, roughly chopped ◾ 1 cup celery, thinly sliced ◾ 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped ◾ 3 tablespoons olive oil ◾ 1 teaspoon kosher salt ◾ white pepper to taste
what to do
Steam shrimp until they are just opaque and pink. Usually 3-8 minutes depending on size.
Meanwhile, half your grapefruit and pull away the peel and pith. Working over a medium bowl, cut grapefruit into segments. Prepare remaining ingredients, add to the bowl and toss.
Want more on citrus history? Check out Taschen’s Book of Citrus Fruits.
Want more books in your life? Check out my growing collection of favorites at my virtual Bookshop.org storefront.
Reading - The Russian Seasons In Paris 1908-1929: Sketches Of The Scenery And Costumes (1988) by Militsa Pozharskaya and Tatiana Volodina is five pounds of bilingual lead up to the Picasso costume and set design era
Watching - No Time to Die (2021) served as a little dose of Birthday Bond
Smelling - Jazz Club by Maison Margiela’s REPLICA (2013)
Listening - Blue Banisters by Lana Del Ray (2021) which is giving me next level cottagecore girl boss vibes
Made the grapefruit shrimp salad for book club last night. It was a hit, especially in the midst of Winter. It reminded us all that warm weather and sun are just around the corner.