I experimented several summers ago with dinner grits for a cooking demonstration at the Athens Farmers Market. They wanted local produce to be used in the recipes.
Using organic, locally ground grits (I mean Clarke County local) rather than pasta or rice, I made a foundation dish for the butternut squash I had sautéed with herbs and summer vegetables. Subsequently, I used the same grits dish for a "local food" banquet our restaurant catered for the University of Georgia School of Ecology.