Happy Fall, Y’all! The tourists are (mostly) gone, the mornings are crisp, and the leaves are changing (that last part is completely false, but a girl can dream, right?). But the best part of Autumn is the beginning of my two favorite seasons: Football Season and Oyster Season! Northwest Florida is the perfect place to partake in both. With our close proximity to Gainesville, Tallahassee, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Athens, and Baton Rouge, we are the crossroads of the SEC! And thank goodness for that. With football season in full swing, and my Gators hot on the trail, my stomach has been growling for the likes of wings, chili, burgers, dogs, and yes, even oysters. Oysters tend to get a bad rap, and I just can’t understand why. As I see it, those salty little suckers are ready to soak up the spotlight. If you’ve never tried an oyster, now is the time. Traditionally, oyster season falls during the “R” months; that is September through April. This is because the water is cooler during these months, and bacteria are less likely to thrive. Now a days, it’s actually safe to eat oysters all year long, but why mess with tradition?

For those of you new to the whole oyster thing, don’t be shy. Order a dozen on the half shell, and you’ll be experiencing slimy nirvana in no time. The best way to eat oysters is on a Saltine cracker with cocktail sauce (extra horseradish), a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a cold beer to chase it all down. You may want to start with cooked oysters and work your way “up” to raw. My all time favorite has to be fried oysters, and Stinky’s Fish Camp on 30 A has some of the best I’ve tasted, served with an awesome smoked tomato tarter sauce. If fried isn’t your thing (though I can’t fathom why) Stinky’s selection of baked oysters are pretty stellar, as well. My favorite is the smoked cheese, bacon and horseradish variety. They’re smoky, salty and ooey gooey. When you’re ready to brave some oysters in the raw, order up a dozen and suck ‘em down! I warn you; you’ll be addicted in no time.

If you’d like to try your hand at cooking some of these marvelous mollusks at home, you’ve got to try my Granny Flash’s recipe for Oysters Rockefeller. These are a New Years tradition at my house. Serve them with some garlic bread and a nice bottle of bubbly and it might just become a tradition for you and yours, as well! Good luck with the shucking!

Flash’s Oyster Rockefeller

Arrange ice cream salt in a small layer on a rimmed cookie sheet. Put fresh-shucked oysters in ramekins, then place ramekins on top of salt. Puree all remaining ingredients other than cheese in a blender. Top oysters with pureed spinach mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese to cover. Put in preheated 450 oven for 8-10 minutes- don’t burn. They’re done when the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly.

So, so, so good!