Cypress' pickled shrimp simply rocks

Pickled rock shrimp with cucumber, tomatoes, Vidalia onions and fresh herbs.

Long a staple of the cocktail party scene in Charleston and throughout the coastal south, it seems as if everyone's mother knows how to make a mean pickled shrimp.

Thumb through any church cookbook South of the Mason Dixon and you are likely to find a recipe for this warm-weather snack.

It's refreshing, light, bright and citrusy. Best of all, it's a cinch to make.

While the idea of pickled shrimp might bring visions of your grandmother and her silver platter to mind, thanks to Craig Deihl of Cypress, pickled shrimp is en vogue once again.

Way more than an accompaniment for your Bloody Mary, this pickled-shrimp dish could stand alone as a small entree.

There are around 20 rock shrimp. That's a lot of shrimp for a $12 appetizer. Add to that some of the freshest and loveliest produce I've seen in a while, this dish was satisfying all by itself.

Deihl says that the dish will be on the seasonal side of the menu as an appetizer, and will probably take the place of the shrimp and grits.

The shrimp in this dish are great, but the produce is the real star.

According to Deihl, "The dish was really inspired by the black cherry tomatoes from Kurious Farms. They were so beautiful and we had their cucumbers, too, and I just thought that was a perfect dish to showcase the product."

Kurious Farms is a hydroponic farm in Moncks Corner. They have more than 1,500 plants, including tomatoes, cucumbers and some of the best bibb lettuce you have ever eaten.

In addition to the produce from Kurious, Deihl uses The Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio, for many of his dishes at Cypress.

In the pickled shrimp, you will find its baby carrots, celery, turnips and parsley.

The dish is finished with the pickle juice and a lemon olive oil.

For $12, my money is on this dish to be one of the most talked about appetizers of spring in Charleston.