Okra is a green vegetable that loves to grow in the hot sun of Texas. Much has been written about the phobia of eating this unusual vegetable.
For one thing, when you cut into it, you may experience the sticky feel of the vegetable on your paring knife. Also when cooking it, in a saucepan, a slime effect occurs. (yes, I did say slime). It makes for a great thickening agent for soups.
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| Crust removed on one piece to show how it looks when cut in slices. |
I also love it stewed with onions, diced fresh tomatoes, and a pinch of chili powder. This is one dish you either love or hate. I don't believe there is any room for middle ground.
Sometimes I make pickles out of whole okra. It is
a great addition served along with an outdoor picnic meal.
If you live in a warm climate, it is the perfect vegetable to grow in your garden. You can count on the okra plant to survive with small amounts of water. The key to success, is to cut the okra each day...it grows so quickly, you can almost see it growing.
Has this post made you want to rush out and buy some okra, or, maybe, add it to your list of seeds for next year's garden......
Meggie Mac
A Special Note: I have been following a new blog called A Garden Newbie. Jennifer has a unique style of writing that you might have fun reading. She is a beginner (newbie) in the world of gardening. When reading her posts, you will smile, and remember when you first started gardening. Let's give her a welcome to the blogging world by checking out her blog!
Hi Meggie!
ReplyDeleteWe have this vegetable in Greece. I don't like it exactly because of the slime effect but it's popular enough. It's usually cooked with tomato sauce. Your suggestions are nice alternatives!
Hi Evi....as I said in the post, I think you either love it or hate...not too much in-between.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Meggie...even though you make it sound inviting..I can't stand the stuff!!!
ReplyDeleteJane x
Okra isn't my favorite, but I do like it in dishes like jambalaya.
ReplyDeleteI love okra! My favorite, besides battered and fried is stewed with tomatoes, the way my mother made it. I had a friend who's son grew it for a 4-H project--a whole 1/2 acre! She said she never had to come up with so many recipes because her son was so proud how well the crop turned out! Now, that's devotion:-D
ReplyDeleteNo, I have never tried it and somehow I don't think it will be readily available here, but I would love to give it a go - especially in the form of pickles.
ReplyDeleteNo I've never seen this before but it was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHugs
I think I tried it once in an Indian restaurant, it was called ladies' fingers. I remember I quite liked it. The sound of Southern fried chicken sounds good. I watched The Help the other night and one of the characters makes it and I said to Samantha 'I'm going to make that'. Then I forgot and you've just reminded me! Hope everything's okay with you, lovely Meggie. Lots of love xxx
ReplyDeleteMy only exposure to okra has been in Campbell's chicken gumbo soup.
ReplyDeleteAnd, it is indeed slimy!
I love okra! My grandmother used to cut it up in 1/2 inch pieces, then dredge it in cornmeal and a little flour and then fry it until it was crunchy-it's addictive that way!
ReplyDeleteNot a fan, unless someone has successful cooked it well (Jan's technique).
ReplyDeleteJanet
Ohh Dear Meggie, I like okra so so much. Okra meals are very famous for my city Konya. When some visitors come to this city where my mother and my daughter live, we want to show and taste our special okra meal to the visitors..:))
ReplyDeleteOhh I like all kind of okra meals so so much...
I shouldn't eat it because of the fat content, but I love fried okra! I've grown it in my garden in years past.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to my blog!
ReplyDeleteEric loves okra and I keep meaning to buy me some seeds for my Spring garden. I love it fried. Reminds me of when I was little and we'd eat at Luby's cafeteria. ALWAYS got a side of fried okra!