OKRA!!!

[Jared77]

Well I'm glad that my southern TEG friends were able to confirm that my okra experience wasn't just me. It was slimey and since then I've not had anybody around my neck of the woods who can serve it correctly. After reading your comments on here I'd be all about trying it again.

Road trip?

 

[so lucky]

I find okra tasts better if you've had a couple glasses of wine first.

 

[897tgigvib]

...but make it good wine!

As for Okra! Aka, vegetable garden Hibiscus, related to Hollyhocks!

There indeed are varieties that will grow up there in Michigan.

www.bountifulgardens.org has a variety that should grow well up there. Cajun Jewel, a variety with a name that will probably pass muster with our southern gardener friends, doesn't seem to care about chilly nights as much as other varieties, and is supposedly one of the most flavorful for beginner Okra palates. Supposedly they have some recipes in their website too! Course, before doing the recipes, make sure the recipe passes southern muster by making sure it's approved or modified by one of our southern belles, and then make sure you say "thanky mayaam".

...and ferheavens sakes, make it a good Pinot in a dark bottle that has an aromatic cork! ...at least!

Better to have a little of the good stuff than a lot of the cheap stuff!

 

[joz]

Pickles. There's nothing better in a bloody mary than spicy pickled okra.

Grilled okra is pretty tasty, and not very slimy.

I also make indian curry with it. The slime merges with the sauce.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/how-to-cook-okra_n_1687871.html

Edited to add: Gumbo! Duh. the slime thickens the soup.

 

[seedcorn]

You didn't ask for my recipe but here it is anyway..................

First go threaten the chickens that they need to start laying.
Next, gather extra eggs and trade for bacon ends with my neighbor.
Go to garden, harvest okra, peppers, garlic, and onions.
Prepare vegetables. Cut the okra in 1/3" pieces, peppers, onions, bacon in small pieces and garlic either mash it or real, real small pieces. On okra throw the stem part out, it's TOUGH.
Fry the bacon, have to add a little oil as dang neighbor gives me bacon that doesn't contain enough fat in it, I'll deal with them later.......
Sometimes I coat the okra w/spices and mix of flour and cornmeal, sometimes it goes in straight.
About half way done, add peppers. What is half way done? Your'll know the next time you fry it.
When about 3/4 done, add onions and garlic. What is 3/4 done? See answer in above line.
When it looks almost burnt (okra changes color from green to light green to dark green-almost burnt color), it's ready to eat.
Add salt and pepper just a few minutes before done. When is done? See answer to 3/4 done.

Guaranteed not SLIMEY. If you cook it till it's done, it's real good. None goes to waste here. I grab my portion before letting wife/kids know it's done. Makes a great Sunday night meal or Saturday meal or any other day that the chickens and okra decide to get on the right page together. If you don't have chickens or neighbors to get bacon off of, I don't really know what to tell you. I guess, use someone elses's recipe.

 

[so lucky]

And you scramble in the eggs last? Or are they just used to trade for bacon?

 

[seedcorn]

And you scramble in the eggs last? Or are they just used to trade for bacon?

Trade bait for bacon.........

 

[journey11]

As for Okra! Aka, vegetable garden Hibiscus, related to Hollyhocks!

Ah ha! I always thought so. Thanks for confirming that for me Marshall. It does have a rather pretty bloom.

I'm with you, Joz. I LOVE hot pickled okra! I like it battered and fried and in soups too, but really the main reason I grow it is for pickles!

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you are going to make a road trip to learn how to cook okra, make it to South Louisiana and learn how to make real okra gumbo. There are a lot of side beneftis to a trip down there, not just the okra gumbo. The secret is in the roux. For an etouffee roux, it only takes one beer. For a good gumbo roux, that's three beers. Time to drink it, of course, not use in the roux.

Seedcorn's recipe is pretty close to what I do. The secret to it not being slimy is to keep it dry. After you rinse it off, dry it really well before you slice it. Dry your hands and the knife too. And when you cook it, add as little liquid as you can. I usually add some tomatoes, but I take the seed and goop out first so they release less moisture. They still release some moisture which will cause a bit of slime, but it is not much and by the time you finish cooking it, stirring constantly, the slime is gone. Like Seedcorn said, it takes a bit of practice but the results when you get it done are really good, at least to me. My wife hates the slime but she really likes okra cooked this way.

Get it when it is still pretty small, which means you need to gather it about every other day. If it gets too big, it gets woody. When you slice it, the knife needs to slice through about like butter. If you meet much resistence, it's a bit tough. Again, with a little practice you'll figure it out.

 

[JimWWhite]

Last year we had a bumper crop of okra. We grew about half and half of the Red Clemson spineless and regular spineless okra. We put up at least 15 gallon bags of it in the freezer, gave a lot away, and made hot pickled okra and canned it. Teresa canned it whole by shoving the pods tip first down into quart jars until she couldn't get any more in and then poured in her vinegar/dill, etc brine. To this she added a whole sliced jalapeno pepper and a quarter of a small habenero for the heat. The jalapenos we grew last year were pretty hot to begin with. The habaneros were light-your-butt-on-fire-hot. Anyways I took a few jars in to work with me and tried to give them to friends. Most didn't want them because they don't eat okra unless it's fried. But one fellow took a quart and opened it in his office. When I came back by that afternoon the empty jar was sitting on his desk. I told him he should have taken that home and shared it with his wife who I knew would appreciate it but he just grinned and asked for another quart to take to her. Right, like it would make it home. He ate the entire quart that day!!! He had to be hurting the next time he went to the bathroom... :/