Okra. Not Delta State’s unofficial Fighting Okra mascot, not the trendy Okra Cookhouse restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, or any of several bands that go by the name. Just okra, that vegetable that’s close to being as Southern as sweet tea. Fried, pickled, boiled, grilled — fresh okra is enjoying the limelight right now. It thrives on hot, humid weather that can beat up other crops, not to mention man and beast. When other plants are playing out, okra is having a heyday, which is why nice selections are usually found at the farmers’ market in Columbus three days a week — Mondays 4-6 p.m., and Thursdays and Saturdays 7-10 a.m.
“When I was a child, my mother used to cook okra together with the butter beans,” reminisced Jean Bigelow at the market Monday. Bigelow, Maggie Shelton and Reba Carpenter gathered at a vendor’s stand filled with good-looking okra, fresh from the garden. “And, of course, you’ve always got to have cornbread with it,” Bigelow smiled.
These days, her favorite way to enjoy the high-fiber veggie is pickled. Carpenter’s husband is a fried okra fan. Shelton likes them boiled or fried, coated in a seasoned meal she picks up at James Fish Market on Military Road. Truth is, there are numerous ways to get an okra fix, including some that may be off your beaten path.
First, though, pay homage to okra’s health benefits and versatility. In addition to fiber, it’s a good source of vitamin C, folate, calcium and potassium. It’s also high in antioxidants. And here’s a lesser-known fact: Okra seeds can be roasted, ground and brewed to make a caffeine-free substitute for coffee, says civilwartalk.com. When coffee importation was disrupted during the American Civil War, an Austin State Gazette article read, “An acre of okra will produce seed enough to furnish a plantation with coffee in every way equal to that imported from Rio.”
A 2009 study in Applied Energy even found okra oil suitable for use as a biofuel. Who knew?
Coffee and fuel aside, okra can sometimes be under-appreciated, labeled as “slimy.” True, the substance inside called mucilage can act as a natural thickener, helpful in gumbo and stews. But there are plenty of ways to prepare the vegetable so that it’s “slime-free” and addictively tasty.
Use okra to make a peppery grilled appetizer with lemon basil dipping sauce (myrecipes.com), or try out Southern Living’s fried pecan okra recipe (below). Grill them by tossing the pods in a bit of oil and your favorite seasoning and grill for about 10 minutes until slightly charred. Or combine okra with avocado and tomato for a salad with chili and lime juice (cookingnytimes.com). But first, whenever possible, start out fresh.
“Get them fresh any time you can; there’s no question it’s always the best,” said Bigelow. Farmers’ market shoppers are in luck.
“Okra will usually last ’til a frost,” said grower and Hitching Lot vendor Phil Lancaster Monday. So, the time is prime, as the saying goes, to put some South in your mouth.
FRIED OKRA
1 pound fresh okra
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Vegetable oil
1/4 cup bacon drippings
(Source: southernliving.com)
FRIED PECAN OKRA
1 cup pecans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen whole okra, thawed (or fresh, if can)
Peanut oil
(Source: myrecipes.com)
OKRA CAPONETA TOASTS
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Generous pinch of dried crushed red pepper
6 ounces okra, trimmed, cut into 1/3-inch rounds
6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup diced canned tomatoes in juice
2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons drained capers
12 baguette slices, toasted
(Source: epicurious.com)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.