Okra

Abelmoscus Esculentus

We've done pretty well with Abelmoscus Esculentus this year. In other words, we're got okra coming out of our ears!

To tell you the truth, we grow okra in the community garden because it is nice to look at. Otherwise, it seems like a pretty limited vegetable. Sure, you can put it into gumbo, but otherwise, it’s just a slimy green thing. What can we do with all that Okra?

Here in the South, there are lots of things to do with okra. I pass along this personally tested recipe, in case you need a recipe:

One and a half cups of yellow cornmeal

A bit of salt

A bit of black pepper and a bit of red pepper

One HALF cup of milk

One large egg

Three cups of chopped (one inch slices) okra

Cooking spray

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the cornmeal and the salt and peppers in a shallow dish. Set aside.

Combine the egg and the milk in a large bowl, and mix it up! Add the okra and toss to coat. Let the okra stand (rest?) in the bowl for three minutes.

Dredge the okra in the cornmeal mixture and place it on a cookie sheet covered with the cooking spray. Lightly spray the okra with the cooking spray and bake for 40 minutes, turning once. It serves eight at your house, and four at my house.

Good luck!