Okra and Eggplant

duajones · June 22, 2007

This is my first year growing okra (clemson spineless), and I absolutely love it. I just wanted to see how the folks here growing it, like it prepared.

shelleybean · June 22, 2007

I love the obvious dishes like fried okra and gumbo. I like to cut leftover corn from the cob and dice some okra and add it to stewed tomatoes. I also like to make a vegetable soup with a clear broth and crabmeat. We use tomatoes, okra, peppers, onions, corn, carrots and diced potato and maybe some zucchini if available.

jdwhitaker · June 22, 2007

I like okra allkindaway...fried, boiled, steamed, pretty much any way but raw. Here's a simple recipe you might not have heard of:

Grilled Okra

Place a wooden skewer through each end of several okra pods, making a "ladder". One skewer through the stem end will work as well, but it is harder to flip.

Brush the pods with olive oil or italian salad dressing, then sprinkle on salt, pepper, or anything else you might like.

Place on a hot grill, about 3 minutes each side and you're ready to eat.

Granny · June 23, 2007

My favorite okra recipe is the okra popcorn my Mom used to make. Cut the okra in 1/2 inch thick slices. Dip in beaten egg, then roll in white cornmeal to which you have added a dab of flour & some salt/pepper. Fry in shallow oil (like green tomatoes), turning once. Drain on paper towels. Yum, yum!

BTW, okra tends to get slimy when it is boiled. Add it at the very last minute to soups/stews to avoid that.

Worth1 · June 24, 2007

I like okra raw, you can also stuff the pods with what ever and fry them.

The Asian Indians fry the pods with no corn meal until they are crispy.
If you are inclined you can sprinkle a little curry on afterwards

If you don't like the slime you can put about a tea spoon of vinegar in the water this will kill the slime.(I like the slime)

Gumbo is the African word for Okra and the soup made from it.

It is pronounced goom (as in goon) bo as in bow tie.
Jumbo is pronounced the same way.
It is the word for a large African bull elephant.

My African friend with a PHD thought they were selling elephant meat at the fast food joints.

With all of the jumbo fries and such.

The dried seeds can be ground to thicken soups and sauces.

It has been used to thicken ketchup.8)
More on okra and what to do with it later.

Worth.

VGary · June 25, 2007

All About Okra

This Link will provide all kinds of helpful Information. You may want to mark it as a Favorite. Gary

Names

History

Cultivation

How to Freeze

Nutrition

Recipes

Seed Sources

Stories

Events

Pictures

Crafts

www.physiology.wisc.edu/ravi/okra/

Worth1 · June 25, 2007

I found that site about 3 years ago.
It is one of the better ones.

Worth

Innoma · June 25, 2007

Okra is the only vegetables from the garden my wife will eat. Over the years I've grown numerous varieties, such as Burmese, Cow Horn, Jade, Cajun Jewel, Emerald, Thai, Star of David, Clemson Spineless, Stewart's Zeebest, and Burgundy, and they usually do very well (although last year they began getting crowded out by nutgrass, which is becoming a real problem for me lately).

As for preparation methods, I like it simple - a little cornmeal, flour, salt & pepper, and fry it up - I could eat it every other day during the summer (and I usually have to, having planted so much!).

I'll also highly recommend the grilling method mentioned above. Makes a great, unique appetizer to lay on those who dislike the sliminess of okra.

duajones · June 27, 2007

I tried the okra and potato recipe from that site and it was very good. Grilled is what Im looking forward to next

chanceysmama · July 16, 2007

Pretty much the only way I cook the Okra is to slice it about a 1/4 inch thick and heat a skillet with about a TBSP of olive oil and a TBSP of butter and then sautee until golden brown and almost crispy and until all the slime is gone, then salt and pepper to taste. Make sue you serve it immediately, it is so much better hot right out of the pan.

RonnyWil · July 16, 2007

I had a friend that could not get her kids to eat okra. She flattened the whole pods and battered and fried them and told the kids they were little fish. They loved them.

I prefer my okra fried but I stopped using cornmeal. It just seems to hold too much oil. Now I dip the whole pods in buttermilk and roll them in flour with onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper and corn starch then deep fry. They are not as greasy and are really good!

felpec · July 17, 2007

Warning - Okra explodes!

We tried the grilled okra the other night - fabulous flavor.

Just as we were going to pick up the grill lid, one of them must have had some juicy seeds and they exploded like popcorn. After our feet ended up back on the ground, we thought it was pretty funny.

duajones · July 19, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonnyWil

I prefer my okra fried but I stopped using cornmeal. It just seems to hold too much oil. Now I dip the whole pods in buttermilk and roll them in flour with onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper and corn starch then deep fry. They are not as greasy and are really good!

I will have to give that a try

relichound · August 23, 2007

Just tried the grilled okra. Awesome!!

**coronabarb** · May 28, 2008

I'm going to try this recipe using zucchini instead of the eggplant.

Moroccan Chicken with Eggplant Garbanzo Ragout

1 Tbl plus 1 tsp evoo, divided
1 tsp sherry vinegar
2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium (about 8 ounces) eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 cup garbanzo beans + 1/4 cup liquid drained from can
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tsps fresh lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Combine tsp of oil with vinegar, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a glass dish. Add chicken breasts; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

Heat remaining Tbl of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Using tongs, transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil to keep warm. In same skillet, cook eggplant and onion 8 minutes, until soft and slightly browned, stirring often. Stir in garbanzo beans with liquid, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Cook 3 minutes, smashing tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stirring to blend flavors and warm through. Transfer to platter with chicken; garnish with parsley.

June 22, 2007	#1
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Okra and Eggplant This is my first year growing okra (clemson spineless), and I absolutely love it. I just wanted to see how the folks here growing it, like it prepared.

June 22, 2007	#2
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I love the obvious dishes like fried okra and gumbo. I like to cut leftover corn from the cob and dice some okra and add it to stewed tomatoes. I also like to make a vegetable soup with a clear broth and crabmeat. We use tomatoes, okra, peppers, onions, corn, carrots and diced potato and maybe some zucchini if available. __________________ Michele

June 25, 2007	#6
VGary Tomatoville Honoree Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Louisville, Kentucky Posts: 460	All About Okra All About Okra This Link will provide all kinds of helpful Information. You may want to mark it as a Favorite. Gary Names History Cultivation How to Freeze Nutrition Recipes Seed Sources Stories Events Pictures Crafts www.physiology.wisc.edu/ravi/okra/ __________________ *"We believe we mere debtors to God in relation to each other and all men, to improve our Time and Talents in this Life, in that manner in which we might be most useful." Shaker Covenant 1795*

July 16, 2007	#10
chanceysmama Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: kearney, missouri Posts: 28	Sauteed until golden brown Pretty much the only way I cook the Okra is to slice it about a 1/4 inch thick and heat a skillet with about a TBSP of olive oil and a TBSP of butter and then sautee until golden brown and almost crispy and until all the slime is gone, then salt and pepper to taste. Make sue you serve it immediately, it is so much better hot right out of the pan.

July 16, 2007	#11
RonnyWil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Collierville TN Posts: 106	I had a friend that could not get her kids to eat okra. She flattened the whole pods and battered and fried them and told the kids they were little fish. They loved them. I prefer my okra fried but I stopped using cornmeal. It just seems to hold too much oil. Now I dip the whole pods in buttermilk and roll them in flour with onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper and corn starch then deep fry. They are not as greasy and are really good! __________________ I'm two days older than dirt and I like to play in it.

June 22, 2007	#3
jdwhitaker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Andrews, Texas Posts: 104	I like okra allkindaway...fried, boiled, steamed, pretty much any way but raw. Here's a simple recipe you might not have heard of: Grilled Okra Place a wooden skewer through each end of several okra pods, making a "ladder". One skewer through the stem end will work as well, but it is harder to flip. Brush the pods with olive oil or italian salad dressing, then sprinkle on salt, pepper, or anything else you might like. Place on a hot grill, about 3 minutes each side and you're ready to eat.

June 23, 2007	#4
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	My favorite okra recipe is the okra popcorn my Mom used to make. Cut the okra in 1/2 inch thick slices. Dip in beaten egg, then roll in white cornmeal to which you have added a dab of flour & some salt/pepper. Fry in shallow oil (like green tomatoes), turning once. Drain on paper towels. Yum, yum! BTW, okra tends to get slimy when it is boiled. Add it at the very last minute to soups/stews to avoid that.

June 24, 2007	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I like okra raw, you can also stuff the pods with what ever and fry them. The Asian Indians fry the pods with no corn meal until they are crispy. If you are inclined you can sprinkle a little curry on afterwards If you don't like the slime you can put about a tea spoon of vinegar in the water this will kill the slime.(I like the slime) Gumbo is the African word for Okra and the soup made from it. It is pronounced goom (as in goon) bo as in bow tie. Jumbo is pronounced the same way. It is the word for a large African bull elephant. My African friend with a PHD thought they were selling elephant meat at the fast food joints. With all of the jumbo fries and such. The dried seeds can be ground to thicken soups and sauces. It has been used to thicken ketchup.8) More on okra and what to do with it later. Worth.

June 25, 2007	#8
Innoma Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: CA, Zone 9 Posts: 33	Okra is the only vegetables from the garden my wife will eat. Over the years I've grown numerous varieties, such as Burmese, Cow Horn, Jade, Cajun Jewel, Emerald, Thai, Star of David, Clemson Spineless, Stewart's Zeebest, and Burgundy, and they usually do very well (although last year they began getting crowded out by nutgrass, which is becoming a real problem for me lately). As for preparation methods, I like it simple - a little cornmeal, flour, salt & pepper, and fry it up - I could eat it every other day during the summer (and I usually have to, having planted so much!). I'll also highly recommend the grilling method mentioned above. Makes a great, unique appetizer to lay on those who dislike the sliminess of okra.

June 27, 2007	#9
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	I tried the okra and potato recipe from that site and it was very good. Grilled is what Im looking forward to next

July 17, 2007	#12
felpec Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Zone 5/6 New Jersey Posts: 122	Warning - Okra explodes! We tried the grilled okra the other night - fabulous flavor. Just as we were going to pick up the grill lid, one of them must have had some juicy seeds and they exploded like popcorn. After our feet ended up back on the ground, we thought it was pretty funny. Last edited by felpec; July 17, 2007 at 12:17 PM. Reason: left something out

August 23, 2007	#14
relichound Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Gaston,NC Posts: 71	Just tried the grilled okra. Awesome!!

May 28, 2008	#15
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Eggplant Recipes I'm going to try this recipe using zucchini instead of the eggplant. Moroccan Chicken with Eggplant Garbanzo Ragout 1 Tbl plus 1 tsp evoo, divided 1 tsp sherry vinegar 2 tsps ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Salt and pepper 2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 medium (about 8 ounces) eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 1/2 medium onion, chopped 1 cup garbanzo beans + 1/4 cup liquid drained from can 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tsps fresh lemon juice Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish Combine tsp of oil with vinegar, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a glass dish. Add chicken breasts; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Heat remaining Tbl of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Using tongs, transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil to keep warm. In same skillet, cook eggplant and onion 8 minutes, until soft and slightly browned, stirring often. Stir in garbanzo beans with liquid, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Cook 3 minutes, smashing tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stirring to blend flavors and warm through. Transfer to platter with chicken; garnish with parsley.