Definitions

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

MUCH MALIGNED OKRA

Can you say "mucilaginous"?  (It means sticky like glue).  That is the word I found being used to describe okra, also sometimes known as lady's fingers, gombo, gumbo, quibombo, bhindi, and bamies.  Well, really folks!! Who would EVER want to eat the veggie if you call it some big yukky word like that?!  Here is some friendly info about it:

Okra is related to cotton, hibiscus and hollyhock. It is tall - 6 ft or more - and is an annual tropical herb cultivated for its edible green seed pod.  It has beautiful heart shaped leaves and large, yellow, hibiscus-like flowers. The seed pods are 3 - 10 inches long, tapering, usually ribbed, and they grow upside down on the plant - meaning they reach for the sky instead of dangling from branches like most veggies.   Okra grows very fast when the weather gets hot, and it is a very beautiful plant - even if you don't want to eat it you might like to grow it for interest in the garden. (hint:  if you do grow it for looks, be sure to try the burgundy types - they have the most unusual appearance)

Okra probably came from Ethiopia and eventually spread throughout North Africa and the rest of the world.   Likely it was brought to the western hemisphere by slaves from Africa who were transported to the Caribbean.  The slaves passed on how to cook with okra and the Louisiana Creoles really took to it!   Gumbo - oohh, boy that is some kind of good!

Okra is a vegetable worthy of some appreciation (yes, it is, too!)  It can be used to thicken soups and stews.  It can also be cooked as a stand-alone veggie or in combination with other vegetables, such as tomatoes.  My personal favorite was always black-eye peas with okra.

When shopping, purchase young, tender but firm pods. They should snap easily in half. Look for a rich green color. Avoid pods that are dull and dry looking, blemished or limp.

When picking, choose young pods - about 3-4 inches in length.  As the pods mature they toughen up too much for eating - after which time they are sometimes used to make rope or even paper!!

Fresh okra does not store well (does not do well in refrigeration) so use within 2 or 3 days at most and try to store it in the warmest part of the fridge.  Do not wash until ready to use, or it will become slimy - AND - the more you cut it up, the slimier it will become.

Oh, and do not use aluminum cookware (discoloration).

Okra is excellent sautéed or fried. Very young, tender pods can be sliced, dipped in egg, breaded with corn meal and fried and can also be steamed, baked, pickled, boiled or stewed.  It cooks fairly quickly so be careful not to overcook it.

Not everyone likes okra - the slimy, sticky part can be a deterrent.  For those who can get past that, okra is a very pleasant addition to your list of veggies. It is a good source of vitamin C and A, also B complex vitamins and calcium, low in calories and a good source of dietary fiber.  It is iron-rich, a great blood builder.

MY BLACK-EYED PEAS WITH OKRA

3 cans cooked black-eyed peas
1 box frozen whole okra
1/2 medium onion, very thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil (we used to put bacon drippings in it)

Note:  You can use 2 boxes of the frozen okra if you
have enough dinner guests that actually like it :)

Place all ingredients in saucepan, cover and simmer until okra is fork-tender.  Cut off tops of okra after serving.

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