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Okra is rolling in! Being in North Dakota, okra is not a common dish up here. Our CSA is growing it and people are asking for ideas to use it. Of course I’m experimenting and I’m loving it. I’m pickling some of it but I have to use some of it fresh too. Fresh okra from the farm is so much different than frozen okra. I love it raw, sauteed, fried and pickled.
**Warning** Okra is slimy! Some find it off-putting, some don’t mind it.
You’ll notice in this recipe, it asks for a healthy fat and I don’t list canola or vegetable oil. Guess what? They aren’t healthy! At the farmers market this last Saturday, I was selling some freshly rendered, pastured, organic lard. The reaction from people was…let’s just say interesting. Some were horrified that I would tout this evil fat as healthy, others high fived me for being right on. There were lots of comments from people about how their grandmothers used to render lard. I had one gentleman try to tell me coconut oil was bad because his cholesterol levels were fine until his daughter gave him a bottle of Malibu (coconut flavored alcohol) for his birthday. Still shaking my head over that one. I’m not really sure if he was serious or not. He sure sounded serious.
Cajun Sauteed Okra
- 2 tbsp healthy fat (pastured lard, coconut oil, butter or bacon grease)
- 1 sprig fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 hot pepper or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional), sliced
- 1 med onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lb okra, sliced 1/4″ thick into pretty stars
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I love okra! Last year I learned from an East Indian friend, that okra gets slimy when it is wet. She was taught to wash her okra early in the day, so it would be dry before it was cut and cooked. I don’t mind it being a little slimy so I haven’t been really careful to use it dry; but if that texture is a problem for anyone, this may be a solution
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to try that.
For more okra ideas, look to Cajun or Indian cuisine (bhindi). I love it now, but when I was a child growing up in the South, I detested “slimy” okra. These days, one of my favorite ways to eat it is stewed with tomatoes and onions fresh from the garden. A touch of salt, healthy fat and black pepper is all you need to make it fabulous. Of course, gumbo wouldn’t be gumbo without okra…..