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September 5, 2019

For the Love of Okra

16 Comments/ 777/ 0

Okra is one of those vegetables that you either love or hate. Growing up in Ohio I did not really know a lot about okra. I think my Grandma Bonnie might have grown it in her garden but I don’t remember it being a staple in our household.

One of our neighbors here has a garden and is very generous with his produce. So far this summer he has shared collard greens, tomatoes and now okra. I was thrilled to get the latest bag of okra and tomatoes and found probably one of the easiest ways to cook it.

Many times okra is battered and deep fried which is delicious but not that healthy so I was looking for a healthier option. I tend to roast most of my vegetables these days so I thought I would try that with the okra and it was a winner.

If you have never had okra the taste is a little difficult to describe. I honestly do not think it has a lot of flavor — more like eggplant maybe– and picks up the flavors of what it it cooked with . It tends to be a little slimy but you may recognize the “lady finger” shape of the seed pods that is an ingredient in gumbo. The slimy texture is a turn off for a lot of people but when I roasted it it was not nearly as slimy as when I have prepared it other ways.

Roasted Okra and Tomatoes

18 -20 fresh okra pods (slicked into 1/3 inch pieces)

1 small firm tomato (chopped into small pieces)

1/4 cup chopped red onion (optional)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine chopped okra, tomato and optional onion in ziplock bag and add olive oil. Shake until well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste and shake.

Spread vegetables on baking sheet and bake in 425 degree oven for 12- 15 minutes until roasted. Serve immediately.

That’s it – just about as simple as you can get. Let me know if you have tried okra and if so how you fix it. I am always looking for new ways to cook it and I keeping my fingers crossed that my neighbor leaves a little bag of okra on my front porch soon.

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fresh produce okra okra recipes roasted okra and tomatoes southern recipes
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16 Comments

Leave a comment
  1. Dianna
    September 05, 2019 at 06:56 am

    Hmmmm…. no, I’ve not ever eaten okra. I do like roasted veggies though, so perhaps one day…??

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      September 07, 2019 at 08:01 am

      Well let me know if you decide to try it sometime. I really loved it fixed this way.

      Reply
  2. Mama's Empty Nest
    September 05, 2019 at 08:39 am

    Eww, okra. That’s a vegetable I did not become acquainted with until we lived in Oklahoma. Some folks there eat theirs just cooked, not deep fried. Hubby learned to like it and still does. Me? Yuck. I can’t stand the sliminess.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      September 07, 2019 at 08:27 am

      The sliminess is definitely a thing but honestly when I made this batch roasted there was so little slime that it was amazing!

      Reply
  3. Darlene
    September 05, 2019 at 09:22 am

    I have had okra in dishes like stews etc and liked it but haven’t tried it on its own. I haven’t seen it here in Spain but should keep an eye out for it. Your recipe looks good. You are lucky to have a generous neighbour willing to share.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      September 07, 2019 at 08:26 am

      I am lucky to have such neighbors, aren’t I? We have such a nice little neighborhood and I am blessed by how generous folks are. Okra is really good in gumbo and stews and probably that is how most folks eat it.

      Reply
  4. Minnesota Prairie Roots
    September 05, 2019 at 09:28 am

    Okra is a most unfamiliar vegetable to me. I tried it once a few years ago, but don’t recall that I either liked or disliked it. Okra is not commonly grown in Minnesota so is difficult to find. Could you get it in Iowa?

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      September 07, 2019 at 08:25 am

      I do think okra is more common in the southern areas and I do remember getting it in the grocery store in Iowa but it may not have been locally grown. It is one of those things that if you grow up with it you find ways to fix it that you like, I would imagine. I am glad I can find it now easily !

      Reply
  5. Shirley Matthews Dunn
    September 05, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    Hubby and I love okra can not wait to try your recipe. I have fried it but like you would rather not. We enjoy it in succotash (tomatoes, okra, corn and butter beans. Yummy.

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      September 07, 2019 at 08:24 am

      Please let me know if you do try it this way and if you like it!

      Reply
  6. Grace
    September 05, 2019 at 01:36 pm

    My father was a first generation Italian-American, and okra is not item on most Italian menus, yet my father, a very good cook, often made okra – no one else ate it I gotta tell ya. I think he made it into some sort of tomato sauce thing. Any which way, okra is bleah! LOL

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      September 07, 2019 at 08:23 am

      Thanks for stopping by, Grace! I love your description of okra—I think a lot of folks feel that same way about it. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
    September 05, 2019 at 02:31 pm

    I personally love pickled okra!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      September 07, 2019 at 08:23 am

      Oh I do as well! Pickled okra is the best!

      Reply
  8. Josh
    September 10, 2019 at 03:37 pm

    great suggestion!

    Reply
    1. Beth Ann Chiles
      September 10, 2019 at 05:04 pm

      Let me know if you try it!

      Reply

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