Learning to Appreciate Okra

Photo by .j.e.n.n.y./Flickr CC

Okra is so misunderstood. It truly is more versatile and delicious than its reputation allows. The growing season in Mississippi is long and hot, so many vegetables have a brief debut during the summer months. Okra, mustard greens, and collard greens seem to be around longer than most.

I am of the school that you cannot have a decent seafood gumbo without okra (in the South, gumbo recipes have divided families and caused many a divorce, so I will give you all my thoughts on gumbo when the weather cools down). A summer Sunday meal of fried chicken would not be complete without cold sliced homegrown tomatoes, field peas, rice and gravy, and a dish of okra stewed with Creole tomatoes (with or without shrimp). It just would not be right to overlook one of the best gifts summer has to offer. Okra is easy to pickle and, like most things edible in my part of the country, it has found its way to the deep fryer and has won more hearts battered and fried than stewed. You have to trust me on this: If it is prepared correctly, you will like it. I wish I had something to compare the texture and taste to. All I know is the seeds offer texture and flavor.

Don't get me wrong as I talk about the traditional use of okra--it is quite versatile. I think okra is one of the best additions you can make to a green curry with coconut milk and shrimp. I use okra as my main vegetable and love the sweetness of yams in a green curry. I have also braised it along with my pot roast with sweet carrots, turnips, and new potatoes.

Not only is okra delicious, it is also decorative. I have used it in summer floral arrangements, and okra is so adored in the South that it was chosen as the logo of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans. We cannot all be wrong about okra.

Stewed Okra with Shrimp & Tomatoes

Serves 8

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