okra

A Southern US favorite - used often in Gumbo. Delicious fried!


Fried okra recipe with cornmeal coating

1-pound okra pods, stem ends cut off, sliced 1/4-inch thick
salt
cold water
yellow cornmeal
salt and pepper

Put sliced okra in a bowl, sprinkle generously with salt; cover with very cold water. Refrigerate the okra for at least 1 hour. Drain; roll okra slices in cornmeal seasoned with salt and pepper until well-coated. Fry in a deep skillet in about 1/2-inch of hot oil until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. 2 to 4 servings.



Fried okra with flour and cornmeal fried in shortening

1 1/2 pounds fresh okra pods
1/2-teaspoon salt
1/4-teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1-tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons shortening, part bacon drippings if possible

Wash okra; cut off tips and stem ends. Cut pots into 1/4-inch slices. Sprinkle sliced okra with salt and pepper. Combine cornmeal and flour in a wide, shallow bowl; roll okra in mixture. Sauté okra until golden brown. Serves 6.




Lamb Stew
1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen okra, thawed (about 16 to 20 ounces frozen)
1/4-cup vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds lean lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2-teaspoon ground cumin
1 large can (15 to 16 ounces) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Trim okra and place in a bowl; pour vinegar over it and let stand for 25 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water. Heat oil in a Dutch oven; add lamb cubes and onions. Brown lamb and onions, stirring often; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add cumin, tomato sauce, lemon juice, and okra. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until lamb is tender. Serve lamb stew with hot cooked rice or rice pilaf. Lamb stew serves 4 to 6.




Okra Soup
A delicious recipe for Okra Soup Here we use the thickening capabilities of Okra to make a thick Soup.

1 lb young Okra pods
2 large tomatoes
1-cup corn
2 cups water (Chicken or Beef stock may be substituted)
2 slices bacon
1 lemon
salt and pepper for seasoning, to taste

  1. Top and tail the Okra pods, i.e. cut off the ends.
  2. Cut the pods into approximately 1/4-inch rounds.
  3. Pop the tomatoes into boiling water and leave for about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from the water and peel. Chop the tomatoes. Dice the bacon. Fry until crispy. Boil the corn until soft and tender.
  4. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the okra is tender Note, the fat obtained from frying the bacon should also be used, as this will enhance the soup's flavor.




Curried Okra
This is a quick and easy method to make a lightly curried Okra side dish.

1 lb young Okra pods
2 Onions
3 tbsp vegetable oil (preferably olive but sunflower or other will do.)
1/2 tsp dried hot red chilies
1/4 to 1/2 tsp mild curry powder (depending on how mild you want the curry to be)
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
salt and pepper for seasoning, to taste

  1. Top and tail the Okra pods, i.e. cut off the ends. Cut the pods into approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch rounds. Peel and slice the onions
  2. Place the sliced Okra into a glass or stainless steel bowl and sprinkle the salt liberally over the pods. Cover the pods with the iced water, making sure that all the slices are under water.
  3. Place the bowl containing the Okra and water in a refrigerator and leave for 2 or more hours.
  4. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and drain off the salt water.
  5. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet until it begins to shimmer.
  6. Add the Okra and fry until lightly brown. (Approximately 10 minutes)
  7. You will need to turn the Okra to prevent sticking
  8. Add the remaining ingredients and fry for a further 3 minutes, until the onions are soft. Serve hot as a vegetable side dish. Also great cold, between to slices of fresh bread for a tasty sandwich.





Okra and Shrimp
Okra and Shrimp compliment each other in this recipe

1 lb young Okra pods
1 lb shrimp
4 large tomatoes
1 Onion
1 green bell pepper
1/2 cup white wine
6 tbsp vegetable oil (preferably olive but sunflower will do)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper for seasoning, to taste

  1. Top and tail the Okra pods, i.e. cut off the ends.
  2. Cut the pods into approximately 1/4-inch rounds.
  3. Peel and devein the shrimp.
  4. Pop the tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds, remove, peel and chop.
  5. Peel the onions and chop coarsely
  6. Seed the bell pepper and chop coarsely
  7. Heat the oil in a large skillet until it begins to shimmer. Place the onion and bell pepper in the skillet and sauté until the onion becomes translucent.
  8. Add all the other ingredients, except the shrimp and bring to the boil, reduce the heat immediately and simmer until the tomatoes are soft and done. Stir occasionally
  9. Add the shrimp and continue cooking for about 4 minutes until the shrimp becomes opaque. Serve hot over hot rice.



Chicken and Okra Gumbo
A really authentic Gumbo. This Chicken and Okra Gumbo is easy to make and well worth the effort.

3 1/2 lb frying chicken
1 lb young Okra pods
10 oz corn kernels
1 lb smoked sausage
8 slices bacon
16 oz can tomato puree
4 cloves garlic
4 large tomatoes
3 large onions
2 green bell peppers
2 stalks of celery with leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme

  1. Top and tail the Okra pods, i.e. cut off the ends. Cut the pods into approximately 1/4-inch rounds. Slice the sausage into 1/4-inch rounds. Chop the bacon finely
  2. Mince the garlic. Pop the tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds, remove, peel and chop. Peel the onions and chop 2 onions coarsely. Cut the remaining onion into quarters. Seed the bell pepper and chop coarsely. Cut the leaves from the celery and place to one side, chop the celery stalks Place the chicken, the celery leaves, the quartered onion and salt into a Dutch oven, with sufficient water to cover the solid ingredients. Bring to the boil, cover with lid and reduce the heat. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes, until the chicken is tender to a fork Remove the chicken; reserve the broth after discarding the onion quarters and celery leaves.
  3. Skin and debone the chicken. Cut into small, bite sized pieces. Reserve.
  4. Cook the bacon and sausage in the Dutch oven, over medium heat, until the bacon becomes very crispy. Remove the bacon and sausage from the Dutch oven, but leave one to two tablespoons of bacon/sausage dripping in the oven.
  5. Crumble the bacon and set aside with the sausage.
  6. Add the chopped onion, green pepper, celery and minced garlic to the dripping in the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the vegetables become tender.
  7. Add the chicken, reserved broth, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, tomato puree, okra, corn and thyme to the Dutch oven. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for approximately 90 minutes. Enjoy.





Okra, Chicken and Rice Casserole
A bed of rice, okra and cream of mushroom soup makes a flavorful nest for baked chicken. Yields: 5 servings

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1-cup water
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1/4-teaspoon paprika
1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (16 ounce) okra, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a 9x13 inch baking dish combine the soup, water, rice, okra, paprika and ground black pepper. Place the chicken on top of the rice mixture. Sprinkle with additional paprika and ground black pepper.

Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. (For creamier rice, increase the water amount to 1 1/3 cups).



Okra, Corn and Tomatoes
Okra and onions are fried with bacon, and then simmered with tomato and corn in this delicious side dish that is especially good served with cornbread. Yields: 6 servings

2 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) cut okra
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, rained
1 (20 ounce) package frozen corn
1-tablespoon file powder
salt and pepper to taste

Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir to release some of the juices, then add the onion and okra. Fry until tender and browned, stirring constantly. Be careful, as this tends to brown quickly.

Pour in the tomatoes, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Mix in the corn, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with file powder, salt and pepper, and serve.



Creole Okra
A yummy vegetarian side dish, easy to make. Taste holds up for leftovers.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
3/8 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4-teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 (16 ounce) cut okra

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until limp. Add the green pepper; cook and stir until tender. Drain the tomatoes, reserving juice, and pour them into the skillet. Season with thyme, parsley, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add the okra, and pour in enough of the reserved juice from the tomatoes to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until okra is tender. Yields: 4 servings



Okra Salad
This is a fried okra salad with bacon, onion, and tomato in a tangy vinegar dressing.

3 slices bacon
1 (16 ounce) cut okra
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup corn oil
1/4 cup white vinegar

Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until evenly browned, and then remove to paper towels to drain. Pour off most of the bacon grease, leaving a thin coating on the pan. Add okra to the bacon grease in the skillet, and fry until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the okra to a salad bowl, and toss with the onion, green pepper, and tomato. Crumble in the bacon.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, corn oil, and vinegar until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the salad, and toss to coat. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.



Easy Indian Style Okra
This easy traditional Indian okra recipe uses fresh okra and spices in a skillet.

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound sliced fresh okra
1/2-teaspoon ground cumin
1/2-teaspoon ground ginger
1/2-teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the okra, and season with cumin, ginger, coriander, pepper and salt. Cook and stir for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until okra is tender. Yields: 6 servings



Sylvia's Butterbeans and Okra
This is a southern soul-food classic that is a snap to prepare. If okra turns you off, look elsewhere! The pickled pork gives it a great flavor-so don't substitute regular ham. Yields: 8 servings


7 cups water, or as needed
1 pound dried baby lima beans (butter beans)
1 pound pickled pork shoulder, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4-cup butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 (10 ounce) cut okra

Combine the water, butter beans, pork, onion and garlic in a soup pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 40 minutes. Add butter, salt and pepper, and continue to boil for 20 minutes. Add okra, and cook until beans and okra are tender, about 10 minutes.



Okra Rice
Fluffy steamed rice with tender okra, crumbled bacon, and sautéed onion. Yields: 6 servings

1 pound bacon - cooked and crumbled
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups sliced fresh or frozen okra
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup uncooked rice
1 1/2 cups water

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain grease and set aside for later use. Crumble bacon and set aside.

In the same skillet, sauté onion in a small amount of reserved bacon grease over medium high heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, sliced okra, and chicken broth. Reduce heat and simmer until okra is tender and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Stir in rice and water. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until fluffy.



Southern Okra

Uses the fresh vegetables that are abundant in the South. Yields: 6 servings

1-tablespoon sugar
1-teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2-teaspoon salt
1/2-teaspoon pepper
2 cups sliced fresh okra
boiling water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Cooked rice

Combine the first four ingredients; set aside. In a covered saucepan, cook okra in boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. In a skillet, heat oil over medium. Sauté onion and pepper until tender. Stir in sugar mixture and tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes. Add okra and simmer until heated through, stirring as little as possible. Serve with rice, if desired.



Dill Pickled Okra

(makes 4 pints)
2 pounds young okra
celery leaves
4 cloves
4 sprigs dill
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
4 tsp salt

  1. Scrub okra and pack whole pods into clean, hot jars. In each jar insert a few celery leaves, 1 garlic clove, peeled, and 1 sprig of dill.
  2. Bring water, vinegar, and salt to a boil. Pour the boiling liquid over the okra.
  3. Seal and process 10 minutes in simmering hot water. Let okra stand for about 1 month before using.

 

 

Okra Fritters
Chef Scott Peacock’s Southern-fried, pickled, roasted and sautéed dishes
1/2-cup stone-ground white cornmeal
1/2-cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1-teaspoon homemade baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2-cup water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups thinly sliced okra
Oil for frying

Homemade baking powder

4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons baking soda

  1. Put the cornmeal, flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and homemade baking powder in a mixing bowl and stir well with a whisk to blend. In separate bowl, whisk together the egg and water and stir into the dry ingredients, mixing only until moistened.
  2. Sprinkle the remaining salt and freshly ground pepper over the onion and sliced okra and toss lightly. Fold the vegetables into the batter.
  3. Pour 1 inch of oil into a heavy skillet and heat to 340-350 degrees F. Spoon the okra batter by heaping tablespoons into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on one side, then carefully turn and continue until both sides are browned and the fritters are cooked through. Remove from the skillet and drain well before serving. 16 2-inch fritters


For homemade baking powder: Sift the ingredients together 3 times and transfer to a clean, tight-sealing jar. Store at room temperature away from sunlight for up to 6 weeks.



Sauté Of Corn and Okra With Bacon Garnish
Chef Scott Peacock’s Southern-fried, pickled, roasted and sautéed dishes
4 slices bacon
1-tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups of diced onions
3 cups okra, washed, trimmed, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups corn kernels, freshly cut from the cob

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon and reserve, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the skillet. Add the butter and onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add the okra and season well with salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Cook, stirring frequently, over moderate heat for 8 minutes or so until the okra is just becoming tender. Add the corn kernels and season. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the corn is tender, 3-4 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning if needed.

Serve immediately with the reserved bacon slices crumbled over.

 

 Pickled Okra
Chef Scott Peacock’s Southern-fried, pickled, roasted and sautéed dishes


4 pounds whole, young okra
8-10 cloves of garlic (or more to taste), peeled and gently crushed
8-10 fresh or dried hot peppers (or more to taste)
1/2 cup salt (not iodized)
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 cup water
1 quart white vinegar

Cut the stems off the okra about 1/8-inch above the cap. Wash and drain the pods and pack into sterilized pint canning jars. Put 1 or 2 garlic cloves and peppers in each jar. Prepare the brine by bringing the salt, dill and coriander seeds, water, and vinegar to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and pour the boiling liquid over the okra. Seal the jars and store for 6 weeks before using. 4-6 servings. Chill before serving.



Roasted Okra, Heirloom Tomatoes, Garlic And Mint
Chef Scott Peacock’s Southern-fried, pickled, roasted and sautéed dishes

1/2 pound okra
1/2 cup sliced red onion
2 cloves garlic, germ removed and thinly sliced
1 cup cherry or heirloom tomatoes, or a mixture of both (cherries can be halved or left whole, depending on their size; heirlooms should be cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup field peas or string beans (optional)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Rinse the okra in cold water and drain well. Trim the stems from the okra tops, but don’t remove the caps. Slice the okra lengthwise and put in a mixing bowl. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, peas or beans and mint leaves. Drizzle the olive oil over and season well with salt and pepper. Toss to mix and transfer to a Silpat-lined baking sheet or oiled pan.

Roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, giving the vegetables a toss if needed. Serve hot, warm or room temperature. Serves 6



Southern-Fried Okra

Chef Scott Peacock’s Southern-fried, pickled, roasted and sautéed dishes

1/2 pound fresh okra, rinsed, drained, tips and tops trimmed and cut into 1/3-inch slices crosswise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup fine-ground white cornmeal
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Oil for frying

  1. Put the sliced okra in a mixing bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the water and toss to evenly mix.Whisk together the cornmeal, cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
  2. Heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350 F.When the oil is heated, toss the sliced and seasoned okra in the cornmeal mixture. Coat evenly and shake gently in a sieve to remove any extra dredge. Fry in the hot oil until lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain well and, if needed, season with a light sprinkling of salt. 4-6 servings. Serve immediately.

 

 

Steak, Tomato and Okra Kebabs
Food editor Melissa Roberts owes the inspiration for this recipe to her brother in Boston, Jeff, whose signature summer dish is grilled sirloin tips marinated in bottled Italian dressing. Melissa marinates the steak in a homemade, full-flavored red-wine vinaigrette before grilling it alongside skewers of juicy tomatoes and okra. Makes 6 servings

3 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
3 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 lb (1/2-inch-thick) boneless chuck blade steaks (sometimes called chicken steaks) or steak tips, gristle trimmed if necessary and meat cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lb small tomatoes such as Campari or Baby Roma (about 2 inches wide)
3/4 lb okra, trimmed, leaving tops intact

Marinate steak:

  1. Whisk together shallot, vinegar, mustard, sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp pepper. Add 1/2-cup oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
  2. Toss steak with 1/2 tsp salt, then marinate in a sealed bag with 6 Tbsp vinaigrette, chilled, turning bag occasionally, at least 2 hours. Chill remaining vinaigrette.

Make kebabs:
  1. Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas).
  2. Meanwhile, toss tomatoes and okra with remaining 3 Tbsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt.
  3. Thread tomatoes onto 3 or 4 skewers. Thread okra crosswise onto pairs of parallel skewers, leaving small spaces between pieces. Put on a tray. Thread steak onto remaining skewers, leaving small spaces between pieces (discard marinade). Put on another tray.
  4. Oil grill rack, then grill steak skewers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, about 5 minutes total for medium-rare (about 8 minutes if using steak tips). Transfer to a platter. Drizzle with some of remaining vinaigrette while hot and let stand 5 minutes.
  5. Grill tomato and okra skewers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until tomatoes just begin to wilt and okra is tender, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to platter with steak and serve with any remaining reserved vinaigrette.

Cooks' notes:
•Steak can be marinated up to 24 hours.
•Steak and vegetable skewers can be grilled in a hot oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan.



Okra Pilau

2 c Okra, thinly sliced, rinsed
3 Bacon slices, diced
1 c Green bell pepper, chopped
1 c Onions, chopped
1 c Rice, uncooked
2 c Chicken broth
2 t Salt
1 can Tomatoes, drain/chop (16oz)

In large skillet, sauté okra and bacon until lightly browned. Add bell peppers and onions; continue cooking until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add rice, chicken broth and salt.

Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Add tomatoes; heat, and fluff with a fork.

Interested in becoming a vendor?

We are looking for new vendors, especially of vegetables and fruits from small family farms.
We are also looking for producers; whatever you can grow in Central Texas!

LEARN MORE

Location & Hours

Saturdays (year round): 10am-2pm

1302 Chestnut St.
Bastrop, TX

Subscribe

Enter for give-a-ways and to receive eNewsletters highlighting new vendors, upcoming events and local food info.

SUBSCRIBE

Mailing Address

Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market
C/O Dolores Leeper
Secretary/Treasurer
145 Easley Rd
Smithville, TX 78957