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The Last of the Okra

By Eliot, on September 25th, 2012

Just like drinking the last of the summer wine signals the cooler weather to come, cooking up the last of the okra also marks the end of the season.

It is that time of year to clean out what is left of the summer garden, pull weeds, amend the soil, and start planting the fall garden.     This weekend I started cleaning out one of our raised beds and picked the last of the okra.

I have pickled okra, frozen okra, and fried a lot.

Lots of harvesting—three types of okra and dill from the garden.

Tired of the same old fried okra and pickled variety, I searched for a new recipe and found a keeper:   Crispy Okra Strips.

These are better than steak frites!

For something completely different, slice your okra this way.

Crispy Okra Tomato Salad
For original recipe, click here. 

Canola oil, for frying
1 lb. young okra—halved lengthwise and cut into long, thin strips
Kosher salt
1 1/4 t. garam masala
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
1 medium tomato—cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 cucumber, sliced in strips
1/4 c. coarsely chopped cilantro
2 T. fresh lemon juice

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 350°. Working in batches, fry the okra strips, stirring a few times, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per batch.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried okra to a large paper towel–lined plate to drain.   Sprinkle with some of the garam masala and salt.

Crispy strips….seriously delicious!

In a large bowl, gently toss the red onion, tomato, cucumber, cilantro and lemon juice.   Season the salad with more of the garam masala and salt.

Salad ready to plate.

Plate tomato/onion salad on individual plates and top with crispy okra.

 

This made a great dinner.

(Or, you can use this as a French fry replacement.)

And, this is a fabulous salad.

 

Garden, Recipes, What we're growing, eating, and doing.   , , , , ,  
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18 comments to The Last of the Okra

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