OKRA! The Seldom Celebrated Vegetable of the South!

    

 OKRA!  The Seldom 

Celebrated Vegetable of the

South!    

Just take a look at this beautiful bloom...who would imagine that the lowly okra would begin as such a lovely blossom?  I grew up with okra.  My grandmama fried sliced okra into a fried mush in an iron skillet or added whole okra pods to green beans to become a delightful slimy treat in fresh green beans doused with pepper vinegar.  In recent years it's become a side heavily laden with a crust that disguises the true flavor of this wonderful garden treat.  Recently I saw a recipe that sliced the okra pod lengthwise and fried the strands in canola oil and then tossed with salt and a drizzle of lime juice. I'm sharing this so you know my recipe is not completely original ( I added the tempura)...but, my, oh okra, my...it's really good!   First time I've ever drizzled lime over okra...I think it's the flavor secret!

Ingredient:

Okra pods...as many as you need...I used 5 just fore me

Tempura flour mixed with cold water...enough for the amount of okra you have (doesn't matter if you have left over tempura batter}

4 inches deep of canola or a good vegetable oil

sea salt

Lime

Steps:

Slice okra lengthwise in quarters

Heat oil in pot just before bubbling hot (I know, not a cooking term)

Add okra to tempura batter

Fry in hot oil until a light golden brown

Drain on layers of paper towels

Salt to your liking

Drizzle juice from lime over okra

     OKRA!  The seldom 

celebrated vegetable of the

South!    

                                               Summer...Even Winter...Tomato Pie

Isn't is sad, that those of us who live alone neglect the finer foods of life.  My husband, Wayne, and I loved great food.  After he died, I didn't resort to drive thru's and take out's but did, pretty much, confine myself to a protein...maybe a steak, a piece of chicken, a fish fillet,  and a green salad...healthy, simple.  But yesterday I was craving a tomato pie...something our friend, Elizabeth Borum, introduced Wayne and I to when she moved to Alexandria.  It's a fairly simple dish...tomatoes, onions, cheese...I made it many times for Wayne and me after our initial introduction.  So today, just for me, I made a tomato pie.  But, I'm sharing the recipe with a few changes I've made to the original, some pancetta sprinkled in the bottom of the pie shell and panko added to the cheese topping (makes a crispy, cheese crackery topping)...forgive me Elizabeth!

To begin...

Ingredients:  
1 frozen pie crust (make your own if you wish, just not my thing!)
1/4 cup diced pancetta
5/6 red tomatoes
1 Vadalia onion
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped basil
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup mayonaise

Follow directions for baked piecrust on package.  Cool for ten minutes after baking.  Then preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice 5 tomatoes and put the slices on a paper towel...sprinkle with salt and let sit while the pie crust gets ready.
Slice one large sweet Vidalia onion
Chop parsley and basil

In a bowl combine cheese, panko and mayonaise

Assemble the pie:

Sprinkle the diced panchetta in the bottom of the pie shell
Make a layer of tomatoes...sprinkle parsley, basil, salt and pepper on the tomatoes
Next a layer of onion
Now another layer of tomato
Finally, spread the cheese mixture on top and bake pie for 45 minutes.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing.