Tapas Tuesday: Sarah's Okra

I love okra!!! It is one of my favorite Southern veggies and you can eat it so many ways. In addition to being so versatile, it is very easy to grow organically. One of my favorite ways to eat okra is pickled. You can buy it at the store or pickle your own. I absolutely love to put it in my Bloody Mary on LSU game day- Geaux Tigers! (Lisa says Hotty Toddy!)

Of course, besides putting it in soup, I like to throw it in my pasta salad after blanching it. Fried okra is an excellent addition to a salad with a buttermilk garlic or blue cheese dressing. Here is a great recipe from A Gracious Plenty for fried okra:

1/2 cup cornmeal

Salt , pepper, and garlic to taste

1 pound of okra, washed, trimmed, and cut into 3/4 inch slices

Oil (I use peanut or canola)

Mix the cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic salt in a zip-loc bag. Soak okra in water for 1-3 minutes. Drain, leaving the okra wet. Shake gently in the bag. Heat 1/4 inch oil in a heavy skillet. Add   The okra and cover and fry for 2-3 minutes. Turn the okra, cover, and continue to repeat for about 6 or 7 more minutes, always replacing the cover. Drain on paper towels and enjoy! The recipe says that the okra should be "partly crispy and partly semi-chewy, some pieces in tact and some pieces a little smashed up."