As much as we like to think of okra as a southern American staple, okra made its way to this region by way of the slave trade around 1719. Okra is a member of the mallow family along with hibiscus, cotton, and cacao. Okra has a mild, grassy taste that is often underused and unappreciated due to folks not liking its mucilaginous qualities. So lets get back to Okra, or what I like to lovingly call Witch Fingers. Without diving deeper into the rabbit hole of the importance of eating as locally as possible, I’ll say that this example is one of many that led to the creation of Little Radish Provisions. And to me, this is both incredibly frustrating and mind-boggling. This is a major indicator of how little local produce actually makes its way onto grocery shelves. As much as it takes to our climate here, it’s rare to see okra in a grocery store. It’s damn near one of the only crops that keeps producing without a fuss into July and August. Now that I’ve been working regularly alongside farms for a few years, I know how incredibly prolific okra is here during the summer. It wasn’t something that regularly made its way onto my plate as a kid so it’s not shocking that I would have to discover it as an adult. But I honestly can’t pinpoint a specific culinary memory or experience. Before that moment I’m sure I encountered okra at some point in my life, most likely fried. The farmer had me try it raw so I obliged because she insisted it was her favorite way to eat it. The first true memory I have of eating okra was when I was in my mid-20s at my local farmers market when I lived in East Texas. Old Bay seasoning, shallots, and garlic lend plenty of delicious flavor to round out this vegan and gluten free dish! Toss gently and serve immediately.Cheesy vegan grits form a pillowy base for stewed summer okra and tomatoes. In large mixing bowl, combine okra, onion-tomato mixture, lemon juice, salt, and garam masala. Transfer fried okra to paper towels to drain. Fry okra in batches (returning oil to 350☏ between batches) until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. In wide, 4-inch-deep heavy pot over moderate heat, heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches oil until deep-fat thermometer registers 350☏. In small mixing bowl, stir together onion, tomato, and cilantro. The original recipe can be found here, but I changed the main spice (from chaat masala to garam masala and used far less of it)ġ/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)ġ medium or 2 small tomatoes, quartered, seeded, and roughly dicedĪbout 8 cups canola or vegetable oil for fryingġ pound fresh okra, trimmed and cut lengthwise into thin stripsĤ 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)ġ/2 teaspoon garam masala (a common/popular mix of indian spices - you can buy it at any store that sells indian spices) I can't really describe the taste, because if I tried, it would sound gross: imagine deep fried okra in pico de gallo with an Indian twist? This dish went really well with our dinner that night: Israeli Cous Cous (not really cous cous, more like balls of yummy pasta) and a Moroccan beef stew that our friends made in their crockpot. Not too bad! Delicious, actually! I was afraid that it would come out gooey and sloppy, but since this recipe asks that you cut it in thin lengthwise slices and deep fry the heck out of it, it turned out fine. I found a really nice looking batch at the San Francisco Tuesday Ferry Building Farmer's Market last week and decided to finally give it a go. I've always loved okra, but it also always intimidated me.
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