Food: Okra Chips

When I saw this box of okra at The Fresh Market, I admit I thought it was just dried-out pathetic Yankee okra, saying to myself, "This is my choice if I want fresh OKRA?!" But, I was in the bulk section and should have realized this was something altogether different: okra chips.

I've written about okra before and the variety of ways it can be prepared. It's thought of as a Southern food and either you like it or you don't. I guess that isn't quite true: some people will eat okra that is fried, but no other way. I will eat it anyway you prepare it:

• Stewed with tomatoes? Check.
• Cooked in a gumbo? Check. (As long as its veggie!)
  
• Fried in cornmeal? Check.
• Little okra patties? Check.
  
• Pickled? Check.
• Homemade double-hot pickled? Double check.
• Boiled and topped with butter and coarse salt? Check.

You name it and I will eat it. Story is, when I was a babe my dad would pick okra from the garden and leave the stems long so I could grasp them in my very fat hands and cram the boiled okra into my fat little face. Supposedly, I ate twenty-something (small) pieces of okra in one sitting. In other words, I was born to eat okra.

And these okra chips might possible be the best preparation of okra ever invented. The pods, a relative of the hibiscus which is why their green grassy flavor is accented by a slightly floral note (something only an okra connoisseur would say), are flash fried resulting in a crispy, crunchy non-greasy piece of deliciousness. Okra chips have all of the amazing flavor of fried okra, but none of the slime that is the primary objection most people give about the vegetable. Light, green and delicious. I wish they had a little bit of heat, but since the chips are just okra it would be difficult to do. No matter, I'll serve them with a little bit of sriracha sauce for dipping.

If you don't have the Fresh Market in your neighborhood, not to worry: you can order the okra chips from them online.

Mangez!

Perfect Summer Meal

People often make fun of me because I seem more interested in documenting the table setting or food, rather than the guests. For this dinner I made a concerted effort to wait until everyone was seated before photographing all of the wonderful food on the table, but something went awry and I somehow didn't end up with a photo. Promise I did it.

What is the perfect summer meal, you ask? I would say that it is one made of garden-fresh produce and shared with friends. On Saturday, my parents came for a visit and we did fun things like fix my garage door and replace the lights in the garage. But, dad also brought three sacks of goodies: tomatoes, squash and okra. We had been talking about going out for dinner, but instead I put together a quick meal for friends who responded to a hasty invitation.

The menu was simple and thrown together quickly, with the centerpiece being the aforementioned vegetables. Here goes:

Olive and pickly things
Pimento cheese stuffed celery (a Southern staple)
Simple salad greens dressed with oil, red wine vinegar and garlic
Pan seared zucchini and squash
Mixed tomato salad with feta and basil, dressed with lemon olive oil and champagne vinegar
Deviled eggs
Oklahoma Hushpuppies

The last entry was really the star of the evening and is in actuality a recipe for 'okra pancakes' from Scott Peacock (what a great name) and Edna Lewis' book The Gift of Southern Cooking: Recipes and Revelations from Two Great Southern Cooks. If you aren't familiar with these two cooks, I advise you to pick up a copy of this book as both are experts on Southern cookery and have a rare friendship despite the multiple decades that separate their ages. Barb took one bite of the pancakes and said, "These are Oklahoma hushpuppies, " and I quite agree. There are many wonderful methods for preparing okra, but I think this is one of the simplest and not surisingly, most delicious. Even if you think you don't like okra, which I can't imagine, I'm sure this recipe will seduce you.

Recipe: Oklahoma Hushpuppies

1/2 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 1/2 salt (separated)
2 cups thinly sliced okra (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Peanut oil, for frying

In a big yellow bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the baking powder. Whisk to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1/2 cup water. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl season okra with remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Toss to combine, and fold into the batter.

Heat 1/2 to 1 inch of oil to very hot. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, spoon the batter by 1/8 cup into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired, and serve immediately.

Mangez!