Lots of Okra

This year the one crop that has done extremely well has been my okra. The plants are huge and beautiful and have been quite productive. So since it is doing so well I figured I would do a post about okra and provide a couple of recipes for how I like to cook it. Many people do not like okra because of the fact that it can be slimy, but that all depends on how you cook it. Here are two of my favorite ways to cook okra.



Okra Patties
Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 pound okra, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cornmeal

Directions:
Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees or cook on a medium heat.

In a large bowl, mix together the okra, onion, salt, pepper, water, and egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and cornmeal; and stir that into the okra mixture.

Carefully drop spoonfuls of the okra batter into the hot oil, and fry on each side until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.

Note: You can also use some yellow squash or zucchini instead of okra. (3/4 pound okra, and 1/4 pound summer squash/zucchini)

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Okra Rice
Ingredients:
1 pound bacon
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups sliced okra
1 cup blended tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup uncooked rice
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain grease and set aside for later use. Crumble bacon and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute onion in a small amount of reserved bacon grease over medium high heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, sliced okra, blended tomatoes, and chicken stock. Reduce heat and simmer until okra is tender and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Stir in rice and water. Cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until fluffy.