Thursday, August 27, 2009

Channeling my Inner Southern Girl Cook

Okra and Tomatoes
Okra and Tomatoes in Prep,
don't have the final product, we were to busy eating!

The graciousness of a next door neighbor brought about my inner Southern Girl Cook the other day. He is 98 years old and still tills about a HUGE garden by hand...and has more bounty that he and his wife and extended family can endure! He dropped a whole bag of okra by on our front door and I thought I HAVE to do something with these. I do like Okra and tomatoes, and have needed a new vegetable recipe. Soo... Foodnetwork.com here I come...the next stop...the consomate Southern Cook Miss Paula Deen. (you may have heard of her!)

I grew up in the south but my parents were transplants from "just north of the Mason/Dixon" in Maryland. We really never had the classic southern cuisine of fried chicken, okra and tomatoes, macaroni and cheese, cobbler, etc. (my waistline is much appreciative:) So I must rely on the good ol internet to bring them to life. And this recipe did the fresh okra justice. E kept asking for seconds, and thirds! So a winner all around

This is one of the more healthy of the Southern Favorites, so you should try it.

Here is the recipe... Okra is almost out of season.

In the Morning,
G

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, diced into small pieces
  • 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon chicken base
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 cups fresh okra, cut into 1-inch pieces (may use frozen, if fresh not available)
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cook bacon slightly. Saute onion and garlic with bacon until tender. Add tomatoes, chicken base, sugar and pepper. Stir well and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Meanwhile wash okra and remove fuzz if using fresh and cut into pieces. Add the okra and simmer until okra is done, about 20 more minutes (less if using frozen okra.)

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