Life Lessons in the CSA Box

I can’t believe I ate okra.

Okra. You know that weird green slimy stuff that goes in gumbo? Yeah. I ate it. And I liked it. Here it is hanging out with the rest of this week’s goodies – that weird looking purplish-red stuff near the top. Apparently okra comes in more than one color. Who knew?

When the CSA intern handed me the first bag of okra a couple of weeks ago, I politely tried to refuse. But she pressed. The other interns joined in the effort. “Take it,” they said. “Okra is greeaat.”

I begged to differ but dutifully took my bag. Sigh. This was going to be a big fat waste. I had tasted okra once or twice before. It was…nasty.

The BFF’s husband said if we didn’t eat it, he would take it. I believe the word love was involved in that conversation. I was flat out amazed that someone would willingly take and eat okra, never mind claim to love it. I was now determined to give it a try. So I did. After pinning and reading about a dozen ways to prepare okra, I decided to just go with my instincts.

Despite all warnings not to because of the slime factor, I sliced the okra into thin little rounds and dumped them into some nice hot butter in a skillet. Butter makes everything good. Even okra. I tossed in some garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder and tossed those little okra stars like crazy.

They burned. (So clearly the above photo is not from that first attempt.) I set off the smoke alarm, which entertains the Fab Hub a whole lot. Butter burns fast, dummy. Try again. Olive oil. Nope, still burns. Clarified butter…coconut oil. I tried it all.

Today, I finally brought in the winner and, frankly, the thing I should’ve known I needed from the first try. Enter grapeseed oil.

I discovered grapeseed oil a little over a year ago when Super Sister, the BFF, and I went to see Robert Irvine do a cooking talk and demonstration. Yup. Robert Irvine, live and in person. Yes, we did the star struck idiots thing. Yes, we had a good time. Yes, we got copies of his cookbook. Yes, my Fab Hub knows I have a terrible crush on the dude. Moving on.

Meanwhile, back at the farm (heh-heh), we were discussing okra in the pickup area. A fellow CSA-er suggested lemon juice to reduce the slime factor. I hadn’t found our little okra rounds too slimy after all, but lemon did sound intriguing. I added that to my mental notes about okra.

What I figured out about okra after about six or seven tries was that the secret to the way I want them to turn out is to cook them high and fast. Grapeseed oil has a higher smoke point than many other cooking oils and is perfect for jobs like this. It also tastes nice – light and clear and doesn’t interfere with the taste of your food or end up with an altered flavor.

And so tonight, I may have perfected my okra recipe.

For the record, no okra died unnecessarily in the process. We did actually try every batch, despite any slightly (or highly) blackened state. The first few versions weren’t awful…just not quite right. Tonight’s attempt came out much less charred and much  crispier and golden brown. Just what I was hoping for.

Know what? Okra isn’t actually awful. In fact, it’s pretty good – made this way at least. Those crunchy little okra stars are like popcorn. (The Fab Hub raised his eyebrows at me here.) OK, they’re nothing at all like popcorn, but they were good enough to make a second round of them at dinner tonight – two batches in one meal is a new record.

Crispy Sautéed Okra

Here’s what you need:

• okra
• grapeseed oil
• seasonings – I used garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper

Here’s what to do:

• Heat your oil on medium to high heat in a skillet large enough to let the okra really spread out – crowded okra equals mushy okra. Use just enough to coat the skillet and get things going.
• Slice the okra into little rounds about 1/4 inch thick.
• Toss the okra into the hot skillet and cook for a few minutes – just until they start to brown. Then, toss them or flip them to get the other side.
• At this point, add your seasonings. How much? That’s entirely up to you. I did my Mom and Grandmother’s “cover the top lightly” method.
• Continue to toss the okra around until they reach the desired state of golden brown crispy on the outside. Again, this is entirely a judgment call.
• When you are satisfied with your okra, dump them onto a plate, sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt, and eat.

If you want to go with the lemon juice variation, try tossing it in somewhere in the neighborhood of the seasonings. Is that the right way? Is that the way the lady at the CSA meant? I have no idea – but it’s what I did. The first time, I found it to make the okra too soft. The next round, I used just enough to add some flavor but not reduce crispness and we liked it much better. Did it change the slime factor? I really don’t think so.

So now for the big question: Will I order okra in a restaurant or eat it at someone else’s house? Pretty sure that’s a no. As far as I’m concerned, okra is probably like meat loaf or tuna salad for me – love it at home done my way, but anyplace else? Probably not. But hey, you just never know.

And the moral of the story? Well, there are indeed lessons to be learned from your CSA box – besides what to do with kohlrabi and okra. First, always have a good friend or two – you never know when you might need to unload some extra heads of lettuce or a few squash on someone. Second, even if you think you won’t like something…or you won’t be good at something…give it a try. And as the saying goes, if it doesn’t turn out right the first time, give it another shot. You may just find that you like okra after all.

Do you have any suggestions for okra?