Okra Folklore!

FEATURED VEGGIE OF THE WEEK: OKRA!

VARIETIES: RED BURGUNDY AND CAJUN JEWEL


RECIPE TIME!
** Okra Curry**

1 pound white or red boiling potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced medium
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 teaspoon coarse salt
14 oz fresh tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
large fistful kale leaves
1 pound okra pods, trimmed and cut on an angle into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon curry powder

"Cook the potatoes until just tender in a large saucepan filled with salted water. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy pot and cook the onion and garlic, seasoned with salt, gently until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, red pepper, kale, okra and the cooked potatoes, drained. Stir in coconut milk and curry powder. Bring pot to a simmer, cover and cook until okra and kale are tender, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve, either as a side dish or over brown rice.

For a more classic curry, you could also add toasted spices such as cumin and mustard seed. Since we keep coconut milk and curry powder in the pantry there was no need to go shopping at all. "

***theslowcook.blogspot.com

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX?

Garlic
Okra
Winter Squash
Tomatos
Basil
Cucumbers
Summer Squash
Mulit-colored Pole Beans
Celery

SAY WHAT?

Okra seed was used as a coffee substitute throughout the south during the civil war.

"Parch over a good fire and stir well until it is dark brown; then take off the fire and before the seed get cool put the white of one egg to two tea-cups full of okra, and mix well. Put the same quantity of seed in the coffee pot as you would coffee, boil well and settle as coffee."

Recipe from: The Southern Banner [Athens, GA], February 11, 1863"