Okra Four Ways

It's the end of summer and time to put up peas, freeze corn and okra, and can tomatoes. Okay, so your grandmamma is not farming quite like she used to and you don't have the time to "put up" anything. Well, you must at least indulge in this fleeting season's bounty and cook up some okra. Here are my top four ways:

Old-fashioned stewed okra with tomatoes: Start by sauteeing some quartered sweet onions in butter, olive oil, or good ol' bacon drippings. Once the onions are softened, add some peeled chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned), a few sprigs of fresh basil, salt, and a little cayenne or hot chile. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, trim okra tops and slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Add to the tomatoes, then bring up the heat and cook until the okra is just softened a bit, about 10 minutes.  Serve with more basil and fresh ground black pepper.

Fried: Dip in buttermilk, roll in a 60% flour/40% cornmeal mixture, and drop into a pot of peanut oil at 375 degrees. Fry until golden -- about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve. We often accompany fried okra with a remoulade or "ranch" made with a nice French blue like Fourme d'Ambert.

Simply boiled: This is for the purist when you are lucky to have just-picked baby okra (less than 2 inches). This okra is best if picked early in the morning and eaten for lunch or dinner. Bring a saucepan 2/3 filled with water to a boil, add salt and okra, and boil until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and place back into the pan with an ample tablespoon of butter or olive oil, and over high heat, toss until combined. Serve with salt and pepper, sit back, and smile.

Succotash: Soften half of a chopped onion in a little olive oil, add a few ears' worth of corn kernels and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add some boiled butterbeans and some sliced okra and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add some fresh chopped dill.