Charles Speed will tell you right quick how he best enjoys the okra he grows. "On my plate," he grinned, when asked Monday at the Hitching Lot Farmers' Market in Columbus.
A meager breeze, welcome in the August heat, sporadically blew through the shaded market. Vendors with eggs, jellies, salsas, a few vegetables, plants -- and a seller with sewn masks, kitchen towels, coasters, laundry bags and other items made of colorful fabrics -- shared easy camaraderie in between helping shoppers. Yes, there are generally fewer vendors on Mondays from 4-6 p.m. than on Thursday and Saturday mornings, when the market is open 7-10 a.m., but a light yet steady influx of customers arrived.
Speed has been a vendor since 2011. Even on a lighter Monday, he shows up because, "That's a perishable commodity right there," he said, pointing to baskets of fresh okra. Mother Nature's timetable isn't dictated by market days; produce not harvested at its peak goes to waste. Monday shoppers were the beneficiaries.
Speed and his wife Paula farm about 12 acres off Tabernacle Road in Ethelsville, Alabama. Charles has been at it a while, to say the least.
"I cut my teeth on a 8N Ford tractor, my daddy's tractor," said the grower who lives about 4 miles from where he was born. He learned the ins and outs of farming from the experienced generations before him, including some valuable wisdoms passed down, like his grandparents' tip not to plant if the moon isn't right.
Speed's Farm is a family affair. Paula and the Speeds' daughter-in-law do much of the canning -- sometimes candied jalapenos, muscadine jelly, blueberry jam, apple jalapeno pepper jelly, and more. Corn, peas, tomatoes, squash, peppers, snap beans, greens and, of course, okra, are among his harvests. And while farming is in his blood, there are more sides to Charles Speed: He's also a licensed independent insurance agent.
But back to that homegrown okra: "Oh, yes, I like it. I like it fried or boiled," Speed said.
For many folks, fried okra is a classic. A light cornmeal coating on the pods and a dip in hot oil makes a crispy side. But there's also roasted, sauteed -- and plenty of recipes to use okra in, like the Okra Creole or Tomato Okra Bake recipes included today.
And when your grill is fired up, don't miss out on farmers' market vendor Scott Enlow's recommendation.
"Just take the whole pod and wash them," he said Monday. "Spray them with olive oil and sprinkle them with a dusting of Creole seasoning and put them on the grill. When the okra starts to show a light char, take them off." This recipe Enlow said he got from Pat Curtis was shared with a helping of 'Ooh, it's so good' attitude. Put a star by it, and read on for other ways to enjoy this hot-weather vegetable.
OKRA CREOLE
Serves 4
3 bacon slices
2 cups fresh sliced okra
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked rice (optional)
- Cook bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp; remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
- Cook okra and next 6 ingredients in hot drippings in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cove and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Top with crumbled bacon. Serve over rice, if desired.
(Source: lenoir.ces.ncsu.edu/2016/07/okra-love-it-or-love-to-hate-it/)
OKRA AND RED PEPPER CORNBREAD
Serves 12
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup very thinly sliced okra
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Add oil to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or 2-quart metal baking dish) and place in the preheating oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk cornmeal, baking soda and salt in a large, heatproof bowl. Add okra, onion and bell pepper and toss to coat. Whisk buttermilk and egg in another bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Carefully remove the heated skillet (or pan) from the oven and pour the hot oil into the batter. Stir to combine, then pour the batter back into the hot pan.
- Bake until starting to brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into 12 slices and serve warm.
(Source: lenoir.ces.ncsu.edu/2016/07/okra-love-it-or-love-to-hate-it/)
TOMATO OKRA BAKE
1/2 cup fresh lima beans
8 ounces fresh okra, washed, stemmed, and cut into ½-inch thick slices
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/2 of a medium yellow or green sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook lima beans according to package directions. Drain.
- In a 2-quart casserole, combine lima beans, okra, tomatoes, onion, sweet pepper, crushed red pepper and salt. Bake, covered with foil, for 45 minutes; stir. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes more; stir. Serve with a slotted spoon.
(Source: lenoir.ces.ncsu.edu/2016/07/okra-love-it-or-love-to-hate-it/)
LITE FRIED OKRA
2 cups okra (fresh, sliced)
3/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray (nonstick, as needed)
- In a bowl, mix sliced okra, oil, salt and pepper.
- Coat a large fry pan with cooking spray.
- Heat over medium heat, and add okra mixture, turning often with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Cook until okra is browned, about 10 minutes. Serve with hot sauce or favorite relish.
(Source: Arizona Nutrition Network, Champions for Change Recipes)
August 05, 2020 at 10:04PM
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Summer's okra: Charles Speed likes it 'on his plate' - The Commercial Dispatch
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