Fruit

Hey, There's Okra in Our CSA!

August 12, 2015

Sure, this okra is cute—but will it be slimy? 

Today, we got some magical creatures in our CSA share from Local Roots: kale with a great head of hair; tomatoes the color of sunshine; blushing peaches; and some okra that closely resembles sea creatures. Here's a close-up, captured by Amanda Sims, for reference:

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But what do we do with this fuzzy, curly okra? And how can we avoid the slime?

Share your okra tips with us in the comments below! And bonus points if you come up with a way we can use up all of our produce in one fell swoop!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • boymeetsgirlmeetsfood
    boymeetsgirlmeetsfood
  • WenJay Ying
    WenJay Ying
  • Henry Jampel
    Henry Jampel
  • bensonb
    bensonb
  • Jimmy Hoxie
    Jimmy Hoxie
I used to work at Food52. I'm probably the person who picked all of the cookie dough out of the cookie dough ice cream.

19 Comments

boymeetsgirlmeetsfood August 16, 2015
Bhindi Masala! One of our Indian favourites- slime free and packed with flavour from a few simple ingredients and some staple Indian spices.

https://food52.com/recipes/37724-bhindi-masala
 
WenJay Y. August 16, 2015
LOVE THESE IDEAS! Here's some photos from the farm that grew this food. Hope you can all join us on the next farm trip and our upcoming Fall CSA season:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/localrootsnyc/albums/72157656922110940
 
Henry J. August 14, 2015
Sarah,

this may be a reach on Ruby Field Court, but no more so than capers!
 
bensonb August 13, 2015
Green gumbo! Sauté the okra first for a slime free experience
 
Jimmy H. August 13, 2015
Roasted okra does not get slimy. I have 2 great recipes for okra on our blog.

http://stalkingcelery.org/2015/07/22/two-new-ways-to-love-okra-roasted-and-stewed/
 
aargersi August 13, 2015
We have been skewering them at an angle like a kabob (everything is better on a stick!) brushing with oolive oil, salt and lemon, and grilling on high heat to get a nice char. Minimal slime!

Personally (NOT my husband though), I embrace the slime and stew then with tomatoes and onions, salt, pepper and parsley. Stewed okra over rice = yum.
 
Erica L. August 13, 2015
My Mother in law taught me to stir fry okra with purple onion and tomato with salt and pepper to taste. It is simple yet one of my favorites.
 
Minal August 12, 2015
Here's a tried and tested 'no slime' Indian style Okra recipe that I stick to. Makes a great side for any curry and rice dishes https://food52.com/recipes/35433-spiced-okra-hash-no-slime
 
Wyn August 12, 2015
I love okra! But not the tough, overgrown stuff. Baby okra is so much better! It can be eaten raw, and is delicious! But I often roast it in the oven tossed with olive oil, turmeric, cumin, hot curry powder, smoked paprika, and salt. So easy and wonderful! There is no slime this way. If it's small enough, I don't even trim the stems. Enjoy!
 
Panfusine August 12, 2015
The potatoes and Kale - cook them up like one would make an Alu Palak side on the lines of this dish
https://food52.com/recipes/13388-sauteed-potato-greens
the tomatoes, peaches and carrots can be made into a slaw.
 
Panfusine August 12, 2015
slice them thin and deep fry till brown and crisp. Whisk some yogurt with salt. Temper with a 'tadka' of hot oil, mustard, Cumin, Urad dal, curry leaves and a broken arbol chile. Add the crisp okra to the yogurt and serve as a Raita.
 
Emma C. August 12, 2015
Oven roasted. Crunchy, delicious, no slime. http://food52.com/recipes/23374-spicy-oven-roasted-okra
 
Aileen W. August 12, 2015
You can also just slice em open, sprinkle with some good sea salt, and snack.
 
Nishi L. August 12, 2015
Okra can also be used to create a delicious appetizer dish. For this, wash and dry the okra. Trim the ends and slit them lengthwise.if there are too many seeds, de seed and julienne. If not many seeds then just julienne into strips. Add vinegar,salt,cayenne,turmeric,cumin,coriander and fennel powders. Separately dry roast chickpea flour or fine semolina. Don't over roast (just until the aroma is released).let it cool down a bit before adding to the okra mix. Delicately mix everything so that all okra is evenly coated. Now drizzle some oil of your choice. Heat the oven to 375degrees . Spray some oil on a baking sheet and spread okra in a single layer. Let it cook for about 30-40 minutes depending on your quantity. Turn it around couple of times in between. Once done, remove from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes to crisp up. Arrange on a platter and serve and enjoy !
 
inpatskitchen August 12, 2015
Huffington Post did an article on this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/how-to-cook-okra_n_1687871.html
 
SpinachInquisition August 12, 2015
My favorite way to prepare okra is wok-fired with sambal. There are tons of recipes (google "lady fingers sambal" or "okra sambal" for variations, but I slice the okra on the bias (about 3/4" pieces), then quickly blast it in a wok with some sliced shallots... add some sambal or garlic chili paste, and that's it. No gloop, no slime - nothing but tasty heat!
 
gingerroot August 12, 2015
Grill! Use Beth Kirby's recipe and you'll always want to grill okra and make sriracha lime salt.

https://food52.com/recipes/22851-grilled-okra-with-sriracha-lime-salt
 
Ahuvah B. August 12, 2015
Always stir fry the okra before adding it to a sauce - I like to make meatballs + okra
 
Sarah S. August 12, 2015
I love making a bhindi masala, which is an Indian curried okra. The key is stir-frying it over high heat, which surprisingly removed some of the slime. I use this recipe http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/bhindi-masala-north-indian-okra-stir-fry