Okra

For the past five years, I’ve spent at least 20 saturdays in Jobe Hall on Delta State University’s campus… yesterday, someone murdered a professor of history in that very building, causing the entire campus to lock down, and wreaking havoc on the mental state of students, faculty, staff, and the entire Mississippi Delta (who all have friends and family who work or attend school there). I’m so sad to think about the senseless loss of at least two lives (maybe three) at the hands of the shooter, but also, proud of the resilience and strength of those associated with the campus. It’s hard to go through a frightening event like that and not feel shaken, but I know all of the “fighting okra” (the campus unofficial mascot) will bounce back.

It turns out that I made this recipe for roasted spicy okra over the weekend with a big bag that had been left on Boone’s desk, so it just feels right to share it today after this week’s events. I’d only ever had it stewed, gumboed, and fried, so I thought I’d try a new way. It turns out that like the Fighting Okra, real okra just gets a little crispy and more flavorful when you turn up the heat.
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Its about time for me to share this recipe… although I made it back in early September with a HUGE, gigantic sack of okra a friend brought to us and the last of our garden’s tomatoes, it really would be a DELICIOUS Thanksgiving side dish. Also, most recipes I found call for frozen okra and canned tomatoes, so you really can make this year-round.

I’ve always thought of Thanksgiving as an important holiday for Americans to celebrate our “meltingpot” cultural heritage, and okra is an amazing food that does just that. Originating in modern-day Ethiopia, okra was most likely brought to our country by enslaved Africans (like most delicious southern food). It’s also called “gumbo” although it’s more likely that you’ve heard this word in context of soups thickened with okra rather than references to the vegetable itself. Aggie Horticulture writes of the name, “Both of these names are of African origin. ‘Gumbo’ is believed to be a corruption of a Portuguese corruption, quingombo, of the word quillobo, native name for the plant in the Congo and Angola area of Africa.” This dish definitely has its roots in the Cajun and Creole traditions of the south… plus, a version of stewed okra and tomatoes recipe found in Indian cuisine as well. What’s more meltingpot than a vegetable and recipe that immigrated to the US from multiple parts of the world? Definitely a contender for a new Thanksgiving side dish tradition.
Confession: Okra’s hairy-sliminess isn’t always palatable to me… but this recipe breaks down the okra and makes it a smooth texture, plus the flavor of it and the tomatoes comes out beautifully. My grandmother used to make this and for a long time it was the ONLY way I’d eat this vegetable.

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Delta State University on my mind: Roasted, spicy Okra

Tradition to Adopt: Stewed Okra and Tomatoes as a Thanksgiving side

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