Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Okra!


If you are ever shown a photo of the beautiful flower above and asked to identify it, I am telling you now...this is an OKRA flower, okay?
(I saw this on a blog and hardly anyone knew what it was!)
It will grow into a pod of okra.  See the sweet little pods beneath the flower? That is wonderful okra!

 Now class, what flower is it?

OKRA FLOWER!   

 Very good, now please don't forget it!
 My Dad gave me a jar of canned green beans, canned red potatoes and a jar of pickled okra (with garlic and dill), which he had canned himself.  I cooked the green beans with the potatoes and some sausage and chopped up two of the pickled okra pods and put them into the pot.  This was THE most delicious food ever! Richard came home from work and it smelled so good, he probably thought he was in the wrong house! He ate two helpings of it, it was that good!

Lots of people don't like okra, but if so, it might be possible, you have never had it cooked properly.  Okra is great to thicken soups and stews.  In the South, we like to bread it and fry it which is my son's favorite, especially if it is fresh from the garden.  I do wonder how many people have had it pickled, the way my Dad makes it. I wish I could send you all some pickled okra! In the meantime, admire the flower which is just gorgeous, isn't it?   You may also admire my Dad's cabinet of canned vegetables!




It it grows in the garden, my Dad is able to can it and he is always willing to share.  

We sure do miss Lake Alexander at Panola Mountain State Park.  Hope it will one day be returned to its full pool.  The photo above is from last year.   Hope springs eternal!

35 comments:

  1. I love okra. I like it in soups and gumbo. I also like it breaded and deep fried. Mmmm-mmmm.

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  2. I like okra fried, not not any other way. I would have never recognized that flower as an okra flower.
    Your Dad is amazing.

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    1. You should taste the pickled okra! It is so good.
      And Daddy is amazing!

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  3. Okra is even delicious raw, believe it or not! Your Dad's canning abilities astound me, and the dish you made sounds like just something my Sweetie would love.

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    1. I am not a good cook but every now and then, I surprise myself! Of course, it helps when you have fresh things from the garden! My Dad sure knows ho to can! I have never done it myself but maybe I will one day!

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  4. I've not had okra in years. The last time I cooked and ate okra was back in 1997!!! Time to change the situation, perhaps!

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    1. It's always time for okra! HA! You are such a great cook, I would love to see what you do with it.

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  5. We have okra in the garden too and it's doing really well. I'm freezing it. Jack likes okra and tomatoes. I've never fried it but might have to try it this year. Your Dad is pretty amazing with all that beautiful bounty in the jars!

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    1. Hey, guess what, my Dad also does jars of okra with tomatoes, and he uses that as a base for soup. It is so good!
      Oh and you MUST fry it!

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  6. Your dad is absolutely amazing! We love okra in our miso soup. Yum!

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    1. Hey Kay!
      I noticed you changed your photo into a cartoon of yourself! Dang, you look cute no matter what, you just can't help it!
      :-)
      My Dad is amazing! He didn't grow all his vegetables this year but he bought fresh veggies in Clayton and canned them all himself. It is a lot of work!

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    2. I thought the cartoon would be fun to do. I wish I had a dad who could do what your dad does.

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  7. You know how much I love your Dad - from just "knowing" him through your blog! He should be in the Guinness Book of Records as the World's Best Vegetable Canner!!
    I've not eaten okra in a very long time, as it is not so common here. The Indian restaurant neary serves it, so maybe I should order that next time I'm there :-)

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    1. Yes, you do know him from my blog, don't you? And you are so right, he is the world's best vegetable canner!!
      When you ever eat okra, I hope you will remember the lovely flower!

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  8. That is a very pretty flower, and I would never have known what it was. The only time I ever ate okra was in the US. However, I saw it the other day in a local shop, so we are getting very international here in Australia!

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    1. You will have to eat okra now and let me know what you think!
      I think it came from Africa, if I am not mistaken, but it is well known in the southern USA>

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  9. I found your blog through yaya Love the okra flower but hate okra I have tried it several ways when I get to the south it is a texture thing for me I think.
    Cathy

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    1. Hello Cathy!
      Thanks for your visit! I love your blog, I was able to read some of it today during my break at work.
      What!? You don't like okra! Why honey, come to see me when I visit my Dad and you will change your mind!! No? Never mind, you must love the flower! :-)

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  10. I have had okra in soups before but never pickled. The flower is beautiful. So nice your dad shares ! Your dinner sounds wonderful!

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    1. It was wonderful! I am such a bad cook that whenever I make something good, I want to celebrate!

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  11. I don't think I've ever had okra, unless someone put it in something I ate. I do hear it's incredibly good for you though.

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    1. I think it makes you an honorary Southerner when you eat okra! Now you know the flower, you might start speaking like me!

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  12. Your Dad's canned veggie cupboard rocks!

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    1. Isn't it something? He had a neighbor make it for him, very strongly built so as to hold all that weight. It was such a good idea for him to have this! The drawers slide out and that makes it so much easier for him to store them.

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  13. Perhaps I have never had it cooked properly! But I did grow okra once for the beautiful twisted and striped seed pods which I used in flower arrangements. I don't remember whether this was a special variety. You should share with us the proper way to cook okra, please! Beautiful flower.

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    1. Oh me, I will have to ask my Dad how to cook fried okra. Since my husband has to eat gluten free, we don't cook it. (I think my Dad uses a mixture of cornmeal and flour as a breading.)
      Richard can have the pickled okra though and it was very good with the green beans and potatoes!

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  14. I've heard of it but never tasted it or seen the flower. Looks beautiful.

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    1. I am happy to introduce you to the beautiful okra flower.
      It is my job in life to do these kind of things!

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  15. I've never seen an okra flower. It can easily go into a flower arrangement.

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    1. It is more beautiful than the photo, if you can believe it!

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  16. I'm from the north and okra is an exotic plant for me- haha! Your dad is an amazing canner! I'm impressed! I know how much work it is to put up food.

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    1. He burns out his stove all the time from his canning but he says it is worth it!
      Glad to introduce you to this exotic flower, okra! :-)

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  17. Funnily enough I was watching a Jamie Oliver programme the other day (American road trip) in which he was visiting the south and cooked okra! I must admit I've never been a particular fan so I clearly haven't cooked it right. Yours sounds delicious and I wish I could reach into the screen and grab a spoonful! Always in awe of your Dad and his canning!
    Thanks also for the lovely comment about my blanket - I like the idea of calling it my water lily blanket :)

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    1. Wish I could see Jamie Oliver, wonder where he was in the South? No matter, he could have been the building next door to me, and when you are working that is just too bad! HA!
      You would really love that dish that I made with the pickled okra, it just took it to some kind of level of cooking I have never reached before, like something from a nice restaurant, that kind of good!
      And your blanket! The colors! I hope you enjoy your water lily blanket! :-)

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