Okra!

The South Carolina heat doesn't stop our garden from growing (thanks to our well irrigation) and some very determined pink-eyed peas and okra.

I'll write later about the pink-eyed peas because this post is reserved for the belles of the ball--our okra!

Our okra is definitely bountiful--I usually harvest it in the morning and the evening. 

Generally we like to pick young, tender pods (less than 4 inches). While we've been eating a lot of fresh okra (grilled, steamed, roasted), I've also frozen some for our winter. 

There's a debate online about whether or not you need to blanch foods before placing them in the freezer. So far we have blanched our spinach, broccoli, corn, and green beans. But I'm jumping off that bandwagon for okra and following my route from last year--simply cutting up the okra and flash freezing it (loving my freezer!). 

Then I bag it for later use (most likely for succotash). 

My favorite way to eat okra this summer is pan-roasted on the stovetop. I got this recipe from the Lee Brothers Simple Fresh Southern cookbook. It's easy and healthy--slice your okra into rounds, place into a skillet (I used my grandma's cast iron pan), and cook over medium high heat. No oil. Just DRY. Turn the okra as it starts to brown and then remove from the pan. Add salt if you wish and enjoy. My boys eat handfuls of these "croutons". Yum!