roasted Okra Pods

Parmesan Roasted Fresh Summer Okra

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 8 Comments

I am crazy about okra when it roasted in this manner. Simple and easy. Freshly picked okra pods, olive oil, sea salt and hand-ground black pepper and a very generous scattering of shredded Parmigiano Reggiano.

As a young person I was not a particularly picky eater, but I was pretty horrified by bowls of slimy okra on the dinner table. I just could not eat it. No way.  My reaction was met with a cross look by my Mother while mumbling once again about the starving children somewhere. For many years I avoided okra. Only in various Cajun dishes did it make edible sense to me.

Roasted or grilled? By the platefuls…handfuls…delicious. Crisp on the outside, moist on the inside. Summer okra.

Parmesan Roasted Fresh Summer Okra

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of fresh okra pods, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup good quality olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Line a sheet pan (or two) with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl toss okra with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Spread out on parchment lined sheet tray(s).
  4. Roast for about 12-15 minutes just until slightly softened and crispy. Add more parmesan to serve.

Teresa Blackburn   www.teresablackburnfoodstyling.com

A September of Turbulent Times, Simple Servings, Hunger Action

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 18 Comments

These past few weeks have been unsettling. There is hardly an hour of any day that goes by that there is not another story of worldwide familial sadness confronting us. The Syrian diaspora alone is mind and heart wrenching. The details grim and unnerving.

While following these international events my mind always turns to practical matters. Food and water. Very simple and practical. I ponder the overabundance that is so unevenly distributed. I ponder how much I have and wonder how much I need. These are turbulent times and times for questionings…personal assessments of what is good for the most and how my actions affect everything else I come into contact with.

I received an invitation recently to an upcoming food event where for $500 I can have the privilege of hobnobbing with well-known chefs and food glitterati. I also received another invitation a few days later to make a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank to take action against hunger in Middle Tennessee. I have made my choice…I will not be hobnobbing, not that I am against it if that is your thing, but will at the same time encourage you to perhaps hobnob one day and consider Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee for another. If you choose here is where to make a donation.

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My recipe offering is a simple serving using three ingredients, locally grown okra, sea salt & olive oil. Roasted Okra Pods can be cooked in an oven, in a heavy stove-top cast iron skillet or on the grill. When roasted the okra becomes a bit crisp  and has none of the so-called sliminess that is often associated with okra cooked by other methods.

Roasted Okra Pods

  • Servings: 2-4
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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb firm, fresh whole okra pods, rinsed & patted dry
  • Olive oil
  • Crunch sea salt or kosher salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Put dry okra pods on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Drizzle somewhat generously with olive oil. Toss to coat with your hands. Spread okra out on sheet pan in a single layer. Scatter sea salt over okra.
  3. Roast okra for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cool a few minutes and serve.

Teresa Blackburn    http://www.teresablackburnfoodstyling.com

http://www.foodonfifth.com

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