Okra is Okay

Okra is one of those things I learned to love as I got older. My first impression of okra was not a good one. My mother had purchased some frozen okra (you know the ones in those little square boxes); she decided to serve it as something different to have with dinner. It was different all right, it looked like it was floating in raw egg whites (which I later learned was called okra slime); “Boy, doesn’t that sound appetizing”. Needless to say none of us ate it and for years to come I just assumed that okra was something that I would prefer not to eat. Until a friend of mine asked me to try okra fried in cornmeal, I hesitated a little but clearly it had no slime attached, to my surprise it was quite tasty. I did not realize what good flavor okra had. So now I am a big fan of okra and use it often in a variety of dishes.

Okra, Corn and Tomato Skillet

3 strips bacon, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb. okra, sliced

4 to 5 ears white corn (could use canned or frozen if you prefer)

3 medium tomatoes, diced (canned diced would be fine)

1/2 stick butter

1 Tablespoon sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fry bacon, remove from pan. Sauté onions until limp but not brown; remove from pan. Add okra, which has been washed and sliced; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add corn which has been cut from cobs, butter, tomatoes and cooked onion and bacon. Toss lightly; cook about 5 minutes. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper. Do not over cook! Serve with steamed rice.