Southern Okra

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1 cup okra, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup oil

1 cup thick tomato juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook okra in boiling salted water 10 minutes. Drain. Brown onion and green pepper in salad oil. Add tomato juice, cook slowly 5 minutes. Add okra and remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat 5 minutes longer. Serves 4.

Source: “The Mississippi Cookbook,” compiled and edited by the Home Economics Division of the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service.

Bayou Gumbo

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3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 cups frozen cut okra

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 12-ounce package frozen, shelled and deveined cooked medium shrimp, rinsed

1 1/2 cups uncooked regular long grain white rice

3 cups water

In small saucepan, combine flour and oil; mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes or until mixture turns reddish brown. Place flour-oil mixture in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients except shrimp, rice and water. Cover; cook on low setting for 7 to 9 hours. When ready to serve, cook rice in water as directed on package. Meanwhile, add shrimp to gumbo mixture in crockpot; mix well. Cover; cook on low setting for additional 20 minutes. Serve gumbo over rice. Makes 6 servings.

Source: Pillsbury’s Recipes.

Sula’s Stir-Fry Okra

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2 cups fresh okra, thinly sliced

1 tomato, peeled

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

1 tablespoon salad oil

2 tablespoons butter

Trim stem ends from okra and slice as thinly as possible. Quarter tomato, then slice quarters lengthwise into thin wedges. Thinly slice onions, using both white and green parts. Combine seasonings with fresh lemon juice.

In wok or large skillet, heat oil and butter. Add all ingredients, tossing and stirring constantly over high heat. Cook from 3 to 5 minutes if using wok, or cook from 5 to 8 minutes in skillet. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Source: “Best of the Best from Texas,” Quail Ridge Press.

Okry-Dokey

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2 pounds tender fresh okra

5 pods red hot peppers

5 cloves garlic

6 tablespoons pickling salt

1 tablespoon celery seed or mustard seed

3 cups vinegar

1 cup water

Pack okra into five hot, sterilized pint jars. Add 1 hot pepper and 1 clove garlic to each jar. In a medium-size saucepan, bring remaining ingredients to a boil. Pour over packed okra, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal jars and process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. To develop flavor, let set 3 to 4 weeks before serving. Makes 5 pints.

Source: “Sassafras!,” Junior League of Springfield, Mo.