Hello, all! I can’t believe it’s September already- the summer absolutely flew by! Obviously now that it’s getting to be Fall, it’s time for me to start making my trips to the farmstand for apples, apple  cider, apple cider donuts… really everything apple. And lots and lots of pumpkins. But this time as I was browsing through their produce, I found some okra! I’ve never had it before, but my husband grew up eating fried okra and loves it. I decided to try making it for him (a little skeptically, I’ll admit) and was very pleasantly surprised. The slimy-when-raw odd little vegetable transforms into really crispy crunchy yummy goodness! So- for those who are wondering what the heck okra looks like, it looks like this:

Now, onto the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 7-10 okra pods, cut into thin slices (about 1/4″ thick)
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder (to taste)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp onion powder (to taste)
• 1 egg, beaten
• vegetable oil for frying
• garlic salt and dried parsley for garnish

First, soak your okra slices in the beaten egg for 5-10 minutes. Warning: this part is really slimy/sticky, so use a fork to toss the okra or be prepared to get your hands dirty!

While the okra soaks, mix the cornmeal and the spices together. I prefer to put them on a plate instead of in a bowl so that I have more room to work with when I’m tossing things in the dredge.

At this point, you can also get your oil heating. Put 1-2″ of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed frying pan. I prefer the Dutch oven because it has really high sides so I get less splattered with oil! Heat the oil to about 350°F. When you put a piece of the dredged okra in, it should immediately start bubbling and frying- if it just sits in the oil, the oil isn’t hot enough yet (and you should remove that piece of okra and try again when the oil is hotter).

Once your oil is hot and the okra has soaked in the egg, toss the okra in the cornmeal dredge.

Fry the pieces in the oil in batches- the most you want at once is enough to form a single layer in the pan. If there are too many, they won’t fry properly.

Once the okra are dark golden brown, take them out of the oil using a slotted spoon and lay them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. While they’re still hot, sprinkle them with garlic salt and parsley to taste.

And then, enjoy! These are surprisingly delicious and flavorful- if you get a chance, give these funky veggies a try! Happy cooking!