Victory Garden 2015

[jmoore]

If there's another gardening thread for this year, apologies! Seems I haven't done a VG thread since 2012.


Major new thing for this year is okra. Aunt and uncle used to grow it, but it's never been tried at home. Small patch, but growing vigourously and has been quite easy. Planted, twaited, and then commenced to cutting pods. So good that they often get eaten before coming into the kitchen!















A bit of stone ground cornmeal, and fried in grapeseed oil. Yum!

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[Richard Turner]

Fried Okra has always been one of my favorites and we always plant it in our garden. The recipe we use seems to be a standard for everyone in our area (rural North Central Alabama), especially those who grew up in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

Everyone I know soaks their Okra in Buttermilk and Egg for 1/2 to 1 hour, drain and bread in cornmeal, salt, and pepper. You can also add some flour (flour helps create a heavier breaded coating). Then fry in vegetable oil or lard, with bacon drippings (grease) added. Most I know use a cast iron skillet, although I have used an uncovered cast iron Dutch Oven when camping. You can fry Okra sliced length ways as well as whole, and as an added kick, toss in a hand full of sliced Jalapenos into the buttermilk/egg soak. I will throw in some sliced green cherry tomatoes if I have them.

I love boiled Okra as well, but I am the odd man out here at home, wife and kids hate it boiled.

Regards,

Richard

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Cruel post. Almost lunch time and no fried okra for miles. I will find some this week end though.
P.S. Watch out for low flying helicopters full of LEOs. Read a story recently about a raid conducted on a fellows farm. Thought his okra patch was ,well another leafy crop.

[vintage hunter]

Moved my garden to new ground this year and it did very well. Gave vegetables away buy the bags full. Have enough potatoes and onions left over to do until next spring most likely. Awfully hot this summer and some things have withered away due to the heat but still getting plenty egg plant, okra, bell peppers and a couple varieties of hot peppers though. Wandered out while ago to see what needed cropping and wound up with a mess of okra that I'll have for supper, quite a few bell peppers and enough jalapeno's for a worth while pickling session. My uncle came by yesterday and raided the egg plant bushes so I'll have to wait till the next crop matures to get some of those.
The fall crop is coming along well but it'll be a while yet before it puts on fruit.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

In my desperation I settled for FO at Cracker Barrel

[Richard Turner]

In my desperation I settled for FO at Cracker Barrel

That's not bad, Cracker Barrel has good fried okra. For breakfast, I love Cracker Barrel's "Uncle Herschel", eggs and ham steak. You being from down South, I'm sure you remember Quincy's Restaurants and Po Folks, they both had great okra as well for a restaurant.

RT

[jmoore]

It seems that most okra does get more "treatment" than what our family is used to doing when frying up a mess. I thought using grapeseed oil was about too fancified! Some is so breaded that it's hard to find the okra inside.


Fig tree got infested with beetles and up and died altogether this week. So no figs for the foreseeable future. What few sprouts are about are very small.


It has also been quite hot and dry here, but aside from the bean die off, it's not been too bad. the melon patch is going mad with growth, only the rabbit is keeping it from spreading everywhere.

[Brian Dick]

Love pickled Okra too!!

[vintage hunter]

Love pickled Okra too!!

Me too! I've never pickled any myself but have a late crop coming on just so I can try my hand at it. IF it turns out to be edible I'll bring you a couple jars.

[Brian Dick]

Throw some of those lovely hot peppers in to give 'em some kick! My garden's about played out. I've still got sweet green and banana peppers, cucumbers and hot peppers.