There is something so wholesome and old fashioned about having a vegetable garden.  In a world that is filled with stress and busyness, it’s rather refreshing to spend time playing in the dirt and watching something grow from next to nothing.

We don’t look near this charming!

 

It’s an art that goes back generations, and definitely something I hope to pass on to my own children!

One of the highlights of summer is all of the fresh goodness brought in from our garden.  Often it’s a lot of work fighting the harsh summer elements to have a successful garden, but somehow through the extreme heat, struggle to beat the weeds, and then strange periods of heavy rains we have managed to pick fresh food which is finally gracing our dinner table.

All of us really look forward to the first okra of the season, which we were able to enjoy along with green tomatoes this past week.

I still laugh when I think back to living in Iowa when the produce manager looked at me like I was crazy and asked me “What is an Okra?”! 


{These were the same folks who put sugar in their cornbread and not in their tea, but oh how we loved them!}

Believe me, I was happy to show anyone who would try it exactly what okra is and how it should be prepared!

Could there be anything more southern than fried green tomatoes and fried okra on the dinner table?!


So here is my Southern Fried Okra recipe just in time for summer picking!

In a medium bowl mix together 1 cup of self-rising flour, 1 cup of buttermilk cornmeal, and 1 Tablespoon kosher salt.

In a separate bowl mix 1 cup buttermilk and 2 Tablespoons hot sauce (I am rather partial to Texas Pete).

Prepare a skillet with about 1 inch of canola oil and heat on medium-high heat.

 

Slice the ends off of your okra, then slice it lengthwise.  Dip in your buttermilk mixture, then batter in the flour and cornmeal mixture.

Drop the prepared okra gently in the skillet and cook about three minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

**I cook my green tomatoes this same way!**

 

Crispy and delicious!  You just can’t beat it.

Do you eat okra?  If not, you must try it at least once this summer and enjoy a delightful southern treat!

What have you served up this season from your gardens?