okra and tomatoes

The latest dish I’ve tackled is okra and tomatoes. I consulted several cookbooks, and stuck primarily to the recipe found in Richard and Rima Collin’s The New Orleans Cookbook.

Since okra and creole tomatoes are in season right now, its the perfect time to make this dish. It can also be made year round, since most grocers carry frozen okra all the time. You can make it vegetarian, serve it as a side dish, or add sausage, shrimp, andouille, ham, tasso or any protein you like to make it a complete dish. It can also be served over rice. Here are the ingredients I used for this version:

Okra and tomatoes

2 pounds okra
6 creole tomatoes, washed, seeded and diced
1 1/2 onions, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped (save the green tops to add at the end)
2 jalapenos minced
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 pound cooked ham seasoning
1/2 pound tasso, diced
2 teaspoons creole mustard
salt, pepper, parsley, red pepper flakes to taste

Here are some of the ingredients

Wash off the okra

Cut off the tops

Then cut the okra into rounds

Cut the tomatoes and remove the seeds and “jelly”

Chop the ham and the tasso

Saute the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes

then add the okra to the onions – notice the ropes in the okra, so continue to cook it until the ropes are cooked off, about 15 minutes

Add the peppers and garlic and stir, cooking for 10 minutes

then add the tomatoes and mix well, cooking for about 5 minutes

Add the ham and tasso

and mix well

Add the secret ingredient, creole mustard

Cover, then cook for 30 minutes, adding the green onion tops the last 5 minutes

then enjoy

add some pecorino romano if you like!

~ by maringouin on Sunday, June 12, 2011.