Okra and Tomatoes

Okra is a wonderful thing. I love it any way it comes. Breaded and fried, as a thickener in gumbo, or with tomatoes and garlic like this little Southern gem. It is a simple recipe that is often found with bacon but it is equally delicious without.

Finding okra in the north in April is not particularly easy so we opted for frozen which still tastes delicious. We TRY to eat semi-seasonally but sometimes a craving just gets the best of you.

For this recipe, I cooked down some onion and garlic, which I would normally not throe in the pan together but seriously you should have heard my children,

Tossed in my frozen okra,

And a can of diced tomatoes.

Add seasonings, cover, simmer 10-15 minutes. I always like to add a little less salt than I think I need and have to add some at the end versus the other way around. Easy to add salt, not so easy to take it back out. You can also use fresh tomatoes but for this type of recipe canned is fine. But when tomatoes are super in season andnyou can like smell them from a mile away I HIGHLY recommend repeating this recipe at that time. With the fresh okra too! The colors look so amazing together, I had to take another picture.

There is something I think about green and red vegetables together that is supposed to enhance the absorption of the nutrients but it also just tastes really good.

So after simmering, taste and adjust seasonings and enjoy! I had this alongside some Southern style oven-fried chicken, mac and cheese (well, penne), and creamed corn.