In Season – Okra
| July 19, 2010 | Posted by admin under Cooking, Produce, Recipes, Seafood |
I am a Southern girl and I love my okra. It is so yummy in soups and I really enjoy dredging it in a little cornmeal and frying it. The great news is that Florida okra is in season right now. In fact, okra is harvested about 10 months of the year in Florida.
Chef Justin created this Florida Gulf Shrimp and Okra Gumbo recipe, and does it sound tasty!
Florida Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
Ingredients
| 2 pounds | medium Florida Gulf shrimp – peeled and deveined |
| 1/2 cup | olive oil |
| 2 pounds | chopped Florida okra |
| 1 tablespoon | tomato paste |
| 1 | Florida tomato, chopped |
| 1 cup | chopped onion |
| 4 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1/2 cup | chopped Florida celery |
| 1/2 cup | chopped green Florida bell pepper |
| 6 cups | water or low sodium vegetable stock |
| 1/2 cup | chopped green onions |
| Kosher salt and pepper to taste | |
| Cayenne pepper to taste |
Preparation
Season the shrimp with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the okra and sauté for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste, tomato, onion, garlic, celery and green bell pepper and sauté for 15 more minutes. Add the water or stock and season to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer for 6 more minutes. Finally, add the green onion to the soup and stir thoroughly. Serve with rice.Yield 6 servings
For more information about okra, check out the 2010 Spring FAPC Magazine.
I love pickled okra which is great instead of celery in a Bloody Mary.
Great idea! I saw some okra chips at a store the other day; they looked really interesting so I may go back and get some to try.