Roasted Okra

Being a Yankee,

okra was not on the menu growing up.

My farmer friends Faye & Lynn grow the stuff by the gallons

and got me to try hooked on pickled okra a couple of years ago.

I haven't looked back.

With an abundance of okra to harvest right now,

they gave me a bagful to do with as I chose.

One of the nice perks of volunteering at their farm

is that I sometimes come home with goodies!

Their generosity is boundless.

Faye & I picked this okra on Sunday and we showed you our method here.

Although Faye doesn't eat the stuff,

(more for the rest of us!)

she suggested I try roasting it.

I thought I'd give it a go,

as roasted root veggies are one of my wintertime favorites!

The okra was washed and the ends trimmed,

then olive oil, a pinch of sea salt 

and a sprinkling of steak seasoning was used to add just enough zing.

Into the oven at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes, and 

 voila!

The stuff was so scrumptious I could not believe it.

This bowlful was gone in a heartbeat.

When I talked to Faye, I told her 

I may never pickle again!

Some of the roasted pods were cut into bite-sized pieces

and added to our Wednesday night pasta.

Along with some homemade pesto and peas,

it really hit the spot.
It would be great with rice or quinoa,
to make it a gluten-free treat.

I can hardly wait for Farm School this weekend.

More okra to roast 

and the best company anyone could ask for.

Have you ever roasted okra before?

The Maple Hill Hop 149

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

This week we reconnect with Farm School,
where for the past 3+ years,
I've been learning how to grow all kinds of veggies.
You can check out all our Farm School adventures
by clicking on the tabs just under our header.

It's okra season here!
Summer is a difficult time to grow veggies,
but okra is one of the few crops that savors summertime. 

The beautiful blossoms signal that it will soon be ready for harvest.
Okra is a prolific producer
and must be picked twice daily to stay on top of the crop. 

 Faye & Lynn use a 4-inch stick
to ensure the perfect size is harvested.
These are the ideal length to fit into a pint-sized jar. 

This is what happens when the okra 
doesn't get picked on time.
The stuff grows so quickly that it must be picked on schedule.
The pod on the left is not good for much
unless you have livestock or a compost pile. 

 Within a few minutes,
we had almost filled our buckets.
Some folks enjoy eating okra raw,
others roast it or add it to soups and stews.
Pickled is my preferred choice.
You can find the recipe here. 

Faye and I kept finding gem after gem.
There will be plenty of pickling going on! 

   
Even though we've been working together for almost four years,

there's always something new to learn at Farm School.

Last year in our Seed to Table Series,

we profiled okra here. 

That's what's happening in our neck of the woods.

What's going on outside where you are?

HOP on!

   

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Rice Crust Quiche Remix

Lately,
I've been trying to do a better job
of using leftovers in new ways.
It makes the food more interesting,
and it's been a challenge coming up with ideas 
to use what we have.

Earlier in the week,
portobello mushroom "burgers" were on the menu.
I don't eat meat, so this is my stand in
when the boys are eating their turkey burgers.
Two kinds of steak fries were prepared as sides.
The mushrooms were huge, so there were leftovers.

They were chopped up and added to my rice crusted quiche mixture.
Included in the deliciousness was some cheddar cheese
and Malabar spinach, 
grown by my farmer friends, Faye & Lynn.
The crust was made using instant brown rice,
instead of the usual basmati.
It's the first time I've bought instant rice,
but brown rice is something that's been
difficult for me to get just right.
The difference in texture was barely noticeable,
and the brown rice is a better nutritional boost of fiber.

You can find the original recipe for rice crusted quiche here.
The leftovers of quiche were savored for lunch 
2 days in a row.
Leftovers from leftovers!
Showing gratitude for all that we have
 includes not being wasteful with food.

"Without frugality, none can be rich, 
and with it, very few would be poor."
~Samuel Johnson

Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor. Samuel Johnson
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html?q=frugality

Do you like to turn leftovers into something special?

Wordless Wednesday

The Maple Hill Hop 148

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

Since we got a late start with the HOP
due to internet issues,
I decided to take the day off!
Next week I'll be sharing some information
on our okra picking session at Farm School.
Please feel free to add your outdoor posts today! 

HOP to it!

   

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