For gardeners, both north and south, okra grows like a weed, providing a big ole mess of pods. They taste great, not unlike eggplant, when picked young and cooked tender crisp.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal live. John 3:16 (NIV)

For many, okra equals gumbo. But there are many other ways to enjoy okra. It tastes great cooked with tomatoes but also it's quite popular in Indian and Egyptian recipes such as Bamia, a meat and okra stew.

Intrigued enough to want to give okra a try on your next shaken, not stirred martini? Try this simple pickled okra recipe.

Okra Pickles
7 cups white vinegar
1 cups water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
5 cloves garlic, halved
3 pounds small okra pods, cleaned and dried

Combine vinegar, water, salt, sugar, pepper flakes, cumin seed, and mustard seed in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Using five clean one-pint Mason jars with two-piece lids, place 2 pieces garlic in each jar. Then pack the okra standing up into the jars, leaving about a 1/4-inch space in each jar. Pour enough of the hot vinegar mixture to cover leaving a scant amount of space. Seal the jars tightly and process jars for 10 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars from water and cool. Keep aside for 3-4 weeks before eating for best flavor.

The nutritional lowdown:
1/2 cup serving of okra contains:
Calories 25
Protein 1.5 grams
Carbohydrates 5.8 grams
Dietary fiber 2 grams

Cooking Tips:

• Choose pods no larger than 2-3 inches for best flavor.
• Keep okra dry and cool until ready to cook it or the skin will discolor.
• Wash and dry pods only when ready to cook.
• Okra tastes best when cooked tender crisp, 2-3 minutes.
• Don't cook in iron or copper as pods will darken.
• Don't cut the pod unless using to thicken gumbo or soup.
• To freeze, blanch for a minute or two before cooling and packing.

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Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_9248_26.html

Occupation: training consultant, facilitator
About Karen S. Sieczka: Karen is the founder of Growing Great Ideas Training. She is currently developing Growing Great Ideas, a workshop to encourage creativity and employee development in the workplace. Karen also posts ideas and articles on employee training issues at her blog, http://growinggreatideas.blogspot.com/ and keeps her presenting skills sharp by teaching customer service and computer classes for several college's. She can be reached at ksieczka at bellsouth.net
http://growinggreatideas.com/

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