Okra Stew

At a recent late-Summer trip to experience the harvest bounty at the huge State Farmers Market in Raleigh, we spotted tiny pods of okra harvested that morning, moist with promise. We bought a pound of those beauties. The rest was from the pantry.

1 c (150 g) sweet red peppers, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely diced
1 lb (500 g) young okra pods, trimmed and cut into rounds
1 14.5 oz (425 ml) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (Muir's™ is good)
vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until smoking. Add the peppers and fry quickly until nicely colored, stirring as needed. Add more oil and the onions and okra. When the onions soften, add the tomatoes with their juice. Add salt. Bring to a fast simmer and cook until the okra is just tender. Do not overcook. Adjust seasoning. Serves six.

Farmer’s Market Succotash

Prepared and recorded July 15, 2010. Dish enabled by lovely tender okra, juicy summer tomatoes, baby limas (butter beans), and sweet corn available from local farms. All perfect and cheap at the NC State Farmer’s Market in Raleigh. A long haul from Durham, but worth it.

2 oz country ham, finely diced
2 T dry minced onion
3 T low-fat soft margarine
2 t Frank’s Louisiana hot pepper sauce
2 c fresh butter beans
2 c baby okra, cut into small pieces
2 c ripe tomato pieces
1 c freshly cut corn
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak, pick over, and drain the beans. Bring 2 cups of water, the margarine, dried onion, ham, a 1/2 t of salt, and the pepper sauce to a boil. Add the butter beans, return to a boil, stir, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and okra. Mix and cook covered another 20 minutes. Add the corn, mix, and cook another 15 minutes. Correct seasoning and serves a crowd as a side dish in a country meal.

Creamy Savory Grits

Conceived Jan 18, 2013. This method, unlike the traditional method, combines the liquid and the grain when cold and prevents lumps. Bye-Bye, lumpy grits. Using two kinds of corn gives more textural contrast but is optional.

1 c chicken stock (more if needed)
1 c light cream
1/2 t salt
2 T butter, divided
1/4 c stone-ground yellow grits
1/4 c stone-ground white grits
1/4 t ground black pepper

Stir stock, cream, salt, and grits together in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to steam. Add a tablespoon of butter, lower heat to medium, and continue stirring until the grits begin to bubble and thicken, about 10 minutes total cooking time. Take off heat, stir in remaining butter and the pepper, cover, and let stand 10 minutes to thicken. Add stock if needed to adjust thickness, and taste for seasoning. Excellent side dish at breakfast or as the basis for shrimp and grits, a low-country classic. Variation: chop 2 pieces of crispy toaster oven bacon and stir in with butter and black pepper. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredient: Durham-Style Q Sauce

Inspired by Sam Dillard's vinegar-spice-tomato-mustard sauce used and sold since 1950 in his Durham, NC BBQ restaurant. Sadly now closed and sauce no longer marketed it appears. [Update: a small supply was seen August, 2012 in a local supermarket's display of NC products.] Developed by DrDaddy in May, 2003 for use as a marinade, mop, and sauce for chicken, spare ribs, and pork shoulder.

1 c water
1/4 c vinegar
3/4 c tomato sauce
2 T prepared yellow mustard
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1/2 to 1 t Louisiana pepper sauce (Frank's™ is good)
2 t salt
2 t sugar
1 t tapioca starch (optional)

Measure the first three ingredients into a measuring cup, then add the others, and mix thoroughly. Microwave on high until 160 to 165 degrees F (72 C), stirring a few times. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator. Cover chicken or pork with sauce, and marinade in the refrigerator up to four hours. Grill over a medium fire, covered, basting and turning frequently.

Quick Corn Bread

Quick Corn Bread

First prepared and recorded June 26, 2008. Jiffy Mix™ is made in a small town not far from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where DrDaddy once studied. He saw the factory on his last visit to Michigan.

1 package Jiffy™ corn meal muffin mix
1 large egg
1/3 c milk
1/2 t baking powder 1 T olive oil
cooking spray

Beat milk and egg together in a bowl. Stir in mix, oil, and the baking powder with a spatula until batter is smooth. Set aside to rest while oven preheats. Place an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) heavy metal pan in the cold toaster oven and preheat both to 400 degrees F (204 C) . Grease hot pan well with cooking spray. Pour and level batter. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Let cool 10 minutes, and cut into 9 servings. Pair with a soup or salad for a light meal. Or just slather the warm corn bread with butter and knock 'em down.

Farmer’s Market Succotash

[Prepared and recorded July 15, 2010. Dish enabled by tiny, tender okra, sweet, juicy summer tomatoes, baby limas (butter beans), and sweet corn available from local farms. All perfect and cheap at the State Farmer’s Market in SE Raleigh. A long haul from Durham, but worth it. Laura loves the green eggs.]

3 T country ham, finely diced
2 T dry onion flakes
3 T low-fat tub margarine
Frank’s hot sauce
1 pt fresh butter beans
1 pt baby okra, cut into small pieces
1 pt ripe tomato pieces
1 cup freshly cut corn
2 T butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak, pick over, and drain the beans. Bring 2 cups of water, the margarine, dried onion flakes, ham, a 1/2 t of salt, and 2 t of hot sauce to a boil in a large saucepan, and cook for 5 minutes to form a broth. Add the beans, return to a boil, stir, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and okra. Mix and cook covered another 20 minutes. Add the corn, mix, and cook another 15 minutes. Stir in butter, correct seasoning and serve as a side dish in a country meal.