The "New" Way to Fry Okra

The soil in our raised beds must be very rich in nitrogen.  The tomatoes and the okra tower high above my head.  The okra plants look like small trees!  The pods are growing so far up the stalk I have to bend the tops over in order to cut the fruit off the plant.  And okra must be cut daily because the pods fill out and grow into giants so quickly.  Giant pods are lovely to dry and use decoratively, and you can throw a whole one in a pot of soup or beans for flavor and thickening power (to be discarded later) - but they're not any good to eat.  Too fibrous and tough.

Okra has been appearing on our dinner table regularly.  Our current favorite way to eat okra is to lightly fry it - with no breading, mind you!  Choose tender, young pods ... I like to use pods that are about 3" long.  Cut the tough stem off, leaving the cap intact, then cut the pod in half lengthwise.  Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with a scant layer of olive oil.  Heat over medium heat.  Add okra pods, cut side down.  Allow to cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is fork tender.  No need to stir or turn.  You may want to cover the skillet for a few minutes to steam it along a bit.  Add salt and enjoy.  People have changed their minds about okra after eating it prepared this way!