[gardeners] Okra!!!! Wunderbar

Catharine Vinson (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 2 Jul 1998 16:09:24 +0000

I just picked/ate  the first of the Burmese okra.

It was like no okra I have ever tasted. Crisp, tender, sweet, non-furry, 
non-slimy. I can't say enough good things about it. It's very pale 
green....a really pretty pod. I picked pods that were sized from 2-5" 
long. I ate a bunch raw and they were marvelous (something I can't say for 
"regular" okra when eaten raw) and stir-fried the rest with a bit of fresh 
shallot (thanks Margaret!) and Peacevine cherry tomatoes. Died and went to 
heaven. 

This is what okra should be. The leaves are about 14-15" in diameter, so 
they form a grand canopy to protect the pods from blazing sun. Get seed 
from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. My plants are just beginning to bear 
and they look to me that they are going to be incredibly prolific. I've 
got a couple dozen plants growing nicely, so expect my neighbors and I 
are going to be in okra heaven all summer. And then there's pickled 
okra!!! Dove and dressing; pickled okra; homemade lemon meringue pie, tea. 
Makes me homesick for No Trees, Texas <bg>

Catharine