BBQ Okra

Saturday morning I received a call from work saying don't come in today. While this inevitably will make my paycheck much smaller, it afforded me the possibility of making it to the Saturday Headhouse Farmer's Market. The Saturday market is much smaller than the Sunday market and includes a craft fair. The Sunday market is more crowded but there are many more growers and artisanal cheeses and breads. But it was Saturday, and rather than dealing with the crowds at Reading Terminal, I made my way down to 2nd and Lombard.

One thing about the Food Trust markets that I really like is that I can get farm fresh eggs, at about the same price as organic eggs at the grocery store. I like to know where my food comes from. A grower at the Sunday Market comes down to Philly from about 35 miles from my home town in Central Pa.

It was Saturday and pickin's weren't slim, but there wasn't a lot to choose from. I was sad that Tom Colton wasn't there. I guess he only comes to town for the Sunday market. Tom is a great guy, but he wasn't there. However, I was able to get some heirloom red okra from a grower from Blackbird Heritage Farm, and some cheese from an Amish farmer from Lancaster County.

Last night I was able to get to the okra. I will confess, I've never been a big fan of okra, but Jill is. I just never had it prepared right. The times I had, had the okra it was generally deep fried and at the Cracker Barrel with my family (note I do not like the Cracker Barrel or most chain restaurants). I thought I'd try something different.

One of my friends once said you really only need to learn to make two or three dishes, and riff off of those your whole life. I tend to follow this advice. Most things I make have either a BBQ/Chili base, a curry base, or some sort of Italian base. I decided to go with the BBQ for the Okra. It turned out pretty well. The BBQ sauce I make is a tomato based sauce, cooked down with salt, pepper, chili powder, some sort of hot sauce, and whatever varety of mustard we have in the house. I also throw a bit of sugar or maple syrup in. We ate this with some corn over brown rice with pita on the side to eat with.