Recipe Name

from Guest blogger: Chris Smith
of Sow True Seed

Listen to his podcast HERE


The following recipe is from Chris Smith’s book The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration (Chelsea Green Publishing, June 2019) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher.
Chef Clark Barlowe is a creative cook, serving meals in his restaurant, Heirloom NC, using produce grown or foraged in North Carolina. As a believer in zero waste, he has gained a reputation as the kitchen-scrap aficionado. This recipe reflects his talent for turning something most farmers would compost (overgrown okra pods) into a gourmet meal. The special touches that Barlowe adds include wild foraged sumac (it grows almost weed-like in North Carolina, but can easily be sourced online), olive oil from Georgia, and lemon balm that grows near the back door of his restaurant.

Ingredients:

1⁄2 cup (48g) cucumber slices

2 tablespoons fresh lemon balm

1⁄2 cup (70 g) feta

2 cups (200 g) immature okra seed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1⁄2 teaspoon sumac

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

16–20 small lemon balm leaves, for garnish

Directions:

Slice the cucumber thinly on a mandoline. Chiffonade (finely cut) the fresh lemon balm. Combine the lemon balm chiffonade, feta, and sliced cucumber in medium- sized mixing bowl. Toast the okra “couscous” on medium heat in olive oil for 2–3 minutes or until heated through. Combine the okra with the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Season with sumac, salt, and black pepper. Garnish with small lemon balm leaves.

Serve warm.

www.urbanfarm.org/okra-couscous


About this author:


Chris Smith is a garden writer and homesteading consultant who serves on the board of Slow Food Asheville. When he is not okra-ing he can sometimes be found at Sow True Seed, an Asheville-based open-pollinated seed company. The Whole Okra is his first book. Find out more at indefenseofokra.com/blog.

*Disclosure:
Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Post comment