grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Roasted Okra with Mint and Black-Eyed Peas

July 8, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I’m here to set the record straight. Okra doesn’t have to be slimy. Nor must it be deep fried. I know, I know, that sounds impossible, doesn’t it? I love fried okra, sometimes crave it even, but I rarely fry anything at home. Simple, roasted okra is delicious.

This is my favorite okra recipe, my “go-to” potluck, supper on the ground, picnic dish. I’m confident you will agree this is the perfect summer grilling menu side dish. Plus the recipe includes black-eyed peas. Think of all the extra luck you’ll have. Last week after I made this dish for a neighborhood get together, I won a pair of boots! No kidding, here’s a picture of my new boots.

Old Gringo Boots – Flair and Company

Now back to the recipe.

I found this recipe via a Central Market cooking class several years ago. With inexpensive veggies easily obtained at your local grocery store (or from your own garden), there’s no reason not to give this a try. Add blackened shrimp on top. Mix in a scoop of rice. This recipe is easily adaptable.

Roasted Okra & Peas with Mint

Print Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen black-eyed peas
1 pound fresh okra trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 medium onion cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1/2 pound green beans trimmed and cut into one inch pieces
2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method

If using fresh peas, blanch 2 minutes in boiling salted water. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into an ice bath to cool. Drain and dry. If using frozen, let them thaw in a colander and dry.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss to mix well. Spread onto an oiled jelly-roll pan and roast 8 minutes. Turn veggies with a spatula and roast another 6 minutes. Serve hot.

You can substitute black-eyed peas with crowder peas, field peas, butter beans, or lima beans. I used small purple onions from my garden, as well as a combination of Roma and cherry tomatoes. The one thing you must NOT omit is the mint. Mint is the key to this dish.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Summertime – Norah Jones

Wild Side of the Road

July 7, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Driving to Hana. Maui, Hawaii

Warm sunshine, the glare brilliant. Cannonball! My toes plunge to an icy spot deep beneath the surface of the lake. Relief on a hot July day.

Pressing seeds into the damp earth, I inhale the freshness of soil. The beginning of life.

Wading in the ocean, the tide yearns, pulls. The moon watches.

Alone in the woods, the black forest encircles me. What if I get lost?

Pen to paper, I release thoughts buried inside my mind. Memories stir.

Only one footstep from normal, the wild side of the road awakens the soul.

“And now let the wild rumpus start!”
― Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Take a Walk on the Wild Side, Lou Reed

Bring Back the Saddle Oxford!

July 5, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I think it’s high time the saddle oxford reappear on the fashion scene.

A few days ago, John and I saw Jersey Boys, the film version of the Tony-Award winning musical. Loved everything about it. If I could go back in time, I’d visit the 1950s. The iconic music. Poodle skirts. The jitterbug. The saddle oxfords…

In the 1970s, we wore saddle oxfords as part of our cheerleader uniforms. It took weeks to break in a new pair, and until that time, giant Band-aids protected our heels. In junior high, we sometimes threaded gold and black pom pons through the laces to match our uniforms.

Keiser Jr. High School Cheerleaders 1974

In high school, our saddle oxfords were red and white instead of the traditional black and white. I thought that was cool.

Men still have oxford options (especially with golf shoes), and some kids today wear saddle oxfords as part of their official school uniforms, but for the most part, saddle shoes have disappeared. Every other shoe style seems to have circled back. Platforms. Peep toes. Ballet flats. Clogs. But the saddle oxford? I think it’s high time. They go with everything.