Marinated Grilled Okra.

Lunch today was a cup of borscht (I'm going to freeze the rest...I'm a little beeted out.) and grilled okra. The Phoenix Public Market was overflowing with okra today, so I thought I'd give it a try.



If you're like me and have only ever had the slimy version coated in cornmeal and deep-fried, then definitely branch out and give this version a try. It was flavorful, crisp, and certainly not the gelatinous globbiness that I remember from the last time I had okra.

Tomorrow I'm off to Chautauqua, NY, for the week, where I will be attending summer camp for grown-ups with my family. While I'm sure I will be eating well (and lots!), I'm also pretty sure I won't be cooking any of it. You're on your own, Elaine...

Marinated Grilled Okra
adapted from The Passionate Vegetarian

Yes, another recipe from PV. I have it on loan from the library, and there are so many good recipes in there that I want to try them all before I have to return it! Sigh...I'll probably just end up buying it...

Crescent lists three different marinades for grilled okra, but I just combined two of them to use up some ingredients on hand. This dish would be a perfect side to accompany any kind of grilled steak or as part of a grilled vegetable cornucopia. I imagine it would also be excellent as part of a salad or salsa with grilled tomatoes and corn.

serves 1-2

6 oz fresh okra
2 tsp olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1 clove garlic
5-6 large basil leaves
1/4 c fresh cilantro
4-5 cherry or grape tomatoes

1. Set the okra in a flat baking dish.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to a food processor and process until uniformly chopped. Spread over okra and marinate for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high. Place marinated okra over direct heat and grill about 4 minutes per side, or until char marks appear and the okra is soft.
4. Serve whole.