First things first...three wonderful blogs have given me awards, so I want to say thank you to them now before I forget, so that I am not in a pickle later...
A great big Thank You to all who have given me awards, especially these three...
- Miranda @ My Food And Life Encounters
- Katherine @ Smokey Mountain Cafe
- Rebecca @ Chow & Chatter
I appreciate your comments on here, and enjoy all of your sites as well...
Next, I have to say that I am heading out of town for a week, and by this time I am probably in Virginia on my friends 100 acre cattle and nursery farm. A little R&R until my cooking classes start again, and my first experience working in a grass feed beef area. I will be visiting another friend in Knoxville, as well as a blogger. Anyone else out there love road trips to places they have never been? I am sure I will have lots of food experiences (we are making these pickled okra, as she has a garden and wants to can a few things) along the way. *hint hint* Chris...maybe some good BBQ will be waiting in Knoxville?!
Lisa, and I will be driving down to Texas for our 30th high school reunion together in a few days as well.
Last...my grandfather used to say we were in deep pickle if we disobeyed their rules while spending the weekends with him and my grandmother. Now that would have not been such a bad thing... She grew okra in her back yard, and like my mom's pickled cucumbers...her pickled okra was just out of this world.
I had the chance to visit one of my cafe clients gardens recently. He only had about seven okra ready to pick, but he offered them to me. Now went I got home I sat them on the counter. They laid there for quite a few days, and then began turning black here and there, so I knew if they did not get used up...well, I would have wasted a beautiful gift.
This past week I catered a five course wine and food pairing. There was a marinated beet salad in which I needed an extra garnish...then it came to me...pickle the okra in a similar marinade I was using on the beets!
So, I got myself out of another pickle by making a damn good pickled okra...have a great weekend friends!
Asian Pickled Okra
This is probably way more pickling solution than I needed for a small amount of okra
In a 2 quart sauce pan I added 1 cup water, and 1 cup rice wine vinegar; add 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 2 cloves garlic, 3 plus tablespoon Himalayan sea salt, and a splash of Louisiana hot sauce; bring to boil for seven minutes, and turn off heat; add chopped okra, and let sit until cools. Place in jar, and keep overnight in refrigerator. My next batch here in VA will have garlic rice wine vinegar, and some of her garden chillies thrown in. My friend and her girls love spicy food just like I do!
I ate a few while warm and they were great, but they will keep for at least two weeks in this solution. Growing up we ate them to fast to even worry about preserving them for a later date. Use them for salads, or even stirring in a pot of stir-fry or just plain rice...
