Okra, a vegetable long popular in Southern-style cooking, may be familiar to many as the key ingredient in gumbo. Its taste has been compared to eggplant and asparagus, and its gummy texture is great for thickening soups and stews. Though okra is best known for its starring role in gumbo, consider trying this unique vegetable - either on its own or in combination with other veggies - as a side dish. This Phase 1 South Beach Diet (TM) food is a good source of vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber.
Buying
Okra can be purchased fresh or frozen in a number of different shapes and colors. The green, ribbed varieties are the most common, found in supermarkets and farmer's markets year-round (with crops peaking during the warm summer months). Smaller pods tend to be tender - choose ones that are clean and that produce a nice, crisp snap when broken. Frozen okra is most suitable for use in stews, while fresh okra makes a great side dish with any type of meat-based entrée.
Storing
Store fresh okra in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator for no more than three to four days. Wash or trim okra after storing, not before.
Eating
Before preparing okra, wash well and remove some of the fuzz with a kitchen towel. If you intend to cook the whole okra as a side dish, trim the tip and stem (without cutting into the internal part of the vegetable) and sauté or steam it briefly. This will help prevent the dish from becoming gummy. If you're preparing soups or stews, take advantage of the thickening properties of the juice by chopping the okra well and adding it early.
