Okra
(Quimbombó)
My Mother used to talk about an okra plant she had in Puerto Rico, which daily produced enough pods for her lunch; she loved it, as do I.
There are numerous ways which I prepare okra, and I even eat it raw; however, one of my favorite recipes is a variation on one way it is eaten in Greece, which was taught to me by Lia’s Mother’s, Isadora, who is an amazing cook. I remember sitting on their front porch, drinking Greek coffee, and eating pastries, as we cleaned green beans, chatted, and waved to the neighbors walking by. Food really should be communal! Later, we prepared fresh okra, in the same fashion, and it was delightful.
Ingredients:
2 pounds of Okra
1 medium Onion – diced
2 tablespoons of Garlic
¼ cup of sun-dried Tomatoes
2 tablespoons of Oregano
1 teaspoon of Sugar
¾ cup of Olive Oil
2-3 teaspoons of lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
About 1 cup of water
Directions:
Wash the okra, and trim the top and bottom ends, place the cleaned pods in a baking dish, and add about ¾’s cup of olive oil (I know, it is a lot of oil); and then add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well to coat all pods. Let it set for a few hours, before adding about a cup of water, covering it with foil, and placing it in a 325 degree oven for about an hour. When done, the pods will be tender, and bathed in a delicious sauce which goes beautifully over rice, potatoes, or with bread.
