There is a very small window of time when Sweet Corn, Okra, and Tomatoes are in season at the same time – Probably just a few weeks in late summer.
It always reminds me of late summer on the farm when we were harvesting or “putting in” tobacco. Those were long nights when my dad and Walter sat into the night poking wood into the fire to cure the tobacco.
If you have an overabundance of okra, let some of them stay on the plant until they are dried out. You can then make the cutest Okra Santa Christmas ornaments.
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion or 2 small onions peeled and chopped
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cups fresh tender okra (about a double hand full)
- 6 large ripe tomatoes or a 28-ounce cans whole, peeled tomatoes - canned tomatoes are fine
- 3-4 ears fresh mature corn
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or regular salt
- Pepper if desired
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large saucepan. Cook chopped onion for a few minutes until transparent, not browned.
- While the onions are cooking, blanch the tomatoes for half a minute. Drain and cool tomatoes. Peel, remove the cores and cut into chunks, making sure that you save the juice. If using canned tomatoes, cut the tomatoes into large pieces, saving the juice.
- Wash the okra. Cut stem ends off and cut into ½ inch round pieces.
- Shuck corn and cut corn off the cob. Older or mature corn works best for this recipe.
- Add the tomatoes and juice, okra, corn, salt, pepper and water to the cooked onions. Cook covered over medium to low heart for one hour or until the ingredients are all done.
- Serve with homemade cornbread.
Nutrition
With all the great summer produce, sometimes we just want to make something that takes us back to the farm and to Grandmother’s cooking. In coastal North Carolina, this recipe is an expected summer treat.
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