Oh, Oh, Oh, Okra!

Michael and I joined a farm cooperative this summer, and one of the constant products we found in our weekly box was a bag of okra (even during the dog weeks when the temperature was constantly in the 100s). I have always avoided okra because I found it slimy (and it is). I ate it "ingrediently" in gumbo, of course, where I only thought of it as a thickener. It didn't, as far as I was concerned, have any merits on its own. I dutifully (and carefully, because of the slime) cut up our weekly stash, and threw it in the freezer for winter gumbo.

The other day I decided to bite the bullet (or the pod), and try it on its own. I sauteed it in olive oil with some garlic and a bit of salt, and found it delicious. The picture above is some okra I roasted with garlic and tofu, and ate with some kamut (wheat berries). Again, it was delicious.

I sure hope that the box of vegetables we get today includes some okra.

It is also some kind of super super food. Here's some of the stuff it can (ostensibly) do for you (you can find the whole list here).

It protects against trans fats, stabilizes blood sugar, gets rid of cholesterol, prevents constipation, feeds good bacteria, helps fight depression, heals ulcers, lubricates joints, treats lung inflammation, sore throat, and irritable bowel syndrome, helps with asthma, helps support the structure of capillaries, lowers the risk of cataracts, helps prevent diabetes, and is good for your skin.