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Okra & Tomatoes

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

Okra & Tomatoes Serves 10

of butter in the skillet. Add onions, bell peppers and celery to skillet and cook until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add Creole seasoning and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to bowl of andouille mixture, and stir to combine. When cornbread is done baking, remove from oven and turn out hot cornbread onto rimmed baking sheet. Break into small pieces with two forks. Transfer crumbled, warm cornbread to bowl with andouille mixture. Add turkey or chicken broth, milk, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper, and gently mix to combine. Transfer dressing to now-empty baking dish, and lightly spread into even layer without packing down. Using a wooden spoon, create ridges about ½ inch apart on top of dressing. Drizzle top of dressing with remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter. Bake until golden brown, crisp on top and heated through, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Coat the edges of a large ovenproof pot with the vegetable oil. Add the okra and all other ingredients to the pot. Mix well. Cover the pot with an ovenproof lid. Place covered pot in the preheated oven and bake, stirring occasionally, for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the slime has disappeared. Remove lid and bake uncovered for the last 15 minutes of the cooking time, until okra is tender Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 2 pounds fresh okra 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cups chopped onions 2 cups chopped celery

3 cups chopped, peeled and seeded ripe tomatoes, or 3 cups chopped canned tomatoes, including their liquid 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon cayenne ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stuffed Mirlitons Serves 12

1 teaspoon dried thyme 3 cloves garlic, chopped

This cooks just as well in a lightly greased casserole dish, but stuffed mirlitons make a prettier presentation.

HOW TO PREP: Preheat oven to 300°F.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 6 large mirlitons ½ cup butter ½ pound ground pork

Rinse the okra under cool water. Cut off the stems and slice each pod crosswise into ½-inch rounds.

44 NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2020