Some things are better left FRIED!

While I consider myself culturally diverse, my roots don't lie....I'm a Southern girl at heart. I eat savory buttermilk biscuits, I like my tea sweet, and I eat my veggies...sometimes those veggies are just better fried....like OKRA, my favorite veggie. (Ok Mom...I put a healthier option at the bottom...roasted veggies).

Fried Okra and zucchini

Last weekend I visited the Marietta Farmer's Market on our square and bought fresh okra, squash, and zucchini. I decided that since I had just met the person who hand-picked these green, awkward-looking veggies out of the ground, I better give them proper tending to....that means FRIED OKRA (and I experimented with fried yellow zucchini...quite tasty!).

First I washed and dried the okra, cut off the nubby end, and sliced in to about 1/2 - 1" pieces. I soaked them in buttermilk for maybe an hour, rolled them in Fish Fry, then dumped them in to piping hot oil. Mmmm...mmmm...mmm! (See below for complete ingredients).

Ingredients:

Fresh okra (or other veggies)

buttermilk (enough to cover the okra pieces)

Fish Fry

Seasoned Salt (or other spices)

peanut or vegetable oil for frying

cast iron (dutch oven) skillet

FRYING VEGGIES

Step 1: Cut up okra in to pieces as seen above. (For zucchini, cut off ends and slice in to wedges as seen in first picture; then follow remaining directions)

Step 2: Pour buttermilk over okra and let sit as long as possible. 30 min - 1 hr works.

Step 3: Meanwhile, heat up your oil. We love using our cast iron skillets so that's what we used. Oil should reach about 350 degrees or until you throw a pinch of flour in the oil and sizzles like it's supposed to!

Step 4: Remove okra from buttermilk (draining it as you do so...I used a fork to scoop them out and drain). Step 5: Toss in mixture of Fish Fry and seasoned salt or whatever spice you like. 

Step 6: Carefully add okra to hot oil. Don't crowd the skillet. A little at a time is a good idea. They are done when they start to float at the top and are golden brown.

Step 7: Carefully remove from oil and let drain on paper towels. I invented a draining contraption using a baking sheet on the bottom lined with a paper towel, then one of those cooling racks you use for cookies topped with more paper towels (overkill?! Nah!)

ROASTED VEGGIES
This is a quick side to any meal. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Wash, dry, and cut your veggies. Toss in a little olive oil and seasonings (I think I used seasonal salt). Roast for about 30 minutes.

Roasting squash, zucchini, carrots

Roasting okra

Roasted veggies

Roasted okra with slow cooker cubed steak