Baked Okra and Tomatoes
When I go to my local farmers market here in North Carolina when it's summer and see that okra and tomatoes are finally in season, I can't wait to make my Baked Okra and Tomatoes. I like to take my okra and chop it into large chunks along with my tomatoes and garlic, coat it all in olive oil and herbs and give it a nice long roast in the oven. This nice long roast results in tender okra, roasted garlic, and lovely stewed tomatoes that just melts in your mouth. I personally like to just eat this plain, but it an also be great over cous cous or some toasted bread.
Word on the street is that some folks don’t like okra, but me? I love it! One of my favorite ways to enjoy okra is to bake along with tomatoes, garlic, red onion, and herbs to make a healthful and rustic side dish that will make many people an okra believer! Years ago, my mother in law introduced this recipe to me, and it has since been one of my absolute favorite ways to eat okra. This is a perfect summer side dish for when okra and tomatoes are in season, but you can certainly make this throughout the year. This side dish comes together in no time at all, yet it packs so much flavor when you allow all the vegetables to roast and bloom their flavors. Speaking of making someone a believer, you will not believe what I saw last week! I had met up with a friend to paddle our local lake, it was a picture perfect morning with the sun shining, the birds were chirping all around us, and the turtles sunning themselves on fallen branches. As I paddled my way along the shoreline and took in all that nature had to offer, I heard a strange sound mixed in with the sound of the waves lapping, something I had never heard before. It sounded almost like a deep bubbling, and just when I swung my head around to investigate the noise, I saw a long, slender, and curved neck extending from the waters. And that’s when I went in, all the excitement caused me to lose my balance and into the water I went. When I surfaced and regained my composure, the creature I had seen was already gone, but I knew what I had seen. Rumors around my part of town talk of a mysterious sea creature that lives in the lake. Some call it splashy, because usually when you see it, you end up splashing into the lake from the sheer surprise of it all! You can definitely call me surprised from that encounter! As soon as I made it back to shore and dried off, I went to one of my favorite local farmers markets to shop for ingredients to make my favorite okra dish.
- 1 lb Okra (Washed, cut into thick slices)
- 1 Tomato (Peeled, cut into large chunks)
- 1 Red onion (Peeled, cut into 2 inch chunks)
- 4 clove Garlic (Peeled, roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- Prepare vegetables
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
After washing vegetables:
Cut okra into 1 inch chunks.
Peel and chop tomato into large pieces
Peel and chop onion into 2 inch pieces.
Rough chop your garlic.
Usually a large tomato works best, but go larger or smaller depending on how much tomato you prefer. Don't skip on peeling the tomato! When baked, tomato skin can ruin the texture of your dish. The larger you keep your garlic, the more flavor you will get from it. Sometimes, I'll throw the garlic cloves in whole, this is entirely up to you how garlic forward you want to make this dish. Toss together remaining ingredients and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. Remove from the oven and enjoy.
I hope you enjoyed making and especially eating one of my favorite side dishes!
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