sweet miscellany

Cheesy vegan grits form a pillowy base for stewed summer okra and tomatoes. Old Bay seasoning, shallots, and garlic lend plenty of delicious flavor to round out this vegan and gluten free dish!

The first true memory I have of eating okra was when I was in my mid-20s at my local farmers market when I lived in East Texas. The farmer had me try it raw so I obliged because she insisted it was her favorite way to eat it. Before that moment I’m sure I encountered okra at some point in my life, most likely fried. But I honestly can’t pinpoint a specific culinary memory or experience. It wasn’t something that regularly made its way onto my plate as a kid so it’s not shocking that I would have to discover it as an adult.

Now that I’ve been working regularly alongside farms for a few years, I know how incredibly prolific okra is here during the summer. It’s damn near one of the only crops that keeps producing without a fuss into July and August. As much as it takes to our climate here, it’s rare to see okra in a grocery store. This is a major indicator of how little local produce actually makes its way onto grocery shelves. And to me, this is both incredibly frustrating and mind-boggling. Without diving deeper into the rabbit hole of the importance of eating as locally as possible, I’ll say that this example is one of many that led to the creation of Little Radish Provisions.

So lets get back to Okra, or what I like to lovingly call Witch Fingers. Okra has a mild, grassy taste that is often underused and unappreciated due to folks not liking its mucilaginous qualities. Okra is a member of the mallow family along with hibiscus, cotton, and cacao. As much as we like to think of okra as a southern American staple, okra made its way to this region by way of the slave trade around 1719. Enslaved Africans not only brought the seeds of this plant but their extensive knowledge pertaining to planting, harvesting, and cooking it. It is because of them that okra made its way into southern cuisine and more specifically, dishes like gumbo. And, it is because of them that I am now able to share this recipe with you today.

Cheesy Grits with Stewed Tomatoes & Okra

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Author: Courtney
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Cheesy vegan grits form a pillowy base for stewed summer okra and tomatoes. Old Bay seasoning, shallots, and garlic lend plenty of delicious flavor to round out this vegan and gluten free dish!

Ingredients

Scale

for the grits/polenta

1 can coconut milk (or, 1 2/3 cup milk of your choice)
2 cups water
1 cup grits/polenta
salt/pepper to taste
a heaping cup of vegan or regular shredded cheddar cheese

for the stewed tomatoes and okra

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp of Old Bay seasoning, divided
quart of okra, stems removed and sliced into thick rounds
salt/pepper as needed to season
quart of tomatoes, large dice
1/2 cup water
zest of 1 small lemon

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Instructions

Start with the grits. Add the coconut milk and water to a large pot. Mix initially to combine, then heat the liquids over medium high. Once they come to a boil, add a large pinch of salt along with the grits. Drop the heat down to medium, then continue to whisk the grits until they start to thicken and sputter. Once this happens, drop the heat down to low, cover the pot, and allow them to cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the grits from the heat and carefully stir in the shredded cheese. Once the cheese has melted, taste the grits and season with salt and pepper as needed.

While the grits are cooking, you can start the stewed vegetables. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the oil. When the oil comes to temperature, add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Make sure to stir it frequently so that it doesn’t burn. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, then add 1 teaspoon of the Old Bay, the okra, and a small pinch of salt. Stirring regularly, cook this mixture until the okra softens and turns a more vibrant shade of green. This should take 3-5 minutes.

Once the okra softens, add the tomatoes, the water, and the remaining teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning. Stir to combine, then cover the pan. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes covered, then remove the lid, stir the mixture, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Carefully taste the stewed vegetables and season with additional salt/pepper as needed. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.

Serve the stewed tomatoes and okra over bowls of the cheesy grits.

Notes

I used vegan cheese but please use what you like. I strongly encourage you to seek out both the okra and tomatoes from farmers in your area. I made and photographed this at the tail end of tomato season where I am so if you can’t source tomatoes locally, you can sub in canned diced tomatoes. Old Bay seasoning provides a bit of a shortcut in this recipe rather than calling for a bunch of different spices. You can use a general Cajun/Creole seasoning in its place if you like, but keep in mind that these mixes often contain salt so it is best to wait until the end of cooking to taste and adjust with more salt and/or pepper.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: main

lessons learned from tomatoes | via sweet miscellany

Story time.

When this year began, I was planning on moving to Salem in June (by the Summer Solstice to be precise). And because of that planned move, I didn’t go to the effort of seeding the various herbs and vegetables that I typically tend to do in late winter/early spring. Enter global pandemic. Timelines were not only amended, they were pretty much blown to smithereens. I did what made sense in my own mind and refocused my energy on planting seeds and creating in the kitchen. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my 34 years, it’s that I’m happy playing around with food and playing in the dirt (and even happier when the two converge).

At the very end of March, I decided to go ahead and plant a few seeds for the hell of it. Even though I knew it was way too late to start them by seed, I planted 6 of my wild cherry tomato seeds on a whim. I was fully expecting nothing to happen as it was already too warm for them to germinate. But what the hell, I had a lot of time on my hands.

For about three weeks there were no signs of life among my tomatoes. I wasn’t shocked seeing as we endured some blazing hot days during that time period which was unseasonably warm even for Houston standards. But then we got a good rain shower and cooler temperatures returned. And all of the sudden, as if they suddenly figured out they were late to the party, 3 of the tomato seeds germinated. I remained skeptical of their potential even as they grew and put out their first true leaves. I remained skeptical still as they shot up and outgrew their small seeding tray. I even reserved hope as I planted all three in the ground in my backyard that is shaded for most of the day by neighboring trees.

My skepticism soon turned to obsessive observation and attention as they grew swiftly. I made sure they had enough trellis support and the proper nutrients. I checked the underside of the leaves for pests, picking off many caterpillars that threatened my experiment. And then one day, as the first green tomato showed the faintest hint of blush, I couldn’t help but marvel at the tenacity of these plants. They defied the odds and my expectations. And even as the temperatures rose above their ideal production range, they are still producing as I write this! I’m definitely planning on saving seeds from the strongest plant as it has more than proved its tolerance for flooding rain and high temps.

In caring for these tomato plants this spring and summer I’ve learned that sometimes nature operates outside of our expectations. And even though you think something might not work initially, if you give it some time it might blow your mind. These lessons have been incredibly important to me during this time. And maybe, if you read this far, you were able to get something out of my tomato story, too.

In honor of this lovely member of the nightshade family, here’s a collection of my favorite tomato recipes from the archives, some recent and some rather ancient. Enjoy!