Stewed okra and tomatoes

I need to make this soon.

My grocery had some great looking okra today and I'm kicking myself for not grabbing it.

I like to add some shrimp to it and serve it as a complete meal.

it’s the best.

and it heats up well.

Healthy and keeps you right.

I probably cook down 20 gallons of this every summer as my okra plants put out the pods to the tune of about 45-60 a day picking.

I'll put it up in quart freezer bags and use it when I make gumbos and some soups and over the course of the year I manage to use all of it until it's time to start picking again.

Between pickling quarts of it, grilling, frying, steaming and giving it to friends and family, I manage to not waste any of it.

AND, it beats the crap out of that damn near $4 a lb. trash I see in the supermarkets.

MD, you got any good ratatoulle recipes?

We make a Summer Vegetable Tian. I think the difference between it and ratatouille is the Tiam uses potato and the ratatouille uses eggplant. I guess there is no cheese in ratatouille? I have made it but am unable to find the recipe. I will keep looking. Sadly, I lost many photos and recipes in a tragic computer burp.

Summer Vegetable Tian
need
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 zucchini squash, sliced
2 small potatoes, sliced
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup cheese blend, made with 1 part Mozzarella, 1 part Romano 1 part gouda and 3 parts Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Slice the vegetables about 1/8 inch thick
and prep the garlic and onions.

Oil an ovenproof flat-bottomed casserole of suitable size, with olive oil

Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until tender.

Place the onions and garlic in an ovenproof dish and arrange the vegetables over the sautéed onions and garlic.
In alternating order

Season the vegetable slices liberally with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and a light dusting of cayenne pepper.

Roast in a 400-degree F oven for 25 minutes.
Then add the cheese over the vegetables and hold in the oven for an additional 10 minutes to melt the cheeses.

Thanks MD.

I think the difference between a tian vs ratatoulle is the tian is slices of vegetable laid out as in your pic, then roasted. Tian is the name of the cooking vessle which became the name for the food.

On the other hand, ratatouille is stewed in a pot on the stove. I'm not sure the particular vegetables matter so much, but I do think you're right about the potato. I think eggplant is used in both.

The movie Ratatouille got it wrong. What it presents as ratatouille is actually a tian. Now, everyone thinks that is ratatouille. (And people wonder why we gatekeep when we see corn in gumbo or okra in jambalaya.)

And having just said that, I don't think classic ratatouille or tian has cheese. (I'm no expert though.)



It just so happens I made both types last night. I used pretty much all of the same ingredients you did. Sadly I didn't take pictures.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed tasting both - it's lunch today for both of us.

quote:

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as my okra plants put out the pods to the tune of about 45-60 a day picking.

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any advice on growing okra? Pots, planters, inground, etc?

quote:

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any advice on growing okra? Pots, planters, inground, etc?

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I grow mine in rows in my garden. I generally try to shoot for 60 plants every summer. I plant the seeds pretty heavy in each row and thin them as needed so I have about 18 inches between each plant.

Okra grows tall and by seasons end my plants are near 8 ft. high. They are also heat and drought tolerant, so there is little to do to them when growing except make sure to pick daily when they are producing. I like to pick my pods between 4-5 inched long, but I'll pick some smaller to use for pickling.

My favorite variety is Clemson Spineless. I also think it's best to grown them in the ground.