While I am sitting here writing this post I can see the changing of the seasons. I know it is still hot, but the trees behind our house are beginning to turn from a crisp green to a golden-yellow. I love this part of the year, but I do hate to leave behind all the wonderful produce that the summer brings such as fresh sweet corn, squash, eggplant, watermelon, and two of my favorites okra and tomatoes. While I am a lover of okra simmered in water ( I know you either love it or hate it) I grew up eating fried okra ,too. Not the deep fat fried kind that comes with more crust than okra. We’re talking pan-fried in a little oil and butter after coating the okra with cornmeal. YUM!
Last week I shared with you one of my most favorite places to buy vegetables and lot of other goodies is here. While chatting with Mrs. Waldrop one afternoon I discovered she was preparing okra for dinner with green tomatoes. I was intrigued. I have prepared both of them, but never together. It sounded good to me. I was sold. Right then I purchased some fresh okra right out of the garden and a green tomato. We had it for dinner that night and loved it! We have had this dish four or five times since then and enjoyed it everytime. Thanks to you, Mrs. Waldrop!
This is a cinch to make, just be careful not to let it burn. You’re not going to find a recipe as such, just directions. Here you go!
Dice 1 green tomato and slice enough fresh okra to make 2 cups. You can use more or less. It really depends on the size of your cast iron skillet. Put the tomato and okra in a bowl and coat with White Lily self rising cornmeal. I did not measure it. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Let it get good and hot and add enough butter to coat the bottom of your pan. I used about three tablespoons. Let the butter get hot and add your okra and tomatoes. Here is where it could get a little dicey. Don’t start stirring it to death. Let it sit there in the skillet and brown up real good. A lot of stirring with break up the okra and you will end up with a mess. Using a bent edged spatula turn the okra and tomatoes over and cook until nice and brown.
Hope that you are enjoying the last bit of your summer. Try some of this okra and green tomatoes straight from Mrs. Waldrop’s kitchen. After all okra and tomatoes are all about summer.
Happy Cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
The Teacher Cooks 
Love fried okra the old fashioned way! Have to have a iron skillet to do it right. I’ll have to try the recipe with green tomatoes. By the way, is this Ima Waldrop at the market?
This sounds great. It’s okra time, and I’ve been trying to find a great recipe that didn’t involve deep fat. (Tried this lemon saute thing that wasn’t terrible, but it was still a little slimy. Your recipe sounds better.)
I cannot imagine what this tastes like… no fresh okra here…
🙂
Valerie
it makes me sad to think of all the people who’ve never eaten fried okra and just think of it as a nasty, slimy veggie found only in gumbo. not so, folks, not so! 🙂
I adore okra, Wanda. I made fried okra last winter and never got around to posting it. Luckily I made a lot because I kept eating it as it came out of the pan! It’s a wonder there was enough left for a photo.
Frying it with green tomatoes is a genius idea!
Wow, this looks so good! The tomatoes would add a bit of tartness and sweetness. I’m guessing this version of fried okra isn’t crispy, but it sounds absolutely delicious.
Note to self: add okra to the shopping list.
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mmmmmmmmmmmm!:):]
This is the way we ate okra and tomatoes when I was growing up. My mother used bacon grease. Thanks for posting.
My father did this but with potatoes and some onion added to the mix. I learned the recipe (such as it is) and still eat this way to this day. One of my very favorite dishes.