Pickled Okra

This is a quick and simple recipe from the Victory Garden Cookbook. Okra has been so plentiful this summer, I thought this would be a great one to share.

1 1/2 lb freshly picked, small, young okra
3 cloves garlic
3 small hot peppers
1 1/2 tsp dill seeds or 3 good sized sprigs of fresh dill
3 tsp mustard seeds
2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp pickling salt or kosher salt

Wash okra well, removing fuzz and stems. Leave the caps one; do not cut into the pods. In each of 3 pint jars, place 1 garlic clove, 1 hot pepper, 1/2 tsp dill seed (or 1 sprig fresh dill), and 1 tsp mustard seeds. Pack okra evenly into the jars, alternating tips and caps up and down so they fit in snugly. Bring vinegar, water, and salt to a boil and pour over okra up to within 1/2 inch of the jar rim. Fasten lids and process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes, no longer. Remove jars and cool. Let sit for 4 weeks before using and enjoy!

Water Bath: Put jars on a rack in a kettle: cover with boiling water, topping by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, cover kettle and boil for 5 minutes. I found out the hard way, that if you process for more than 5 minutes, the pods will begin to split open.

Side Note: If the spines on the okra feel soft and tender when pressed by your fingernail, they are perfect for pickling. If the spines feel firm or tough, the okra is too mature for pickling.

Garden Tomato Sauce

I think this recipe actually came from one of our books for babyfood, but it has become one of our favorites. We've used it for pizza sauce and quesadillas. It has a great, fresh flavor.

1 lb vine ripened tomatoes, pureed
1 tbsp evoo
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2/3 cup diced sweet bell peppers
1 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp honey

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and peppers and saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, 3 herbs, salt, broth, tomato paste and pureed tomatoes to skillet and stir. Simmer mixture, uncovered, over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add honey and cook for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: If using fresh tomatoes, preheat oven to broil. Pierce each tomato with a small knife and place tomatoes in a baking pan. Broil tomatoes until skins split and begin to turn brown, about 15 minutes. Once cooled, skins should peel off easily and quickly. Puree peeled tomatoes in food processor.