vorace.: Farmers' Market Fried Okra Subs

One of the things I enjoy most about cooking is challenging myself to try new things. I mean, how often in everyday life do you get to try something new? It's rare. In cooking, not only can you eat something new, but you have the opportunity to learn how to prepare and cook something new as well. The farmers' market always offers the chance to find something new with which to cook, and on my most recent trip to the farmers' market I decided that something new would be okra.

I know what you're thinking: okra isn't exactly some new fangled, unheard of, out of the ordinary vegetable. I realize that. But although I have eaten okra before, I have never prepared it or cooked it myself. Enter the challenge! Normally when I find something new to incorporate into my cooking, I do some research on how to clean, prepare, and cook it. Like the first time I used a rutabaga! The store was out of parsnips, which my recipe called for, so I had to make a game time decision (yes, that is a sports analogy. Travis and dad, aren't you proud?! haha) and picked up a rutabaga to use in the parsnip's place. Have you ever seen a rutabaga?! They are quite intimidating. I definitely headed for the computer first thing when I got back from the store to do a Google search on how to clean, trim, and slice a rutabaga. (How many more times can I say the word "rutabaga"? It's a fun word, itsn't it?!) But with the okra I decided to tackle it using just my wits and common sense. I figured out how to clean it and prepare it all on my own and was quite proud of myself! That's truly the great thing about cooking - it's such a self-esteem booster!

The idea for this sandwich came from a few different sources. One being my friend and neighbor, Katie. She was making a trip down to Charleston, S.C., where she went to college and mentioned that she was excited to eat some of her favorite southern foods - and fried okra was one of them. I went to school in South Carolina as well but never had the pleasure of tasting fried okra. When I saw the fresh okra at the farmers' market, I decided to take a swing at making fried okra myself. I didn't want to make just plain ol' fried okra... I wanted to make it into something kind of different. My boyfriend and I had experimented a few weeks prior with making our own jambalaya, so I decided to use the sauce base we used for that to make a sauce for the fried okra and turn it into a hearty vegetarian sandwich.

When I finally got around to making this sandwich, I had some smoked gouda cheese laying around, so I grated it and added it to this recipe. The smokey flavor of the cheese really complemented the other flavors going on in this sandwich - the fire roasted tomatoes, the Cajun seasoning, but if you can't find smoked gouda, try a smoked cheddar or smoked mozzarella even.

OK, I think that's all I have to say! Let's get cookin'!

Fried Okra Subs

Servings: 2
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 sweet onion, chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

For the Okra:
8 stalks of okra, sliced (see note below on preparation)
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of whole milk
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil

2 sub rolls, each sliced down the center long-ways
1 cup smoked cheese, shredded

Note: When you're preparing the okra, first cut off the thorny tops and pointy bottoms and discard. Then go ahead and slice up the rest of the stalks.

Preheat your oven's broiler to the high setting.

Place a medium sized pot on the stove over medium-low heat. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil for about a minute and then add the onion and red pepper. Let those cook for five minutes and then sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper.

Stir and let cook for another five minutes until they're softened and the onions have become somewhat translucent.

When the onions and pepper have cooked for ten minutes, add in the can of fire roasted diced tomatoes as well as the tomato paste. Stir vigorously to work the paste into the rest of the sauce, making sure there are no clumps.

Once the paste is incorporated, stir in the Cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Give it a good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Place the lid on the pot and allow the sauce to simmer while you cook the okra. Remember to stir occasionally.

Let's move on to the okra. Place three plates on your counter, side by side. Pour the milk onto one plate.

On the second plate, add the flour, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Stir the powdered mix around to mix all of the ingredients together so that they're evenly combined.

On the third plate, place two paper towels over it. This will be used to drain the oil when the okra is done frying.

Pour the olive oil into a saute pan with high sides and place it on the stove over medium heat. Check if the oil is ready for frying by placing the end of a wooden spoon into it. If bubbles stream off the handle in a rapid fashion, it is ready.

Divide your okra slices in half. Add the first half to the plate with the milk. Toss them around in the milk to make sure they get fully coated.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the okra slices from the milk and place them in the flour mixture. Use a fork to roll the okra around in the flour so that each slice is completely covered in flour.

Use the slotted spoon again to pick out the okra from the flour and gently drop it into your pan of olive oil.

Let the okra fry for about a minute on one side and then turn each slice over so that the other side can cook as well.

Allow the second side to cook for one minute and then use the slotted spoon to remove the slices from the oil. Place them on your paper towel-lined plate so that some of the oil can drain off.

Repeat this process with the second half of okra slices.

While your second batch of okra is frying, place your sub rolls on a baking sheet (cut side up) and put them in the oven under the broiler to toast.

Check on them to make sure they doesn't burn and then remove them once they're toasted to your liking.

Once both batches of okra are ready and your bread is toasted, you can start assembling your sandwiches.

First, coat one side of the roll with a few spoonfuls of sauce.