Dish of the Week: Okra
Where: Masa 14, Henry’s Soul Cafe, Smoke & Barrel
As the summer stretches on and now turns towards fall, okra comes into its own. Traditionally a southern staple due to the long, hot growing seasons the crop needs, the nearby farms of Maryland and Virginia see plenty enough sun to deliver the curving, ridged, conical pods to local markets. Last week I took home a overflowing pint of beautiful purple okra, some so long that I swear they nearly reached one foot in length. At the end of the Penn Quarter farmers’ market yesterday, the remaining pickings were more short green nubs than majestic. But they still came home with me.
What to do with okra remains a pickle to many who have no clue what it can be used for or have faint memories of a sliminess that can come from cooking it. Well, it should be noted that it’s great for pickling! A friend I ran into at the market asked what I’d do with it. I prefer a simple sauté and, while prepping, I munch away at the okra in its raw state. The crisp bite and airy innards complemented with edible seeds make for great snacking, a much more sensible addition to a crudités platter than raw broccoli. The farmer suggested frying with an egg batter and cornmeal, fried okra perhaps being the one of the most popular ways to serve the vegetable, either sliced in circles or done whole. You can find renditions of that at soul food joints like Henry’s or barbeque purveyors like Smoke & Barrel.
I love the Crunchy Wok-Fried Okra at Masa 14. A quick flash in the wok preserves the pleasing snap and shape of the okra and minimizes sliminess, as the more heat the okra gets, the slimier it becomes. Of course, it is a lot healthier than deep-frying—and it’s on their happy hour menu for $4! They accent the pods with soy and a spicy ponzu sauce that complements the earthiness of the vegetable. That, or just a little garlic at home, can work wonders.
Local Micro-Roaster Pop-Up
Yes, all the buzz words! Why should Shaw get all the pop-up café fun? Upon returning to work after Labor Day, Dupont Circle residents will have a new option for their morning caffeine fix. “Local micro-roaster” Vigilante Coffee will be setting up a pop up coffee shop in the Mr. Yogato space every morning from until 10:00 a.m. Beans come from 4 Hawaiian islands and are roasted in D.C. in small batches.
They Leave the Cooking to You
Scratch DC has been running around the city this week delivering prepped and ready to make meals to those looking to cook at home without the hassles of finding recipes, shopping, and prepping. Ryan Hansen, who launched his start up this past Monday, bundles fresh, locally sourced, organic ingredients fully prepped, with a recipe and enough food for two servings. The website is cute and though missing some important things right now like pricing information and full ordering functionality, it seems like it’s getting there. Perhaps in time for you to order “silly-good steak with tomato and blue cheese salad and redskin mashed potatoes” for next Tuesday.
Shrimp Boil Benefit for Hurricane Victims
Art and Soul will host a shrimp boil fundraiser next Thursday, September 6 to benefit residents in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana that were in Hurricane Isaac’s path. For a $55 donation, 100% of which will be donated to the Red Cross, guests get shrimp, beer, bourbon, and boudin from executive chef Wes Morton who is a Louisiana native.
Tomato Tasting Menu
Yeah, there’s okra around. But late summer is really known in these parts for its tomatoes. Fiola offers a surprisingly affordable 5 course late summer tomato tasting menu for $55 (or $110 with wine pairings). The menu focuses on dishes of Mallorca where chef Fabio Trabocchi’s wife is from. Of course things start with a gazpacho. Things finish with an Ensaimada, a spiral cake served here with tomato marmalade.
