Okra

Okra is an edible vegetable pod best grown in well drained and well manured soil in tropical and warm regions.  At this time, my okra seeds are sitting in a bowl of water because it is sometimes difficult to get them to germinate.  This will give them a head start.

One gardener at the seed store suggested that I add a bit of vinegar to the water and another said that I should knick the seeds with a sharp knife.  Do you know how small those seeds are?

I found out that okra is related to the hibiscus and cotton families.  The okra's pale yellow flowers do remind me about the hibiscus but the relation to the cotton is a stretch.  The okra blooms attract pollinating insects as well as stink bugs.  The latter are the light green, shield shaped beetles.

I read somewhere that the okra leaves may be cooked as greens (kale, mustard, etc) or they may be eaten raw in salads.  I will check this out for myself later this summer.  I usually cut up the okra and stir fry them with onions.  Okra in any form is an acquired taste--a good and interesting taste, different.

If you have a taste for okra, also known as lady finger, you love the slime and all.  Okra is used in gumbo, a famous New Orleans soup thick as stew. The okra is used as a thickening agent. The gumbo is made in so many different ways and served over rice.  It is good eating.