All produce tastes good, given the right attention, and with a good recipe and winning attitude, you can make anything delicious. In eating those less popular veggies, you also diversify your diet and are, perhaps, inherently healthier.
Take okra, for instance. Is there any vegetable more reviled? What other food combines a fuzzy exterior, giant seeds, and a mucousy finish? With that kind of flavor profile, it has got to be healthy for you! Freely admitting a complete lack of scientific research, reason dictates that such a unique vegetable must offer a nutritional profile unlike anything else. The problem is, unless you grew up eating it, it’s not likely that you will seek it out because, frankly, it’s an acquired taste.
And here enters one of the strongest arguments for Community Supported Agriculture: the beauty of CSAs is that putting trust in farmers to grow a wide variety of seasonal produce forces eaters to diversify their diets, and support local farmers on a weekly basis.
Do you go to the farmers market every week? When you do go to the market, how much eggplant do you end up buying in the summer? Would you really buy zucchini 8 times in a season? What about okra? How easy is it to just give it a pass?
Things come up. Kids have soccer. You had a late night. It’s raining. You just don’t feel like it. What happens to all the unpurchased produce? Farming is hard. The fickleness of the markets makes it a risky business, and the unpredictability of climate change has only compounded the problem.
So put down the kale smoothie, and trust in the power of okra. It’s good for you. It’s good for our farmers. And with a little effort, it actually tastes good. We learned that if you don’t cut the pod, it doesn’t release that sliminess. So just rinse it, drain it well (maybe even dry it) and toss it with olive oil and a little sea salt. Throw it under the broiler and let it get really crispy. Bam, your whole family loves okra. If you need a little more direction, check out this video and recipe for Okra Oven Fries on Rachel Ray TV
