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If the South had a mascot, it would be okra. You love, hate or have an unfounded fear of okra — and the same is true of the South. There’s no vegetable more polarizing than this poor little pod. And it’s only one part of okra that tends to bother people: the slimy seeds. Now I seek okra out. I want to cook with it. I want to change people’s minds about it. I’m not going to print myself an “I Love Okra” T-shirt or name my next child after it, but I understand and respect it just as much as I do every other vegetable.These fritters from my cookbook “Deep Run Roots” capitalize on okra’s slime like nothing else. They’re sort of a cross between a scallion pancake and fried okra, and their pillowy texture and vegetal flavor, coupled with the sweet pop of corn, is pleasing and addictive.Choose large mature pods, and use only their fat midsections. The swollen seeds hiding in there will actually do a lot to hold the fritter batter together. I like to eat these fritters right out of the frying pan over stewed tomatoes, but they’re also nice at room temperature as a scoop for hummus.
Serves 4
Ingredients1 cup okra, caps and tips removed, midsections minced½ cup fresh corn, cut off the cob¼ cup squash or zucchini, grated on a box grater or in a food processor3 tablespoons minced scallion1 teaspoon salt, divided2 tablespoons cornmeal2 tablespoons all-purpose flour2 tablespoons buttermilk1 egg¼ teaspoon hot sauce¼ to ⅓ cup vegetable oil
