Okra and Green Tomato Fritters

We really like these! Here we are in the middle of summer. Our garden this year has been pretty beaten down by the heat. The tomatoes are looking tired and haven't ripened. We are in western Pennsylvania though... But, the okra, of all things, is doing OK. In looking for different ways to use okra, I came across a post on SouthernBite.com about okra and green tomato fritters. We decided we had to try making them. We tweaked the recipe a little and this is what we came up with - 

Makes 12 -15 fritters

Ingredients

1/2 pound okra, coarsely chopped

1 large green tomato, or three or four small, diced
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

A sprinkle of garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves chopped
1 tsp minced fresh chili pepper

1/3 cup vegetable oil for frying

YUM-YUM sauce for dipping - Optional but worth it! Look for it in the Asian food section or make your own - https://www.smalltownwoman.com/yum-yum-sauce-japanese-hibachi-style/

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the chopped okra, diced green tomato, minced onion, chili pepper and basil. 

 

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg into the buttermilk, and then add it to the okra mixture.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop the okra batter into the oil by heaping spoonfuls. 

Cook 4 to 5 minutes, then flip the fritters and press them flat with the back of a spatula. 

Cook 4 to 5 more minutes or until crispy and golden brown. 

Cook in batches, adding more oil if necessary; then drain on paper towels, and serve hot.

YUM YUM sauce - 

Brunswick Stew

Ah, Brunswick Stew that mysterious concoction born in the South that so wonderfully compliments smoked pork ribs or pulled pork BBQ. Brunswick Stew has many variations so it's difficult to pin down exact ingredients but essentially there's a meat, or a combination of meats - pork, chicken, beef, rabbit, even squirrel and possum, and a few vegetables like corn, butter beans - baby Lima beans to Yankees, green beans, okra or potatoes and who knows what else, all in a tomato sauce base with a tart sweet-sour background. Like BBQ sauce, it all comes down to the seasonings in the right proportions and balance that make this stuff sing. 

Here's a little more background just to confuse things even more. There are a couple schools of thought on where Brunswick Stew originated
1 - On St Simon Island, Brunswick, Georgia there is a monument with the original pot the first Brunswick Stew was actually cooked in in 1898.
2 - Another story claims a Virginia state legislator's chef invented the recipe in 1828 on a hunting expedition. 
3 - Then there's a goofy story about England's Queen Victoria loving a Brunswick Stew that was made in someplace in Germany. Really?

We are going with the Brunswick Stew from Georgia story because, well damn, they still have the original pot it was cooked in. 

This is our take, but not putting in seasoning amounts because that is all in the hands of the cook.... So just use this as a guide, go easy on the seasonings and taste along the way. The brown sugar and apple cider vinegar give it the sweet and sour background. You can see, however we chose not to use rabbit (although it is available, maybe next time) or squirrel or possum (we like live possums).

Ingredients - 

1 - 2 lb ground pork
1 - 2 boneless chicken breasts minced or ground chicken
Tomato sauce or canned diced tomatoes
Ketchup, yes ketchup (per Paula Dean)
Light brown sugar
Bragg's apple cider vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Ramps about 7 - 9 - optional because of availability
Ramp wine - optional because of availability
1 medium sweet onion finely chopped
Fresh corn cut off the cob - 2 - 3 cobs worth
1 cup butter beans, OK, baby Lima beans
Sticky Fingers (or comparable) Mustard base BBQ sauce
Chili powder
Hot red pepper flakes
Shot or two of Rye Whiskey or Bourbon 
Vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste along the way

Brown the ground pork and chicken in a little oil in a Dutch oven and remove when done
In the same Dutch oven add a little vegetable oil and saute the onions, butter beans, corn, ramps, ramp wine. 
Add back the meat
Add some tomato sauce and stir together
Add the rest of the ingredients plus add water if it is too thick.
Keep tasting and adding a little more of what you think it needs - more brown sugar if too tart, more apple cider vinegar if too sweet. 
Cover and cook on a low simmer for an hour or so checking for consistency and taste along the way.

Have fun and ENJOY!!!