Okra Gumbo

Ingredients

Protein and stock

• Riverview Farms offers pork options, such as ham, and pork sausage

• Grass Roots Farm offers chicken, chicken sausage, duck sausage, and Andouille

• Stone Mountain Herbs (they wont be at the market this Saturday but return on September 13th) offers a dried stock blend that can add a nutritional and flavor value that is out of this world.

• Sparta Imperial Mushrooms offers mushrooms that would be a great addition to any locally inspired gumbo.

Veggies and Herbs

• Woodland Gardens, Riverview Farms, Rise N Shine Farm, Hickory Hill Farm, Goodness Groceries, and 3 Porch Farm offer oka, peppers, celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes and more for the perfect gumbo recipe.

Directions

1. Grab the ingredients this Saturday at our OKRA Day and bring friends and family together to create your own version of Gumbo!

2. Clean and cut up the chicken. Cut the ham into small squares or dice and chop the onions and herbs. Skin the tomatoes, and chop fine, saving the juice. Wash and stem the okra and slice into thin layers of one-half inch each. In a separate pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a smiling boil.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter in a large dutch oven until glistening. Add the proteins, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the onions, tomatoes, and herbs. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

4. Add the okra, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. When the gumbo mixture is well fried and browned, add the boiling water and set on a very slow fire, letting it simmer gently for about an hour longer.

5. Serve hot, over your favorite rice.

Okra is in the Mallow family and is grown in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world. The word okra is used mainly in the United States and is related to the Nigerian word okwuru. In French the word okra is gombo sounding a lot like gumbo a popular dish that originated in southern Louisiana from the Louisiana Creole people during the 18th century. Gumbo consists of a strongly flavored stock, veggies, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoning vegetables, which can include celery, bell peppers and onions.

As a shopper of Freedom Farmers Market you can get all the ingredients for gumbo at the market. Gumbo is a process and one should always use what is available at the local farmers market for the ingredients and the inspiration.

Spinach (Wilted) Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, stems removed and washed (Rise N Shine Farm)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (Woodland Gardens)
2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped (most of the farmers have eggs)
1 cup chopped mushrooms (Sparta Imperial Mushrooms)
4 slices of bacon (Riverview Farms)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1-tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1-cup croutons

Directions
1. Tear the Rise N Shine Farms’ spinach leaves into bite-sized pieces, and place in a large bowl. Add Woodland Gardens’ green onions, chopped eggs, and Sparta Imperial Mushrooms.

Lettuce + Mushrooms, Sauteed

This sauté serves as a great accompaniment to grilled meat, vegetables, or seafood because of its combination of freshness and earthiness.
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1-tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter (Banner Butter at Moore Farms and Friends)
1/2 pound mushrooms, steamed, wiped clean and sliced (Sparta Imperial Mushrooms)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound chopped lettuce (Hickory Hill Farms)
1/2 cup cream
1-teaspoon fresh thyme

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the butter, and allow it to melt. When the pan is hot and the butter is beginning to brown, add the mushrooms and let them cook for 2-3 minutes or until brown. Stir the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Once the Sparta Imperial mushrooms are tender and most of the moisture has evaporated, add the Hickory Hill Farm lettuce. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, cooking until the lettuce is tender. Add the cream and the thyme. Cook until the cream is reduced and thickened. Remove from heat. Serve warm.

Foraged Mushrooms + Oats

Tyler Williams' revolutionary Foraged Mushrooms and Oats
brought a breakfast dish to the level of a risotto you'd lust for
any hour of the day.

Ingredients
Oatmeal
1 cup Steel cut oats, rinsed
4 cups mushroom stock
2 cups wild mushrooms, sautéed
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Caramelized Buttermilk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Non-fat dry milk solids
2 tablespoons sugar

Chef’s Instructions:
For the oats
1. Bring mushroom stock to a boil in a medium stock pot.
2. Add a good pinch of salt and whisk in oats.
3. Bing to a boil and skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
4. Reduce the oats to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients.
5. Simmer 1 hour stirring often until the mixture has thickened to saturate.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the buttermilk
1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and reduce until light golden brown and thickened. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.

To finish
1. Place 1/2 cup of oatmeal in a bowl and drizzle with the caramelized buttermilk.
2. Top with a fresh seasonal raw vegetable salad from your farmers market and dress with lemon juice and olive oil.

Serves: 4 to 6