12820 Makes 6 servings Wed Aug 06 07:58:09 -0700 2008 Wed Feb 04 06:30:59 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12820 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:30:59 GMT While the affinity of okra and tomatoes is well known throughout the American South, the tradition in Georgia is to mull (slowly simmer) the vegetables with onions, plenty of smoky bacon, and one or two fresh herbs. I've learned that even those who are squeamish about the viscous texture of okra find this way of preparing the pods not just palatable but utterly delicious—the perfect side dish for pork chops and virtually any meat or fowl barbecued on the grill. Just be sure to select fresh okra that are small, dark green, slightly fuzzy, and not at all spotted, and when trimming off the stems, remember never to cut into the pods.

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Place the okra in a large saucepan, add enough water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to moderately low, and simmer till tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the okra in a colander.

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat till crisp and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the grease, add the onions, and stir for about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and salt, season with pepper and Tabasco, stir well, reduce the heat to low, and simmer till the tomatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the okra and bacon, stir gently, and simmer about 10 minutes longer before serving hot.

]]> http://www.chow.com James Villas 50 Main 2 pounds fresh small okra, washed and stems removed

]]> 6 slices lean bacon (any style), cut into small pieces

]]> 2 medium onions, chopped

]]> 6 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

]]> 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

]]> 2 teaspoons salt

]]> Freshly ground black pepper to taste

]]> Tabasco sauce to taste

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