Greek Style Smothered Okra or Green Beans

Originally for okra, this recipe is well suited for green beans and long beans in particular. The pods will soak up the stewing liquid.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 or 2 baskets CSA okra, washed and patted dry but not cut (or use 2″ long segments of green beans instead)

1 medium to large ripe tomato, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

A few dashes of cayenne (optional)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill or cilantro

Directions

Place a heavy 10″-14″ skillet with a tight fitting lid over low heat. Add the garlic, olive oil, and okra. In contrast to most sautes, the okra is added when neither pan nor oil is hot yet. Scatter the tomato over the okra. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Do not stir. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more. Do not stir, but make sure the heat is low enough so nothing burns. Uncover, stir cautiously, just a few times. The okra should be quite tender, soft and almost golden brown. Be careful not to break the pods open, although a few may have split by now. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with cayenne and dill if desired. Stir once more and serve. Eaters can either cut off the stems at the top of the pods themselves, or pick them up by the stems and nibble their way down, or even eat the stems – they are firmer than the pod but quite edible.

Submitted by Nora McGinnis, adapted from The Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon