We have been doing some country cooking at home! I told you about my first adventure of putting corn in the freezer. My neighbor returned last week with a whole bag of fresh okra and some green beans! Woohoo! I have been craving some fried okra and am ashamed to say I have never cooked any in all of my married years.
My cousin posted a picture of her meal the other night, and she had hamburger steak, fried okra, peas, and cornbread. I told hubby how wonderful it looked, and he agreed that it sounded like a plan, so he set our Saturday evening meal into motion! He prepped the veggies that afternoon by cutting the onion, tomatoes, and okra. We picked up some fresh tomatoes on Friday from our local produce store. And watermelon! We had that for dessert!
I am so blessed that my hubby loves to cook. He had so many pots and pans going at once. I helped watch the okra as it was frying while he worked on the hamburger steaks.
And yes, it’s not lost on me that while he was doing the “country cooking,” he was doing it in my country blue countertop kitchen! Haha! It’s a project we will eventually get to as far as replacing. When we had to purchase our new stove after I caught the old one on fire, we found country blue-themed vinyl flooring underneath! Haha! It was definitely a stylish kitchen in the 80’s.
The finished product was a culinary masterpiece! Hamburger steak with gravy/onions/mushrooms, the fresh corn I put up not long ago, tomatoes, fried okra, rice, and black-eyed peas. Words cannot describe how amazing it all was. There is just nothing like a good home-cooked meal with fresh vegetables. It reminded me of Sunday dinners at my Maw-Maw’s house and made me miss her so badly. I don’t know how she cooked like this for a big crowd every Sunday, but she did! And my mom used to cook like this when I was growing up. My great-uncle had a huge garden every summer, and he always sent my dad home with tons of vegetables and fruit. I am so thankful I grew up eating nutritious meals with my family. It’s something I didn’t realize back then that would be such a sweet memory later in life.
Hubby and I agreed this was the best meal we had eaten in a while, and we vowed to start eating more vegetables. I am so thankful for this fantastic meal he made. And for sweet neighbors that share their summer bounty with us!
I love okra but the only way I know to cook it is in a curry!
Those hamburger steaks look great and I think I know what to do with the hamburger patty I have in the fridge!
I have only had okra in gumbo and I’m intrigued by the fried version. A lot of different foods than we eat up here in the far north. Love seeing it! But fresh garden goodness definitely speaks a universal language. 😉 Thanks for sharing – that meal looks amazing!!
Carrie, I love okra in gumbo, too! And yes, the older I get, I sure do appreciate fresh grown fruits and veggies!
Mmm…it all looks good. I’m a northern girl and I’ve never had fried okra. Might have to try it one day. Also, I LOVE your blue countertop. Of course, I’m all about color and I know it’s not always a popular opinion, but I think it looks so warm and charming. It’s such a pretty shade!
Well, if you love my blue counters, then I feel MUCH better about them! Haha! I love your taste in decor, so maybe my countertops aren’t that hideous! Haha! It’s just a very 80’s thing that I remember from growing up, and very different from what I’d actually choose to have if money were no object. And yes, you must try some fried okra!
The meal looks delicious. I love all of the fresh vegetables we get this time of year. Nothing like a tomato right off the vine.
Oh yes, fresh tomatoes off the vine are just amazing! I’ve been enjoying quite a few of them, too!
Fresh veggies in the summer are the best! However, no okra for us! 🙂
Your meal looks really good though.
Thanks Mari! You know, if I hadn’t started eating okra at a very, very young age, I don’t know that I would choose to try it now. My son just can’t handle the texture of it.
That meal looks delicious!
Thanks Marilyn! It was so, so good!
I love fried okra. Been thinking of that as well. I have a bunch in the freezer I grew last summer.
Your dinner looks perfect. Hey, lots of people today are going for that country kitchen look. Don’t apologize!
We love okra, too! It’s not something we ever cook at home, but we love to get it at restaurants. I’m glad we gave it a try! My kitchen is certainly very 80’s! Haha! I can remember when I was a little girl, my mom and all of her friends wanted the country look in their homes.