OKRA

FOR ME, okra has always been a bountiful late-summer treat. But okra is disdained for the very thing that makes it wonderful to cook with and eat: These little seedpods are a textural delight, becoming more gelatinous as they cook, which adds a lovely quality to light stews and gumbos. But I like to cook okra, too, in ways that make the most of their crisp, fresh green quality.