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.

Celery + green onion soup

Ryan Smith's brilliant green soup was served chilled
and topped with a salad so incredible, it could've stood
on its own.

Ingredients
2 bunches green onions
2 bunches baby celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoon sea salt
2 cups celery juice
2 each lemons
1 pound razor clams, poached and cleaned and sliced
1/4 loaf sourdough
2 bunches baby carrots, washed and shaved into thin rings

Directions
1. Slightly warm the olive oil up in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cut the white bottoms off the green onions and reserve the tops. Add the onion bottoms to the pot of oil and season with a pinch of salt. Slowly cook the onion bottom stirring constantly to prevent color.
2. While the onions are cooking cut the leaves off the baby celery. Slice the celery stems into inch pieces and add to the pot. Continue to cook the onions and celery for 10 minutes.
3. Add the celery juice and bring to a boil. Once the juice is at a boil add the celery leaves and green onion tops. Cook for 1 minute and take off the heat.
4. Prepare an ice bath and submerge a container into it that will hold the finished soup. Puree the soup in a blender on high until completely smooth. Strain the soup directly into the container in the ice bath. Chill the soup as fast as possible to retain the vibrant green color. Adjust the seasoning and reserve the soup until ready to serve.
5. Dice the sourdough into small bite size pieces. Fry the sourdough in a small pot of oil over medium heat until golden brown.
6. Make a small salad of lemon zest and juice, razor clams, carrots, and the fried sourdough. Season the salad with a little sea salt and olive oil.

To serve
Place 2 ounces of the soup in a bowl. Top the soup with the salad and a little bit of celery leaves and carrot tops.