I’ve been eating okra since I was a wee one. When you grow up in the south, it’s an every day vegetable that people eat. Now that I live in California, it’s funny to see peoples faces when you say, “want some okra?” A lot of my friends haven’t even tried it before. Maybe they never had the opportunity. It’s not exactly a vegetable that you see on restaurant menus unless it’s been deep- fried and no longer resembles a green vegetable. But when cooked simply for minimal time, it’s a rich source of fiber and vitamins A and C.
Okra is in season and started popping up at the farmers’ market about 3 weeks ago. The first time I saw them I actually gasped with excitement, so fond are my childhood memories of it. When I came home I steamed up a batch for 4 minutes, let them cool and Kenya and I sat there and munched away. I was kind of shocked, but he loved them. He wasn’t so keen on them whole, however, so I cut up each one into several pieces for him. My husband can’t stand their somewhat sticky texture (which actually has thickening properties, perfect in a dish like this), but that’s what I love about them, so to each his own. Mixed in this caponata, the okra is transformed into a salsa-like dish minus the spice.

Okra, Corn and Tomato ‘Caponata’ (Makes 8 Toddler Servings)

2 Tsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Cup Okra, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 Cup Tomatoes, chopped
1/3 Corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 Tsp Vegit (or Spike)

1. In a medium saute pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes until clear and translucent (do not brown).
2. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add the vegetables and Vegit, saute 1 minute and cover.
4. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.
5. Cool and serve.

Tags: caponata, corn, easy recipes, easy side dishes, fast recipes, garlic, healthy recipes, homemade baby food, okra, olive oil, onions, recipes for babies, spike, toddler recipes, tomato, vegit, wholesome baby food

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at 1:06 pm and is filed under All Recipes, Toddler Bites, Vegetables. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.