The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-01
]
Its Nutritive
High and 4
Ecfa1 In C0
tion-S0ne 8

green pods without do
finest soup vegetable sT
garden. Cooked whole u.s.
nish a ralatable side aisa.
tries.i properties of okIa are very b.
and il has The additional advantage O.
] being an exceedingly wholesome arAf.
! Gle Of food It is erroneously called
guunbo in many eook books ana even
in some encyclopedias The name OF
I the pant and les fruit is okra Gumbo
! is 4 general terri for various kinds o!
soup maze OF il 0kra, IL fact, is an
excellent food much Il, iected
A very IMPORTANT con Iteration from
the alimentary point of view is the un
usually high percentage OF digestisls
| matter That fact had beeA establish
| ed by common experience long before
any analysis Of the pod had been
thought of, for wherever the vegeta
| BILE is in use it is well known that the
soup is highly beneficial to persons
with weak stomachs. Often it will be
retained when nothing else can be tax
en-, and it has in many cases restored
tone to digestive organs that seemed
| hopelessly disordered. 1t is a partie
ularly beneficial food in cases Of dss-
entery and chronic indigestion.
The dried seeds, parched and eouno'
are said to make an acceptsoie SUP
stitute for coffee. A substit1.e ior ar
rowroot can be made freh Tue rooes.
The leaves, green or dry useo' ae-
cocted, for their demutent properties.
The inner bark, soft and white con-
tains a strong fibes resembling fax.
The outer bark is ilso fibrous and, to-
gether with the woody part OF the
plant furnishey excellent paper stock.
"A okra is ead1y raised, it can be cul-
tivated WITH pront
For tabg use the pods must be cut
while tepler, generally when about
+hree inches long. They grow rapidly
and soon become woody. The plant is
yerv prolific and it will continue to
hear until touched by frost. A small
match wilImore than meet the require
ments of an ordinary family, and the
surplus may be preserved for winter
use h two convenient methods. The
eastr is by drying. Slice the pod.
cr,ssways, into sections a quarter Of
s1 inch thick. spread thin on large
dishes or trays and expose to the sun
from day to day until thoroughly dried.
Put in jars or close cans and keep
of preservation is by canning, which
will be explained later on. The plant
Is foliacious and ornamental enough
for the flower garden. The leaves are
large and palmatisected, and the bios
SONS, which in form resemble those Of
the hollyhock, are at first a brilliant
gold, with purple disk. After the
first day the gold also takes a purplish
hue.
Here are some of the best recipes for
cooking okra: Okra soup-Take a
piece of beef or a marrow bone, put
on in cold water and boil Until cooked
Slice one quart of olzra pods crossways
into thin sections and add, with enough
strained ripe tomatoes to give the soup
a rich color. Continue to boil until
the okra is thoroughly cooked, which
will take about fifteen minutes. A
green pepper, from which the seeds
have been removed, sliced and added,
will improve the favor. The various
yumbos, chicken, fish or crab, are made
n the same manner.
An excellent soup can be made with
Is above. and adding when cooked
good sized piece Of butter. Other vege-
tables, such as carrots, onions and
celery, may also be used. but lovers of
okra prefer it straight. Soup made as
above will keep in cool place for sew
eral days and improve with age.
A savory dish for lunch or dinner is
rade in the following manner: Butter
l pudding dish, put in layer of cook
I'd or half cooked rice. layer of. sliced
,kra, layer of ripe sliced tomatoes,
outter, pepper, salt and little sugar
{ the acid Of the tomatoes be objec-
ionable; repeat the layers until the
1ish is filled; CRATE breadcrumbs on
.op, with pieces of butter; pour in as
much boiling water as the dish will
hold; bake long enough to cook; serve
not.
Okra also makes a palatable vegeta-
pie dish. but in this form it is not al
hays acceptable on first acquaintance.
substance is viscous, and for that
Hson probably does not at once cap
ute the taste. Put the pods, whole,
mn boiling water, with salt; boil
aDot fifteen minutes or until cooked !;
pourf the water, place in hot dish,
auo piper and plenty Of good butter;
serve 1t Cooked in this way, treated
WIN sod vinegar and served cold. it
makes good salad.
ANY hisewife can do her own can
ning OF ira. Slice and boil the okra
un.ii ."Shirds cooked; put in a hot
jar, hii Ie seal tight and place in a
oarh crosse If desired, add strained
lonatoes as boil until the okra is
thoroughly c,ked, but be careful in
eitner case Omit salt; put up in jars
as ABOVE. BY following this method
okra soup may e had throughout the
winter.
In the south the aste for okra is uni
versal, possibly aninheritance. Else
where 1t may. like hat for the olive,
have to be cultivate, But the taste
does not require muchcultiyation, and.
once acquired. it is sermanent pos
session--New York Her4d.