Okra on the left, “Oh my gawd I want Cheetos” on the right. Credits to Flicker users Jennifer Powell and Sean Douglas.
A farmer in Georgia had a rude awakening recently, when the sound of low flying helicopters woke him. Shortly after, deputies and K-9 officers from the Governor’s Task Force paid him a call, and they didn’t bring coffee. It seems they confused his okra crop with cannabis. Georgia is one of the states associated with a region normally referred to as the “Deep South”, so I can only surmise that these law enforcement officers were city folk, or at the least, not in tune with their culinary roots. Eat more veggies, deputies.
To their credit, the deputies released a photo of the okra that shows a slight resemblance to cannabis, especially since it appears it was taken in very low lighting. Keep in mind that most okra leaves are much wider than any cannabis plant variety (in my limited knowledge base, and according to googled images). I would think that in daylight they quickly realized their mistake. General rule of thumb: while you can eat both, I’d suggest smoking okra only on a barbecue pit, although grilling it reaps tastier results.
Grilled Okra
Okra – washed, with ends trimmed
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Generously oil the okra, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. No, I don’t measure. Use your instincts. Love garlic? Go heavy handed. Hate garlic with a vampiric passion? Sub onion powder. Grill over high heat 2-3 minutes per side until evenly cooked on all sides. Use a grill pan if you have small okra, so they don’t fall through. You can skewer them if you want, but you’ll only be able to grill two sides that way. Serve with a Sriracha mayo (mayonnaise, dash of lemon, as much Sriracha as you want) dipping sauce. Yum!
