Summer Recipe: Grilled Okra with Lemon Tahini Drizzle - The Bend Magazine

Summer Recipe: Grilled Okra with Lemon Tahini Drizzle

Try this simple okra dish recipe from Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co.

Words and Photos by: Jesse Jenkins, Gill Garden Center + Landscape Co. 

I love okra – in gumbo, raw, fried, pickled, and especially grilled. If you planted okra late Spring or early Summer, you’ve probably got a bunch ready to eat right now. Try this super simple okra dish – great as a side for just about anything, or by itself.

Start with a couple big handfuls of fresh okra. No need to trim the tops, just rinse and leave whole.

 

Make this light marinade; not too wet because we want the okra to get crispy on the grill.

·      1-2 tablespoons good olive oil
·      Juice of ½ a lemon
·      Zest of ½ a lemon
·      Pinch of smoked flaky sea salt
·      Pinch of smoked paprika
·      Pinch of black pepper

Toss the okra in the marinade, then skewer. I like using the 6” bamboo skewers for this recipe because they’re easy to flip on the grill and easy to serve. Let the skewered okra sit for about 30 mins to soak up some flavor.

 

While you wait, make this magic lemon tahini sauce. Combine the ingredients in a food processor or whisk in a bowl. Add more water as needed to get a light creamy consistency. 

·      2 tablespoons tahini
·      Juice of 1 lemon
·      1 clove garlic
·      1-2 tablespoons water
·      ½ tablespoon good olive oil
·      ½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
·      Pinch of salt and pepper

 

Make a nice hot fire and grill the skewers on direct heat for about 2 mins per side until they’re roasted/slightly charred. Then serve the okra immediately with a little of the lemon tahini sauce drizzled on top – save some for dipping too. Best eaten outside!