Ooh la la, okra

I didn't grow up eating okra. My family ate what it grew, and okra took a backseat to corn, green beans, and more. That might surprise folks who think all Southerners say "I de-clay-uh!" or sweat indoors. Just as there are hundreds of accents within the South (I was the one protesting to dubious fellow college freshmen in Boston that no really, I promise I'm from North Carolina even without a Steel Magnolias accent), there are traditions as far-flung and varied as they come, and nowhere more so than in local foodways.

So there was no okra in my childhood, and no fried green tomatoes served at the local train depot, either. I've discovered these foods in my adulthood instead, and in cases like okra, in a more modern way than the deep fryer could offer. I probably wouldn't have seasoned Southern produce with Indian spices as a kid, for example, which is a low-down crying shame, now that I think about it.

Enter Food & Wine's September issue (I'm a month behind on all my magazines - mea culpa!), which was a clarion call to my okra-deficient but shrimp and barbecue-rich youth. The theme for the issue was "New South," offering modern spins on tried and true favorites. I couldn't have dreamed up a better celebration of food if I'd tried.

This skillet-roasted spiced okra is the brainchild of 'Top Chef' alum Kevin Gillespie, who refutes the stereotype of meat-loving Southerners and corrects the record: vegetables are the true star of Southern tables. I found my okra over the weekend at the local farmers market and jumped on it. The chances of me going back for more this weekend? As good as another reprehensible "Southern" accent hitting your big and small screens soon. Trust me, you've gotta make this dish.

Skillet-Roasted Spiced Okra

3/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of ground fenugreek (optional)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound small okra, halved lengthwise
Salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a small bowl, blend the paprika with the cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, cinnamon and fenugreek.

2. In each of 2 large nonstick skillets, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the okra, cut side down, and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned on the bottom, 4 minutes longer. Turn the okra and cook over low heat until tender, 2 minutes. Season with salt and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Drizzle the lemon juice over the okra and serve.

3. Serve with Lentils in Herb-Arugula Yogurt (Or do what I did, which is ignore the recipe and simply blend a small plain yogurt with a handful of fresh arugula, a cup of cooked lentils, and a dash of salt)

Updated Note: I found the individual flipping method to be stressful because my okra were fairly small. You can achieve delicious results without being this precise, trust me!