FINGER FOOD

Champagne is my favourite treat on Oscar night while watching the beautiful and glamorous sweep up and down the red carpet. But I look to the garden for a supper to balance out the overload of the rich and famous.

Okra, or ladies’ fingers, are in season at the moment and will be the star of my Oscar night supper along with a few vodka-doused prawns. They will go into a grand old three-legged pot simmering slowly over the braai, and turn into a delicious gumbo. Okra belongs to the hibiscus family — Hibiscus esculentus — and is thought to have its origins in North Africa, where it can be grown as a succession crop all year round. Here at home the frost-sensitive veggie is grown as a summer annual.

Beds must be well dug over with lots of rich, well-rotted compost to ensure a good harvest. Seeds can be sown directly where the plant will mature, spaced about 30cm apart and 1cm deep. Water every day. Succession crops can be sown every 2-3 weeks.

Pods form quickly after the flower petals have dropped; pick them when they are about 5-7cm in length. The older, longer pods tend to be more slimy, which is why some people are put off this vegetable.

Young pods have the best flavour. A single bush bears one flush of pods, so it’s a good idea to plant two rows initially, then another two in a different place for a continuous harvest of tender young pods throughout the season. Once picked, the okra must be used immediately or refrigerated. Some cultivars to look for are burgundy okra or clemson spineless — which sound like they could be in a Scorsese movie!

This is an easy supper to enjoy while watching the glitz and glamour from your prime position on the couch.

SHRIMP AND OKRA GUMBO

60ml (4 tbsp) grapeseed oil 1 medium red onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 litre (4 cups) chopped okra 1 green pepper, seeded and diced 5ml (1 tsp) fresh thyme leaves 2 fresh or dried bay leaves 3 tomatoes, peeled and diced 500g fresh prawns, peeled and deveined 1.5 litres (6 cups) cold water Salt and pepper, to taste Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or potjie and fry the onion, garlic and okra till tender. Add the green pepper, thyme, bay leaves and tomatoes, stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add prawns and water and season. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes. Serve with your favourite rice. If you like a bit of heat, add a few shakes of Tabasco sauce to spice it up. Serves 4-6