The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration

Apparently, in the author's woke view, Okra is forever the property of people of African descent. Perhaps, electricity is the property of people of European descent. This is just madness. Let's not fill cookbooks with political nonsense.

This winter the Orange Jing okra seeds in Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds caught my eye. I planted them not knowing what I was going to do with them. I put them in and among the flower beds. Then I heard Margaret Roach (A Way to Garden) interview Chris Smith. What to do indeed! I love everything about this book. There is so much to know and so much to learn here and the delivery is delightful. If you think you can imagine a good book about okra you are probably laughing at the thought. This is a great book about okra! Mr. Smith has combined his creative writing degree, his love for detail and his delightful sense of wonder and showered it all on the great and worthy okra plant. If you love okra, if you don't know you love okra, if you like to garden or you just want to read the most fun garden book ever written read Chris Smith's The Whole Okra. Mr. Smith, please turn your attention to the next thing. I want to hear more from you!

The author spends as much time parading his ultra left political views as anything to do with Okra. He proudly misunderstands many facets of plant breeding and science. But pictures are pretty

I'm pretty sure sure Chris Smith wrote this book just for me. I'm one of the okra fanatics he speaks of. I grew up in NE Georgia on my grandparents farm. Okra was a staple of every summer meal. I thought I knew a lot about okra: it's history, how to grow, ways to prepare and cook. But I did not! Funny that it takes a transplanted Englishman to write a love letter to okra to school me and help me realize I'd just scratched it's spiny surface.I now live in Southern CA and okra is hard to come by. I grow my own in 10 gallon pots in my patio garden but there's never enough room for the taproot so mine end up spindly. I don't get to see the plants in all their glory. But they do produce! And occasionally, our Farmer's Market will have okra and I serve as the official Okra Lobbyist trying to dispel the negative reactions and offer recipes while filling my bag. Thanks to Chris, I'll now have more to share. "The Whole Okra" is educational, entertaining, and beautifully written. I'm savoring his writing the same way I savor my okra and can't wait to try some of the recipes and techniques for using the whole plant.

The Whole Okra is enthralling, literally from seed to stem! Whether you love okra or hate it, you will love this book. Smith is an excellent storyteller who weaves humor and wit throughout this meticulously researched book. While it is jam-packed with valuable information each page is entertaining and beautifully illustrated. Gardeners will be endlessly rewarded with Smith’s first-hand experience growing many dozens of varieties of okra; and cooks will be inspired by the unique recipes developed by well-regarded chefs. Smith provides bountiful information on using all parts of the plant from microgreens to flowers to fermented pods. And readers of all ages can enjoy making okra crafts from holiday ornaments to cosmetics. I’ve grown and cooked okra for more than four-decades and still learned a tremendous amount from the exceptional text and enjoyed every minute of it!

I heard Chris Smith interviewed by Margaret Roach on her podcast, and I knew I had to read this book. I have a long (and ever-growing) reading list, so I thought "why okra"? The truth is, I have always been both health and earth-conscious, and wanted to read this thorough exploration of this humble and misunderstood vegetable. The book, though the main character is definitely Okra, is also about sustainability, food security, and dealing with an unknown future in the face of climate change. Chris, please keep exploring, seed saving, and writing! This is an AMAZING read, and I am looking forward to more! PS- I haven't tried the recipes yet, but as soon as my okra is ready next summer, it is happening!

I happen to love Okra fixed in any way, but even if you believe okra is a slimy vegetable, you will enjoy the interesting stories about okra and how the author has been researching varieties. Recipes included that I can’t wait to try.

A friend loaned this book to me to read while I went through a long chemo infusion. Another friend who went with me, also an okra devotee, was reading it and we were talking back and forth about all the wonderful things we found inside. A gentleman and his wife in the infusion chair across from us couldn't help but hear us cackling on about it. When they got up to leave, he asked us for the title and author so he could order it. Then both my friend and I ordered it before I returned the book to its owner. I keep recommending it, so of course I think you should get one too!

I'm an Okra lover, but I never knew there was so much to know about Okra. Really well research and enjoyable book.