DIY Network

Good Golly, Great Gumbo! From "Paul James' Home Grown Cooking" episode HGC-118

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It's hard to imagine a good gumbo -- or any hot and spicy New Orleans dish, for that matter -- without okra. As the Creole and Cajun cultures of the "Big Easy" evolved back in the 1700s, okra became a mainstay in the bold dishes that were created.

How did Creole and Cajun cooking begin?

This "cultural gumbo" began when the French settled in the city of New Orleans. In 1766 the city was ceded to the Spaniards, and it wasn't long before the anything-for-love French and hot-blooded Spaniards began to mingle; their children were known as Creoles. Soon, Africans, West Indians and American Indians began to settle the area as well, and they brought with them not only their traditions but their spices. Before you know it, Creole cooking was born. Creoles of the Old South were mostly landowners and slaveholders and were considered aristocrats.

While the Creoles considered themselves the cream of the crop, the Cajuns - descendents of French settlers who were booted out of Nova Scotia - were considered country bumpkins. Cajuns put down roots in the Bayou country as hardworking fishermen, hunters and farmers who had a reputation for partying with their famous rally cry of "let the good times roll."

Planting Okra

The keys to growing okra:

• Don't plant too early. If the soil is warm enough to plant corn or tomatoes, wait a week or two to plant okra. In the South, the temperatures get above 60 degrees in early spring, and that's the time to plant.
• For shorter growing seasons, start the seeds indoors in individual pots six to eight weeks before setting them out.
• Okra seeds are slow to germinate, so give Mother Nature a little nudge by soaking them in water prior to planting.
• Okra needs all the sun it can get, so give the seeds plenty of room: three inches apart in rows three feet apart.
• Make sure to use fertile, well-drained soil.
• One thing to remember about okra plants is do NOT overwater them. An inch to an inch and a half a week should be plenty, and let the soil dry out between soakings.
• The first edible pods should be ready about 60 days after planting, depending on the variety.

• The name okra comes from the language on the Gold Coast of Africa. "Nkruman" was gradually abridged to okra.
• Okra is the first cousin to the hibiscus, which means beautiful blooms right in the middle of a vegetable garden.