Chef Mee McCormick made Heirloom Tomato and Crispy Okra Salad. (see recipe below) Pinewood Kitchen and Mercantile is located at 4951 TN-48, Nunnelly, TN 37137. Don’t miss the Farm Tour and Cooking Class on Sunday September 15th from 4-6:30pm, which includes a 5-course dinner. For tickets and more information, visit www.pinewoodkitchenandmercantile.com or call (931) 729-4562. Follow Chef Mee McCormick and Pinewood on Instagram @meeemccormick and @pinewoodkitchenandmercantile, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pinewoodstore/.
Heirloom Tomato, Crispy Okra & Arugula Salad with Vegan Chipotle Dressing
Okra is all about supporting our gut health & eating seasonally from Pinewood Farms is what Pinewood Kitchen is all about.
1 lb of okra cut in rounds
3 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil
2 bunches of fresh arugula washed and torn
3 medium heirloom tomatoes of any variety
1/2 red onion cut in thin half moons
1/2 cup grated carrots
4 pieces of organic bacon chopped or coconut bacon
Goat cheese crumbles (optional)
In a hot cast iron skillet add olive oil, add okra. If you are using bacon cook bacon first, then drain off extra fat and set bacon aside to cool - once it cools chop into bite size pieces. Return skillet to heat, adding okra and olive oil if needed. Cook until brown and crispy- about 8 minutes. Set okra aside on a plate.
Vegan Chipotle Dressing
½ cup blanched almond slivers, or 1/2 cup of raw cashews soaked for minimum two hours, drained and rinsed.
(If you have a nut allergy you can replace them with 1 cup of grape-seed oil veganaise)
2 ½ tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove
1 chipotle from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce.
Put all ingredients in a high power blender or nutribullet and blend until creamy. If too thick add another tbsp of water until correct consistency. Combine rest of salad ingredients, add bacon & okra and toss with dressing.
