I've never done it that way, so I don't have an answer, but here is an article NCHFP Freezing Okra. It appears after blanching you would not need the egg and milk to get the cornmeal to stick. The harvest forum had many threads on okra, and there are others here on the Oklahoma forum. Alot of people "blanch" in the oven. I cooked some that way last year, breaded and baked, since I'm not much of a fry person. Here's Dawns instructions from another thread which I think answers your question: posted by: okiedawn on 07.29.2010 at 03:59 pm in Oklahoma Gardening Forum Keith, I like to oven blanch it first. TO OVEN BLANCH: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the okra, remove the caps and bottom ends and slice crosswise into 1/2" thick slices. Lay in a single layer on cookie sheets and blanch for 5 to 10 minutes. I think 5 is fine but sometimes I leave it for a bit longer, not necessarily intentionally, but since I'm usually doing several things simultaneously as I 'put up' the harvest, I sometimes lose track of the time, esp. if I forgot to set the oven timer. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let okra pieces cool. Once cook, pack into freezer bags or plastic freezer containers, seal and label. Do not decide to nibble just one piece after it comes out of the oven, or you'll end up munching on all of it and will have nothing left to go into the freezer. Big fat okra chips are every bit as good as potato chips, esp. if you sprinkle them with salt or your favorite spice mix. [Note: It is not my fault if you consume all your newly-blanched okra in this manner.] TO BLANCH IN BOILING WATER: If you prefer to blanch in boiling water, use 1 gallon of water for every pound of okra you have to blanch. Divide pods by size into two groups--those 3" or smaller and those larger than 3" and blanch the smaller ones for 3 minutes and the larger ones for 5 minutes. After they cool, you can pack them into bags or containers whole, or can slice them into 1/2" pieces. Seal, label, freeze. You can freeze it plain and bread it after removing it from the freezer. Just bread it without thawing it, and then cook it immediately. Or, you can bread it before freezing it. TO BREAD: After using the blanching method of your choice, you can bread the okra any way you wish, using your favorite breading recipe, and then freeze it in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once the individual pieces are frozen, remove from cookie sheet and place in freezer bags or containers, label and seal. When you're ready to cook it, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw a tiny bit as the oil heat up, then cook as usual. When breading, you can keep it simple by just dredging it through cornmeal, or flour if you don't use cornmeal, or a combination of flour and cornmeal. You can dip the okra in milk or egg before dipping it into the breading mix....just fix it like you were going to fry it immediately. You can sprinkle it with salt and pepper if you want, or mix in salt and pepper with your breading material. FREEZE IT: At this point, some people freeze it in single layers as is on the cookie sheets, then move it to containers to place in the freezer. OR PARTIALLY FRY IT: Some people like to fry it a little bit, just until the breading shows the first hint of golden brown color, then freeze it on a cookie sheet and then place in freezer containers.

Herbs which go in/with lamb: Basil, Bay, Caraway, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Dill, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon balm, Horseradish, Hyssop, Marjoram, Mint, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme. There are many more, and it's a matter of personal preference. I quite like a roast leg of lamb which is cooked with lavender instead of rosemary. Just lay the sprigs on and around the roast. Also look around for Moroccan dishes, or other Middle Eastern or Mediterranean dishes, including Greek. Just a few non-mint ways of serving lamb for you: Anise Hyssop Sauce 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup coarsely chopped anise hyssop leaves and florets Combine sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and add the chopped herb and boil very briefly. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Pour through a strainer, pressing against the pulp with a wooden spoon. Serve with roast lamb or veal. Lemongrass Lamb Chop on Sauteed Choy Sum For each lamb chop: 1 teaspoon lemongrass, finely chopped 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon garlic, minced salt to taste Mix ingredients to create dry rub for each lamb chop. Marinate lamb chop overnight. Pan fry to desired taste. Souvlakia 2 onions 3 green capsicums 2-3kg leg of lamb, boned and cubed 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled 1/2 cup olive oil 3 bay leaves 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3 garlic cloves, minced juice of 2 lemons 1 cup dry white wine 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 6 tomatoes, quartered Cut onions into quarters and separate layers. Cut capsicums into quarters, and cut each quarter in half. Combine all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a shallow roasting pan, mixing well so that meat is completely coated. Marinate in refrigerator for several hours. Take out of refrigerator and let sit out about 20 minutes to come to room temperature. Before cooking, add tomatoes to marinade and mix well to coat with juices. Place meat cubes on skewers, alternating with capsicum pepper slices, onion slices, and tomato wedges. Lay skewers in pan with marinade, turning several times. Put skewered lamb on a rack over pan containing marinade and place under preheated griller. Turn several times during cooking and baste with marinade from pan. Cooking time depends on your taste. For medium rare allow about 15-18 minutes. Alternatively you can barbecue lamb using marinade as the basting sauce. Serve skewers on plates with rice pilaf. Swedish Roast Lamb 1.5-2kg leg of lamb salt and pepper 1 cup strong coffee 1/4 cup cream 1 teaspoon sugar water 1 1/2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly Rub salt and pepper into the flat surface of the lamb. Roast at 180°C for 50 minutes per kilo plus an extra 25 minutes. After an hour, pour in the coffee, which has been mixed with the cream and sugar. Baste the lamb occasionally during remaining cooking time. Transfer lamb to a platter and keep hot. Skim fat from the pan juices, add enough water to make a gravy from the remaining drippings. When the gravy has boiled and reduced until thickened, add the redcurrant jelly. Horseradish Leg of Lamb 1 leg of lamb, boned, butterflied 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons horseradish 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper Preheat oven to 150°C. Pierce lamb generously with fork. In a non-metal baking dish, combine vinegar, horseradish, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Coat all sides of lamb in marinade, then place roast flat; spoon any remaining marinade into center of meat. Roll up meat from short side to make a 25cm long roll, 12cm wide. Tie meat several times along length of roll with string. Place rolled lamb into a baking pan. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until done as desired, brushing with pan juices every 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove string; place roll on serving platter. Cut into 1cm slices to serve. Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Herbs 1 clove garlic salt and pepper to taste 2 small shallots, finely chopped 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary 4 sprigs dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac juice of 1 lemon 60ml extra-virgin olive oil 8 double lamb cutlets Crush the garlic with the salt, then combine with the pepper, shallot, herbs, sumac and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk in the oil to make a thick, pungent dressing. Heat a griddle or barbecue to its highest setting. Brush the cutlets very lightly with a little of the dressing, then cook for 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Towards the end of the cooking time brush on a little more of the dressing. Serve the cutlets hot from the grill with the remaining dressing on the side. Sweet Spicy Moroccan Lamb 4 lamb steaks, diced 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 medium onion, diced 1 cup vegetable stock 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 eggplant, cut into 1cm cubes 1 carrot, sliced 5 dried apricots, diced 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon paprika In a flame-proof casserole dish, heat the oil, then add the lamb and brown. Add the allspice, ground ginger, cinnamon and paprika, combining well to ensure the meat is coated in the spices. Add onion, garlic, vegetable stock, eggplant and carrot, then cover and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Add lemon juice and apricots, stir through and serve. Lamb Chops with Herbs 4 lean lamb chops 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped Trim fat from lamb chops; sprinkle with pepper. Combine chives, parsley and rosemary; press herb mixture on each side of chops. Coat a non-stick frypan with cooking spray, place over medium heat until hot. Add lamb chops, and cook for 10 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Rosemary, Lemon and Mustard Lamb Cutlets 1/4 cup white wine 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons lemon juice 12 lamb cutlets, French trimmed 600g orange sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces olive oil spray 2 teaspoons olive oil 100g baby spinach leaves 1 small red onion, thinly sliced Whisk together the wine, mustard, rosemary and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the lamb and turn to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the sweet potato, in a single layer, on the lined tray. Lightly spray with olive oil spray. Season with pepper. Roast, turning once, for 30 minutes or until sweet potato is tender and golden. Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on high. Lightly spray both sides of the lamb with oil spray. Cook on grill for 2 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Combine the oil and remaining lemon juice in a jug. Combine the sweet potato, spinach and onion in a bowl. Drizzle over dressing. Toss to combine. Divide the lamb and salad among serving plates. Serve immediately.

I know the LC pieces I have warn against heating past medium. I've pushed the envelope a bit occassionally, but I'd be hesitant to heat it "screaming hot." Lodge or other CI is cheap, LC is not. I'd not risk it. I like to sear in a skillet, too, One thing I've found is that this method is not ideal if there's a bone involved because the meat quickly shrinks enough to create a small airspace next to the bone. Wonder if others have had this problem. I also tend to like my strip side slightly more done than the tenderloin side, so that presents issues of its own. So I rarely buy Porterhouse, but I'll be happy to order it at a steak house that knows what they're doing better than I do. :) John - Glad your meal worked out. My guess is your "pretty ok" is "pretty excellent" by most people's standards. Interesting about your eel concoction. MC@H mentions using fish sauce to mimic some of the nuances of aged steak, but I don't recall if they marinate it for a while, or how long. Unfortunately I can't locate that cookbook (or much of anything cooking related) to look it up, as my kitchen is still not back together.

o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by walnutcreek (My Page) on Sun, Feb 12, 12 at 16:05 CHICKEN IN HEAVENLY WINE SAUCE 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon crushed dry oregano 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms 1 cup Marsala wine 1/2 cup sherry wine Clean and rinse chicken, place between sheets of plastic wrap and using the side of a square mallet pound chicken breast to 1/4 inch thickness. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano. Coat chicken pieces with the flour mixture. In a large skillet, melt butter in the oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan and lightly brown, then turn over chicken pieces and add mushrooms and any remaining flour mixture. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover Skillet and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer,and cook for 10 minutes, turning chicken once, cook until no longer pink. Serve over egg noodles or your favorite pasta, topped with the wine sauce. Serves 4 SPICY WINE MUSTARD 3/4 cup brown mustard seeds 3/4 cup yellow mustard seeds 1 cup white wine vinegar 1 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup EVOO 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons dry mustard (Coleman's) 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 - 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Put all ingredients into a deep, medium-sized bowl, stir well, cover and leave on countertop at room temperature, stirring once or twice, for 24 hours. Transfer bowl contents to a food processor puree until creamy. Transfer mustard to jars, seal tightly and refrigerate. Makes about 3 cups. APPLE, CHICKEN, AND WINE 1 whole fryer chicken 1 whole apple 1 cup apple juice or 1 cup white wine Salt and pepper Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the inside of the chicken. Put the whole apple inside the chicken cavity. Place chicken breast side down in a crock pot. Pour apple juice or wine around the chicken. Cook on low 4-6 hours. SHALLOT AND WINE BUTTER 1 shallot, finely chopped 3/4 cup dry red wine 4 oz butter cut into small pieces Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Bring the shallots and wine to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Boil until all the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, salt, and pepper until the mixture is smooth except for the pieces of shallot. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. To serve with steak, top each steak with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the butter. BLACKBERRY WINE CAKE 1 Duncan Hines white cake mix 1 3-oz. box blackberry Jell-O 1/2 cup salad oil 4 eggs 1 cup blackberry wine 1/2 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients except pecans. Mix on low speed until moistened then on high for 2 minutes. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle pecans on bottom and side of pan. Spoon batter to cover pecans. Bake 1 hour. GLAZE: 2/3 stick butter 1/2 c. blackberry wine 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar Combine butter, sugar, and wine, bring to boil. Punch holes in cake with ice pick and pour half of glaze over cake while in pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Turn out and pour glaze over cake. PARMESAN WINE RICE 1 tablespoon butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup uncooked rice 1 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until translucent. Stir in broth, rice and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in grated Parmesan and serve warm. Serves 4 o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 13, 12 at 10:28 A big Thank You to all that participated in this thread, there are some really good recipes here. I just pulled a name for the next Cookalong. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ bbstx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please choose the next focus ingredient. Try to pick something you have a special interest in. If it happens to be something that has been covered in the older Cookalongs, that's fine, especially if it is basic. All the older Cookalong threads are in the FAQ. Think about Seasonal, Fresh, Basic, and Readily available ingredients.... If you have questions, you can email me through GW. I will check back here and then set up the new Cookalong. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by foodonastump (My Page) on Mon, Feb 13, 12 at 12:51 A little late, but I think worth mentioning here. I had been meaning to try this since I first chose wine for the cookalong. Recent conversations about mussels and fennel finally got me to do it today for lunch. I winged it but here's approximately what I did: Saute about 3/4 cup small-diced fennel and a minced shallot in butter with a pinch of salt. Add some thyme, a pinch of saffron, and 1.5 cups or so wine. (I used Gewuertztraminer, as recommended in Patricia Wells' "The Paris Cookbook" for its slightly sweet note.) Reduce wine by half and add scrubbed mussels. Steam for about 3 minutes or until they open. If some open earlier than others remove them so they don't overcook. Once all the mussels are done, remove them from the pan and add a dollop or two of creme fraiche to the broth. Adjust seasoning to taste. I think that's about all I did. I ended up eating the full 2.5 pound bag, plus half a baguette to sop up the sauce. It was awesome! o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 13, 12 at 15:42 The next topic is #41 - Greens - Cooked and Raw Here is a link Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #41 Greens, Cooked and Raw o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 19, 12 at 8:19 I'm reporting back way late on my cooking with wine attempt. I made Ruthanna's French Bean Soup, and know it would have been wonderful if......I didn't burn it. Yes, I actually managed to burn soup. We were up in Oklahoma where I have a substandard set of pots and pans, basically camping gear, cause I don't want to spend a lot of money on another set of pots and pans. Anyway, the soup pot I used is very thin aluminum. It was already cooked earlier in the day, and tasting delicious. DH had to go on an errand, and while he was gone, I turned the soup back on to heat up for dinner, and sat down with my cross stitch. Big mistake. When DH got home, he headed for the kitchen,stirred the soup, and announced, "Did you know the soup is burning?" Aaahg! Oh, well, it was still edible, and I'll definitely make it again, but I was very disappointed that I did something so stupid. Ruthanna, I think I'm drawn to your recipes. I'm sure I've made more than one other of your recipes. If you had a cookbook, I'd probably buy it. I do have one question about the recipe. In the last part of the instructions you say to remove the cinnamon sticks, but there are no cinnamon sticks mentioned anywhere else in the recipe. I didn't have any, so I added a dash of cinnamon to the soup. Sally o RE: Cookalong #40 - Wine clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 24, 12 at 0:53 I'm late checking back here too...I did make the dessert that Lindac posted. Oh man was it good!! My group loved it. Photobucket I have my eye on several recipes posted here that's for sure. Glad to see the cookalongs back in action. David