Ingredients
Grilled Okra
6 ounces okra
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 ear corn, kernels sliced off cob
Tomato shrimp vinaigrette (recipe below)
1 tablespoon chopped scallion
Few leaves fresh basil, torn
Flaky sea salt
Tomato Shrimp Vinaigrette
6 tablespoons ground dried shrimp*
3 tablespoons cane syrup (Poirier’s or Three Brothers Farms recommended)
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tomato, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chili powder, toasted
Salt and pepper
*Buy these at an Asian grocery store or online.
Coal-Cooked Sweet Potato
1 sweet potato
1 tablespoon cane syrup (Poirier’s or Three Brothers Farms recommended)
Flaky sea salt
Sliced Tomatoes with Cane Vinegar
1 large, locally grown tomato
2 ounces cane vinegar
A few shiso leaves
Peach Hot Sauce
1 ripe peach
1 tablespoon pickled Tabasco peppers
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon cane syrup (Poirier’s or Three Brothers Farms recommended)
Bread and Butter Pickles
1 pound pickling cucumbers, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 cup salt, divided
½ gallon ice
1 quart cider vinegar
1 quart white vinegar
1 cup cane sugar
1 tablespoon toasted whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon toasted whole black peppercorns
1 chile de árbol
Directions
Grilled Okra
Prepare a charcoal grill with a half-chimney of coals. Skewer okra and brush with olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill for a few minutes per side, until charred and tender. Transfer okra to a bowl and toss with corn, tomato shrimp vinaigrette, scallion, and basil. Finish with sea salt.
Tomato Shrimp Vinaigrette
In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients. Puree just until combined, but mixture still has a chunky texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Coal-Cooked Sweet Potato
- Wrap sweet potato in foil. Prepare a charcoal grill. Once coals are fully lit, place sweet potato among them. Let cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes, turning potato halfway through cook time.
- Using a knife and a towel to protect your hands, open potato, and slice into chunks. Finish with a drizzle of cane syrup and sprinkle of sea salt.
Sliced Tomatoes with Cane Vinegar
Cut tomato into thick wedges and dress with cane vinegar and shiso leaves.
Peach Hot Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
Bread and Butter Pickles
- Combine cucumbers with ½ cup salt, ice, and 1 gallon water and refrigerate overnight.
- In a medium pan, combine remaining ingredients with ½ cup water and remaining ½ cup salt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as pickling brine boils, remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Drain cucumbers and submerge in cooled pickling brine. Allow to sit in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
Mississippi Meets Mekong 
Fried Catfish 
The Classic Meat and Three 
Joe Kindred’s Golden Rules for Frying Whole Flounder 