Enjoy the summer season and its fresh abundance of summer vegetables — that bounty includes the Southern staple okra. Whether it’s pickled, fried, smothered, boiled or tossed into a gumbo, Southerners have a devotion to okra that runs deep.

A favorite when served smothered with homegrown tomatoes, okra has become a traditional accompaniment to the Sunday dinner served along the side of a hearty roast.

When it’s time to enjoy the summer favorite, Joan Martin can usually be found at one of the area farmer’s markets filling bags with the popular vegetable. Martin makes it easy on herself and her budget by taking advantage of the abundance of fresh summer vegetables at the markets.

An avid cook, the St. Martinville resident plans ahead for the winter months, making sure she has extra okra stored in the freezer for use in future gumbos and other entrées.

“Now is the time to fill the freezer with okra. I like to make sure I have enough throughout the winter for shrimp and okra gumbo,” she said.

But the slender pod has ventured beyond the gumbo pot and has become a star attraction in many other entrées.

“I like to smoother okra with fresh homegrown tomatoes and bell pepper to keep in the freezer for a quick meal. One of my favorites of the season is a stuffed bell pepper filled with a dressing made with okra, turkey and brown rice,” said Martin. “It’s healthy and good.”

With bags in hand filled with okra, Martin strolled trough the New Iberia Teche Area’s Farmer Market Saturday hoping to make one last purchase. She found more okra at the vendor’s booth of Phil Soprano of Charenton.

“Farmers started cutting okra from their gardens at the end of May and there should be some until late October or until the first frost,” Soprano said. “Okra is one of the summer favorites that we never have any trouble selling.”

Rena Clay, a regular contributor of the Cajun Sugar Co-op and The Daily Iberian Cajun/Creole Cookbook, wont’ let the summer go by without filing her freezer with okra. Clay took a top award in the 2010 cookbook cookoff competition with her Smothered Okra with Tomatoes, Sausage and Shrimp recipe.

“I like to cook the okra down with onions, bell pepper and fresh or canned tomatoes. I prefer cooking it completely before freezing. It saves a step and makes it a little easier when preparing a meal,” said Clay. “The trick to preventing the okra from getting slimy is to add fresh or canned tomatoes while cooking.”

Clay said it is easy to perk up leftovers such as grilled chicken or meatloaf with a side serving of smothered okra or an extra helping of an okra casserole.

“A dressing made with smothered okra, rice and ground beef makes a quick meal,” she said.

Don’t forget about okra served as an appetizer. Picked young and tender from the garden, fried Okra Fingers can be a bit hit as an appetizer at any neighborhood or family gathering. Instead of slicing, fry the pods whole until crisp after they’ve been soaked in buttermilk, rolled in flour and cornmeal. Serve with a dipping sauce of choice.