White Acre Peas & Okra: Fond Memories

White Acre Peas & Okra

Hi everybody :)

If you've being following my blog from the beginning, you've heard me mentioning my mom a couple times. She would have been 73 this month. She lost her battle with breast cancer back in October 2004. Another milestone...when times like these roll around I cherish the fond memories of her and hold them tightly.

Today I'm sharing one of my fondness memories of her with you. Every Spring and Fall we would plant a garden. Sometimes we would spend hours working in it, just she and I. She love to planted peas, okra, corn, squash, collards, tomatoes, the list goes on and on. Whatever she plant, it just seem to thrive, she definitely was born with a green thumb. I inherited my green thumb for her too, not a year went by without me having a garden...although not as big as the ones we did together but a garden nevertheless.

I remember us shelling peas whenever harvest time rolls around. She would cook some of them to eat then and blanch and freeze the rest for later. I love being in the kitchen watching her cook. I picked up a lot of my cooking talents from her also. Which brings me to today recipe,  so lets get it started...

White Acre Peas & Okra

Ingredients

6 cups peas (I used frozen white acre peas)
1 pound smoked turkey meat: wings, drumstick, (cut into pieces) or tails ( I used turkey tails)
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base, reduced sodium
Water; enough to cover the meat
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cup okra (I used frozen)

Cook smoked turkey meat on simmer in a medium pot with enough water to cover until tender. (I cooked mine for 1 hour.)

Remove from heat, allow to cool enough to remove fat and bones from the meat and return to pot with the stock.

Meanwhile in the same pot with the turkey meat and stock add the peas, chicken base, salt,  pepper and butter. Cook, covered, on simmer until peas are tender. (I cooked mine for 40 minutes.) Remove from heat and add okra.

Gently press okra down into stock and cover with lid. (The heat from the pot will cook the okra.) Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.

Before I go, I want to leave you with a little word of advice; MAKE EVERY MOMENT COUNTS. I didn't know it at the time, but I know now...those moments with her were life timeless treasures and I'm so grateful I had the chance to experience them. Tell your family and friends that you love them, not only tell them but show them. The word;  love is a verb and requires action.

Here's to you, Mom.

ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to  
Tastetastic Thursday @ A Little Nosh
Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage 
 The Mandatory Mooch Tasty Thursday 
Show Case Your Talent @ What's Cooking Love
Carole's Chatter: Peas or Green Beans Food Link Friday