The okra I eat has usually been picked that day or very recently; I started growing it because my next door neighbor was having trouble growing it. I thought "how difficult can it be?" and put in four plants - and as a result sometimes had to pick twice a day to keep up with it. I gave her most of it, and suggested that she should show me how she cooks it (not boiled!) because I hadn't eaten it that I could remember. Her fried okra was an instant hit. Cut into about 1/2 inch pieces on a bit of a diagonal, moist pieces rolled in seasoned cornmeal (fish fry is good) with a little white flour for sticking purposes. Place in a skillet in shallow hot corn oil, and don't crowd the pieces. They cool on a plate with paper towels and many of them are eaten at the stove by the cook. If I'm here by myself they sometimes never reach the table.