Bloody Mary with Pickled Okra

The theme for this month’s Creative Cooking Crew challenge, hosted Joan of Foodalogue and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks, “Pickle It”. When I think of pickled my mind goes to okra. I love pickled okra, I can snack on it all day, but I love to top off a Bloody Mary with pickled okra!

• For the Bloody Mary
• 4 cups good quality tomato juice
• 5 jiggers good quality vodka
• ½ teaspoon Celery Salt
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco Spicy Worcestershire Sauce
• Juice of half a lime
• 10 dashes of Tabasco
• Garnish:
• Celery Stalk (use as an organic stirrer)
• Spicy Beans
• Olives (I like the stuffed ones)
• Pickled Okra
• Lime Wedges
• For the Pickled Okra
• 1 pound okra, rinsed
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 Hot peppers of choice
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon dill seeds
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1. For the Bloody Mary
2. Combine vodka, tomato juice, limejuice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, 1 cup of ice cubes, and salt and pepper to taste, shake in a cocktail shaker.
3. Strain it into a tall glass filled with ice cubes.
4. Garnish your Bloody Mary with a celery stalk, a couple of spicy beans, two jalapeño stuffed olives, and a pickled okra spear.
5. For the Pickled Okra
6. Wash okra under cold running water.
7. Trim stem ends of okra, leaving at least ⅓-inch of the cap intact. Soak okra in ice water for 1 hour, drain, and pat dry.
8. Bring vinegar, water, salt and spices to a boil. Once boiling, turn off heat.
9. Pack the okra snugly in the jar.
10. Tuck the garlic cloves and peppers in.
11. Pour the hot brine over the beans.
12. Let the jar sit until it cooled, about an hour.
13. Refrigerate and enjoy.

Make sure to visit Foodalogue on September 30th to see what everyone else in the group pickled!