Meet Vivian Howard from “A Chef’s Life”

Have you ever dreamed of selling everything and moving to a slower-paced town?  I have to be honest, we have entertained that idea a couple times!  It always gets back to what type of work would we do!  I’d love to have a farm where we grow our own food – but let’s be realistic here, I don’t know if I am cut out for that.  But one woman, Chef Vivian Howard surely is!  I love her story and think you will too – along with the tasty okra recipe she shared with us!

PBS’s A Chef’s Life, the character-driven docu-series that takes viewers inside the life and kitchen of Chef Vivian Howard and her two restaurants located in the low country of eastern North Carolina.

In 2005, Vivian, and her now husband Ben Knight decided to return to Vivian’s roots to open a farm to fork restaurant in the small town of Kinston, NC. They opened Chef & the Farmer in the summer of 2006 serving local, seasonal, creative cuisine. Over the past four years, Chef Howard has developed strong relationships with local farmers making it possible to source over 70% of the restaurant’s foodstuffs from within 60 miles. Chef & the Farmer has become beloved by locals and a destination for diners all over the state. (courtesy of pbs.org).

Oven Okra Fries

1 pound okra, split or quartered lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

12 turns black pepper

Preheat your oven to 400. In a medium bowl, toss the okra with the olive oil, coriander, salt and black pepper. Spread the okra onto your largest baking pan or two pans if necessary. What’s important is that the okra touch and overlap very little. If they are all piled on top of each other, they will steam, not roast.

Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your oven. After 10 minutes, toss the okra gently with a spatula and rotate your pans if you are using 2. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes. When the okra is done, it will be brown and crispy in a lot of places but shouldn’t smell burned. Serve warm or at room temperature as a snack. Sometimes I like to have a creamy dip with these.

Be sure to check out PBS A Chef’s Life on your local PBS Station.  Check local listings for times.