Garden Fresh Sauteed Okra

In case you didn't know, we Southerners have somewhat of a thing for okra. 

Traditionally it's served cut and fried, along with black eyed peas, fried chicken, and the like.  It is also commonly served pickled or simmered on the stove top with tomatoes.  Personally I've never really cared for it unless it was fried. But while walking through the farmers market over the weekend, we picked up some small tender okra and decided to try it using a different cooking method. 

After halving each pod lengthwise, I heated up the stainless sautee pan and coated it very lightly with half olive oil/ canola oil.  On medium, medium-high heat, I sauteed the okra to keep the outside crispy (not mushy like okra generally tends to be) yet cooked through.  When nearly done, I tossed in a bit of fresh finely diced garlic until lightly browned, sea salt, and fresh ground mixed peppercorn. 

The result?  Let's just say if you like fried okra, wait 'til you taste this...