They sell vegetables here by big bundles or whole. Sometimes you yourself could half the bundle of long beans to suit your needs but like squash, you have to purchase them whole. I cooked pinakbet last week and a big netted bag of okra was 98 cents. When I offered the extra to my sister she said she purchased them too. They are so cheap this summer but I didn’t want to waste them. So I had to cook them somehow.
I still have a half of a Japanese squash and 3 bittermelons so I thought I’d cook a dish which my Mom normally made. But I went out to get some Chinese okra (patola) as it is one of the ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 cup of sliced pork about 1″ square
1 cup of cleaned shrimps
3 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 cup of broth
2 cups of 1″ cubed squash
3 bittermelons, sliced thinly, diagonally
1 long Chinese okra, skinned and sliced to the size of the bittermelon
dash of black pepper
Patis (fish sauce) to taste
Directions:
Render the fat from the pork. When done set aside the pork on the side of the wok and add the garlic until golden, followed by the sliced onions.
When the onions wilt, add the shrimp until pink. Add the broth and taste and add the patis. When it boils add the squash. Cover.
When squash is almost done, stir and add the sliced bittermelon. Add the dash of black pepper. When the bittermelon is half done, mix and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Add the Chiness okra before serving. Cook Chinese okra for about 3 minutes.
Taking a Deep Breath 