Sum-Sum-Summa time! I love grilling out… I might have mentioned that already…and I especially love grilling fresh veggies. I’m excited to share with you a brand new experiment — Peppery Grilled Okra with Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce. Normally, I would be frying up these pods (I must say, there’s nothing better than “fried okrie”), but I was intrigued by this recipe and decided to give it a shot. The result was a quick, fresh grilled appetizer that’s light, healthy, and pretty tasty, too!

To get the best results with this recipe — and to avoid okra slime — be sure to rinse and thoroughly dry the okra before grilling. Remove the very tips, but don’t cut through the pods to keep the veggie as crisp as possible. You can cook these on skewers or in a grill pan, but I think the skewered version makes a nice presentation.

Tip: The okra cooks really fast and also cools off really fast, so you’ll want to serve this appetizer immediately for the best flavor and results. Also, cook at a really high heat to get a nice char going. Enjoy!