Mpamies (Greek Style Okra)
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Greeks love their tomatoes. Almost any vegetable side dish is made with fresh or canned tomatoes and a nice long simmer or roasting. Tomatoes get nice and sweet when they are cooked for a long period of time, and they add some oomph to otherwise boring vegetables. Mpamies (BAHM-yes), or okra, are probably my favorite vegetable the “Greek” way. Unfortunately I have a very hard time finding fresh okra here for some reason. And, the frozen variety is sliced, which I am not a fan of in a dish like this. So you better believe that whenever I find a decent amount of good looking, fresh okra mpamies are made.
I make green beans the exact same way I make mpamies. I also make peas very similarly, using frozen peas but using a plentiful amount of dill instead of parsley. If you want, you can throw in some potatoes (which I prefer in the green beans and the okra) or some fresh sliced mushrooms (which I prefer in the peas).
Greek-Style Stewed Vegetables
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1.5 cups crushed tomatoes
1.5-2 cups water
1.5 lb. okra or green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add green beans, water, crushed tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat a little, keeping it bubbling, to cook and thicken. It will take about 30-40 minutes. Add water or tomatoes as necessary.