Mary Randolph may have given the first printed recipe for okra and tomatoes in her early-nineteenth-century The Virginia House-Wife, but evidence shows that the dish was no doubt popular in a number of Southern states years before—despite a lingering fear with some that tomatoes might be poisonous and should be cooked “with great care” and “eaten sparingly.” That tomatoes from Central America and okra from Africa were eventually paired has to be one of the most unlikely marriages in Southern cookery; it’s also one of the most sensible combinations, with the smooth texture of the okra neutralizing the acidity of the tomatoes. Although this is the ultimate dish for true okra lovers, I’m well aware that there are thousands of timid eaters (Southerners and outsiders alike) who have a horror of okra’s slimy texture; and when I see the way okra and tomatoes are so often overcooked almost to a mush, I can’t much blame them. Here the two vegetables are stewed just till soft, yielding a dish that’s not just succulent but worthy of the most sophisticated tables. If you still feel the vegetables could use a little “tightening,” just stir in a few dry bread crumbs. Many recipes call for adding sugar to okra and tomatoes, but I find this a ludicrous sacrilege.