Okra and Butter Bean Salad

Dressing 

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• a few shakes of pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp ketchup

Mix ingredients in a jar and shake well

Salad

• 1 oz salt pork or thick bacon
• 16 oz fresh butterbeans, cooked OR 16 oz package of frozen petite butter beans or baby lima beans
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 8 oz grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 pounds of fresh okra, ends trimmed.
• 8 oz crumbled blue cheese (or feta cheese, but I prefer blue)
• 8 oz of crispy bacon, crumbled 

Directions

1. Fill a large saucepan with 4 cups of water.  Simmer salt pork or bacon in water for 20 minutes.  Remove pork.
2. Add butter beans to water and allow to simmer for 10-15min, or until butter beans are soft, but not mushy.  DO NOT BOIL.
3. If using frozen okra, add bag to butter beans and stir quickly.  Immediately drain into colander into sink.  May need to rinse with warm water if steam from butter beans does not fully warm the okra.
4. If using fresh okra, add to butter beans and stir…allowing to cook 1-2 minutes before draining.  Rinse well.
5. Allow butter bean and okra mixture to sit for several minutes in colander to drain well and reach room temperature.
6. Add mixture to large bowl and top with onion and tomato. Before serving, drizzle ¾ to all of dressing mixture over vegetables and toss well.
7. Top salad with blue cheese and bacon.