I'm gonna guess you've never had okra cooked properly. I think it's great in vegetable soup, and if fried properly so it's not slimey.
Just a thought on your peppers have you ever tried to pot them and put them in a window seal?
I have a really tiny house so no where to really put it. I wish we had a bay window to put them in.
Mine is finally all planted, ill try and rmbr to get some pics tmrw.