Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Carefully wipe down your okra pods with a dry paper towel. Trim the stem, and slice them about 1/4"-1/2" thick - no thicker! You should end up with about 2.5 to 3 cups of sliced okra.

Mix the kefir (or buttermilk) and egg together with a whisk, and stir in your okra. Let it set for about 3-4 minutes while you do the next step.

Combine the panko, cornmeal, and Old Bay in a shallow bowl. Line a jelly roll pan or a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. (For good measure, I also added a light spritz of Bertolli's 100% Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil Spray, to make sure the breaded okra wouldn't stick.)

Using a slotted spoon, remove some of the okra from the egg mixture and dredge it in the cornmeal/ panko mixture. Make sure that it is thoroughly covered, and then put the breaded okra on the foil covered pan or baking sheet. Try to keep the okra in a single layer - although it is ok if some of it clumps together. Repeat with the rest of your okra.

Bake for 40 minutes, turning the okra slices over about half-way through.

Serve them promptly. When they are crisp and golden brown, there is nothing better!