Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the okra, and drain on a kitchen towel. The okra should be dry. Trim away the stem ends and the tips, just the very ends, and each in the middle. Salt and pepper to taste, and toss with the olive oil and thyme until coated.

Place on a sheet pan in one layer. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until browned. The okra should be lightly browned and tender, with a nice seared aroma. If you don’t want it to brown as much, set the oven at 400 degrees.

Remove from the heat. Transfer to a platter. Serve hot.