Goodies, Gumbo, and Gastropods

Tomatoes ripening

Goodies from our CSA box

I love purple flowers

Today was a busy day in the garden plot. We transplanted an opportunistic berry vine to along the back fence. We also removed a record number of slugs from the garden. Tomorrow we declare war on the gastropods! The flowers are blooming and the tomatoes are finally beginning to show colors other than green. We reseeded the salad bowl container with mixed lettuce. We did lots of weeding too, darn those danelions!

Also today was CSA box pickup. Our box from the farm contained all kinds of wonderful organic fruits and veggies. We got 2 kinds of lettuce, spinach, green onions, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, plums, nectarines, mango, avocados, apricots, and raspberries. Everything is beautifully fresh and chemical free!

Today for dinner we tricked the kids into eating 10 veggies! How you may ask. We made a seafood gumbo loaded with goodness. What is this wonder recipe? (We used all the veggies and some seafood)

Julie Ann's Adaptable Gumbo:
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp flour
1 large onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 lb okra
4 large roma tomatoes finely chopped, with juice
(or a large can of organic diced tomato, with juice)
1-2 quarts of stock (veggie, chicken, clam juice or a combo)
1-3 cups of greens, roughly chopped (amaranth, spinach, collards, chard, etc)
salt/pepper
hot pepper sauce
Woestershire sauce
Parsley, fresh, finely chopped
For carnivores: 1/2 lb shrimp or shellfish, 1/2 lb white fish cubed, 1/4 lb porkchop or use more of any one or two.
For veggivores: 1/2 lb eggplant (salted & rinsed), 1/2 lb squash, 1/2 lb green beans or use more of any one or two.
For omnivores: see above and pick about 1 & 1/2 lb of your favorites.

1. Make roux: heat 3 tbsp. of oil in small pan over medium heat. Mix in flour and stir well. Lower heat slightly. Watch carefully and stir occassionally until the color of dark caramel. Turn off.

2. Heat remaining oil in large nonreactive pan or pot. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic, okra, and carnivore/veggivore/omnivore options, except shrimp. Saute over low-med heat until meat/fish looses raw appearance and veggies begin to tenderize. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Add roux. Stir well and cook 2 minutes.

3. Add stock. If you like a thicker gumbo, use 1 quart. If you like a thinner souplike gumbo, use 2 quarts. Cook 15 minutes. Now add greens. Cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp, if using. Cook until thoroughly pink.

4. Season to taste with salt/pepper, hot pepper sauce, and woestershire sauce.

5. Serve over favorite rice or grain, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. This is also yummy with fresh bread to sop up the juice. Enjoy!

The pumpkin trying to escape the garden fence was heard to exclaim, "Get me away from these slugs!"