Homemade Gumbo in the Freezer is like Money in the Bank!

             This has been a bit of a crappy week.  I have felt horrible: headache, sore throat, weak.  See- sawing between being hot, being cold and both at the same time.  Pretty much like the outdoor temperature,  although today is quite nice. We have had the darkest April on record which may have something to do with the general failure of my seedlings.  Germination and death or germination and stunted growth seems to be the theme.  I may have to scrap starting my plants by seeds this year.  Sure, I will be able to find herbs, coleus, marigolds even an heirloom tomato or two.  Will I be able to find purple okra, red corn, strawberry spinach etc?  I think not.

My pants that I ordered on line did not fit, even though I have ordered the same size from the same company for years.  The morning paper was not on my porch this morning, or anywhere to be seen. I just killed a bee inside my house and now I worry that I have upset the whole ecosystem.  And I just found out that Johnny Depp was just across the street from me and didn't even bother to visit. Really Johnny? 


I am the biggest baby when it comes to feeling poorly.  Everything is so difficult.  Decisions are nearly  impossible to make.  What color socks to wear today?  What should I have for dinner? 


It is great to open the freezer and find a container of homemade soup just waiting for a day like this.  Pop in the fridge in the morning, whip up a quick cornbread in the evening and presto- Bob's your uncle- you have a bowl of cheer. Brilliant! Suddenly the day is not rainy it's a little bit soft.  Well tuck in!   Hmm...maybe I've watched too much BBC this week.  

The soup I had in the freezer was a gumbo with andouille sausage left over from Marti Gras dinner.  The first time we had the soup I also added some left-over chicken.  This time I am having it with the andouille only for me and the addition of shrimp for Bean.   


Gumbo Soup with Andouille Sausage

• 2 links of Andouille sausage
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, green and yellow (sometimes I use all green or green and red)
• 3/4 lb of okra, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• 15 oz of canned tomatoes, chopped and with juice
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbl creole seasoning ( I made a mix based on Emeril's Essence)
• 1Tbl of Worcestershire sauce 
• vegetable oil - 2T then an additional 1/3 of a cup
• 2/3 cup of flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• green onions, sliced

Heat 2T of oil in the bottom of large heavy saucepan and add the links of andouille sausage to brown about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and add an additional 1/3 cup of oil and the flour to make the roux.  Creole recipes call for the roux to be cooked until it is the color of peanut butter and Cajun recipes, the color of dark chocolate.  This process takes a while, so you can use the time to cut up the vegetables. Then sit down with a cup of tea.

The word gumbo comes from the West African word for okra, so I always like to include some.  Some people think the texture is too gelatinous, but I've never had a problem with it.  Bell peppers, onion and celery are often referred to as the "holy trinity" of Creole and Cajun cooking.

After 30 minutes the roux went from very pale to peanut butter color very quickly.  I cooked it for an additional ten minutes, but it did not get much darker.  I decided to use it as is and added the vegetables.

The vegetables (minus the tomatoes) and garlic were sauted in the roux for about 10 minutes. Yes I know- it looks weird!  The tomatoes, chicken stock and spices were then added to the pot and the mixture was simmered for about 40 minutes.  The sliced andouille and green onions were added to the mix and cooked for 30 minutes more.  Serve over rice.


If the soup looks too thick at any point, you can add some "water sauce".  I remember a couple of pointers from my Uncle Tony when he made his delicious spaghetti sauce: Always saute the tomato paste and the importance of water sauce if it's too thick. 

A little effort on a day when you are feeling chipper will serve you well on a future day when you are decidedly not.

Black- Eyed Pea Soup for the New Year

Happy belated New Year! 

Although my soup making efforts were fairly substantial, my blogging was patchy at best! 

I don't remember any food related traditions in my family for New Year's day, although for New Year's Eve I must have Chinese food.  Black -eyed peas and collard greens are a must for my husband to start the New Year. Eating a bowl of black- eyed peas and collard greens insures a year of luck and prosperity.  I was about to write "If that's true, I hate to think of what our life would have been like without the BEPs & CGs of the last few years", when I realized that we have much to be grateful for. 

What will be the first soup of the new year? I sat around in my new cowboy pajamas, perusing my new cookbook on soups and knocking back a glass of pot liquor. My new pj's were a gift from Johnny Depp. Seriously - that's what the card said!  Thanks Johnny!  The cookbook was from my sister Ann. 400 Soups  edited by Ann Sheasby. The book contains a great collection of recipes and lovely photographs.  The pot liquor was courtesy of Bean and his pot of collard greens.  I wanted to use the rest of the fresh peas for soup that would have a flavor profile that was different than the smoky southern flavor of the dish that we made for New Year's Day.  


 The following soup was based on a recipe in 400 Soups.  The changes I made were to accommodate what I already had available in  my fridge and cupboard.  The soup was very satisfying without being heavy.  I poured the soup into a pretty Japanese bowl that Bean gave me.   My favorite way  to eat soup is sitting on the couch watching TV or a movie with a bowl cupped in my hand and for that a smallish Chinese or Japanese bowl is the way to go. A large rimmed bowl just doesn't work.  I learned that the hard way.  Ouch.

 Black-Eyed Peas with Tomato Broth
  Serves 3- 4

• 1 cup of fresh black-eyed peas  (or canned peas)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• fresh chilies, chopped   ( I used 1 red Fresno and 1 Thai chile)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 1/4 cup of crushed tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock (or chicken)
• couple of cilantro stems chopped
• cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• juice of 1 small lime (or lemon )

Heat oil in soup pan and add the onion and hot peppers and cook for about 8 minutes until the onions are soft.  Add the cumin and turmeric and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the peas, crushed tomatoes, stock and cilantro stems and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the peas are tender. If canned peas are used they may take less time than the fresh peas. Before serving, stir in the lime or lemon juice and the chopped cilantro.  I added a little chopped chilies on top, for additional heat.