Stewed Tomato and Okra Gumbo with Brown Rice

My father-in-law grew a lot of okra this year so that means we've had to find something to do with a lot of okra!  Noah and Taylor like it raw in their salads- but no on else signs up for that!  A second use we've found is making Stewed Tomato and Okra Gumbo.  The rest of it gets cut up and frozen (you can it freeze raw- just wash and cut up).

Matthew, who is not an okra fan, was hesitant when he took his first bite... but his expression quickly turned into one of delight!

Brown rice is another safe grain for Matthew, so we coupled that with our gumbo, plus a small salad to complete the meal.

Simple Summer Recipe:

• 1 28oz can organic tomato sauce
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5-6 large fresh tomatoes or 10+ Roma tomatoes
• (in the winter, substitute canned organic diced or stewed tomatoes)
• fresh basil and thyme (fresh or dried)
• garlic to taste
• sea salt to taste
• (experiment with chili powder and cayenne for a spicier palette)

Many recipes call for cooking the okra first then mixing, but I prefer the easier method of getting all ingredients and dump them into a big stainless steel pot and let all the flavors cook and simmer together.  The okra is soft when it turns from bright green to darker green.  Serve over a bed or brown rice.