Okra gumbo again ...

[Robin Garr]

Another take on okra gumbo, a regular part of our summer garden rotation. This time with sliced okra, browned aromatics, Cajun spice and fresh tomato concassé.

[David M. Bueker]

Must...refrain...from...comment...

[Robin Garr]

Must...refrain...from...comment...

It's okay, David!

(Reference to a Facebook discussion about whether a gumbo that doesn't use roux can be called "gumbo" at all.) My take is that gumbo is like pahd thai or burgoo or Italian "gravy" or other good things that come from po' folks cuisine: Every household has its own family recipe, and they're generally similar but different. I'm okay with roux gumbo, file gumbo, okra gumbo (like this one) or any combination. A roux-based okra gumbo is wonderful, but it takes longer and fires up the kitchen even more on a hot summer night.

I base this in part on having learned Cajun cooking through a three-week stage (not intended as such, but it worked out that way) working with an older, African-American Cajun chef in a church soup kitchen for homeless people (and the general public) in Lafayette, La., and secondarily on having cooked my way through Paul Prudhomme's K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen when it was new.

David's definition, based on family ties through marriage, is ... more strict.

I don't think either of us has a lock on gumbo wisdom, but I have no objection to opening this topic up for discussion.

I don't care how you make it - if it has okra in it, I'm not eatin' it!