Taking the Gum Out of Gumbo

According to most of okra’s enemies, it’s not the taste that’s the problem--the vegetable is similar to a green bean, but meatier. It’s the texture that’s a turnoff. To put it simply, it’s slimy.

That doesn’t have to be the case if you remember a few guidelines. First, buy smaller okra, at the biggest, about the size of your little finger. Then trim off just the tough stem end. Don’t cut into the pod. Before using okra in a stew-type dish, precook it in water and lemon juice to prevent it from becoming slippery.

Try out this technique in fast-cooking Okra, Tomato and Kielbasa Stew. This recipe has flavors in common with classic Cajun stews but is much easier to prepare. And unlike much of Cajun cooking, this dish is designed to serve two, not a crowd.

Carry out the Louisiana theme with a salad of fresh spinach with remoulade sauce as the dressing. Either buy a bottled sauce or use the recipe that follows.

OKRA, TOMATO AND KIELBASA STEW

1/2 pound kielbasa or similar cooked sausage, sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 pound okra, ends trimmed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Dash hot pepper sauce

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

Brown kielbasa without added fat in non-stick skillet. Remove kielbasa and reserve 1 tablespoon fat.

Bring 1 quart water to boil. Add lemon juice and okra. Cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add onion to fat in skillet and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, okra, kielbasa, 1/4 cup water and hot pepper sauce. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Spoon hot cooked rice into 2 bowls and spoon kielbasa mixture over top. Makes 2 servings.

SPINACH SALAD WITH REMOULADE DRESSING

4 cups fresh spinach

1 medium shallot, minced, or 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced into rings

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon prepared hot mustard

Dash lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon small capers (with little of liquid from jar)

1/2 teaspoon crushed, dried tarragon

Dash hot pepper sauce

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Trim stems off spinach. Wash and dry leaves. Tear into bite-size pieces and place in salad bowl along with shallot.

Stir together mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, capers and liquid, tarragon, hot pepper sauce and paprika in small bowl. If mixture is too thick to stir into salad, add up to 1 teaspoon lemon juice or water. Spoon all or part of dressing into spinach mixture and toss well. Makes 2 servings.