Yesterday was a bit dreary. According to the weather man today is going to be much of the same. It is the middle of April for goodness sake! I honestly don’t remember it ever being this cool this late in the season in Virginia ever.
I should have planted my garden already this year. I am afraid that my new veggies will freeze in this cold weather so I have decided to wait and start closer to May. The farmers almanac told me years ago, if I planted after April 15th then I would be ok. This year on April 17th the temperature dipped down to almost 30 degrees.
So for now, until I see the weather getting a bit warmer I will wait to plant my peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. Perhaps mid May would be more ideal.
Normally this time of year it is a lot warmer and I wouldn’t be making Gumbo. However, it is so dreary, I needed something warm and spicy to take the chill off.
This has always been a cool weather meal. I use this almost exact recipe to use up all my Thanksgiving turkey. I make extra turkey, just so I can have Leftover Turkey Gumbo. The great thing is if you are sick of turkey stash it in the freezer for a few months. So when a cold dreary Feburary day comes, you will have something comforting to enjoy without breaking a sweat.
So if you get a chance to make this soon, you should. I hope it will provide you some comfort that it has for me and my family.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 medium bell pepper (I used green)
3 stalks of celery
1 medium onion
2 quarts chicken stock
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons creole seasoning
4 cups chciken meat
2 lbs Andouille or kielbasa type sausage
2 cups cooked brown rice
Directions:
Combine the oil and flour in a pot and cook on medium low for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn the heat to medium high and allow to cook for three to five minutes. Stir constantly until it becomes a chocolate brown color.
Meanwhile chop up your pepper, celery and onion. Add that to the pot. Mix it around until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add your stock, garlic, thyme bay and creole seasonings. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the chicken and the sausage and simmer for another 30 minutes. Serve with hot brown rice.