Gumbo Z’Herbes by Gaylon

(pronounced Gumbo Zab)

This is my totally vegan version of a dish that is a New Orleans tradition during Lent. Some recipes ask you to cook the greens for two hours. I don’t know what would be left at that point beside green slime.

I love this recipe because it involves the Creole “holy trinity” (onion, green pepper and celery) and what Roger’s Uncle Hulin calls the Cajun “holy trinity” (black pepper, white pepper and cayenne pepper).

1 bunch collard greens

1 bunch mustard greens

1 bunch turnip greens

1 bag of spinach

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

1 small green cabbage

1 bunch green onions

1 quart of vegetable stock or water

1 tablespoon of Liquid Smoke

1 teaspoon salt

3 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon of dried thyme

2 tablespoons of paprika

2/3 cup of flour

2/3 cup of vegetable oil

1 large white onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon of ground white pepper

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Cooked white or brown rice

Start by washing the greens thoroughly. Put them in the sink, cover them with water and swish them around. Rinse them as you lift them out of the water. This is the hardest part of the recipe.

Remove all the stems and brown edges. Chop the greens coarsely. Shred the cabbage as you would for cole slaw.

Cover the greens with stock and bring to a boil. Then drop the heat to low and simmer until the greens are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the Liquid Smoke, bay leaves and thyme.

Using tongs, transfer about 2 cups of greens to a food processor and pureé.

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet make a medium brown roux with the flour and shortening. When it is done, add the holy trinity (onion, bell pepper, celery) and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes. The addition of the vegetables to the roux stops the roux from cooking further.

Taste the liquid that the greens have been simmering in. Add the salt and paprika. Stir. Add the roux and vegetables to the greens in the stock. Stir in the puréed greens.

Mix the three peppers and sprinkle sparingly into the pot. I like things hot, but take it easy, tasting as you go. The peppers have a synergy and you don’t want to end up with something too spicy to swallow.

Simmer the gumbo uncovered until the it thickens.

Serve by spooning about ½ cup of rice into an individual bowl, then ladle the gumbo around it.