Around The House And Garden

A garden path. Whew, Look at those weeds! The battle this year has been weeds and caterpillars!

A Louisiana Sweets orange hanging heavy on the branch.

These Ponderosa Lemons are huge just as promised!

My fig tree faltered at the beginning of the summer, I believe due to the long period without rain we had. The summer squalls have returned and now it seems a little happier.

The Silver Line oriental melons are loving the rain and heat.

So are the cucumbers and eggplant.

Heirloom Thai Long purple eggplant.

Some more.

Heirloom Louisiana Long Green eggplant. We've been enjoying fried eggplant sticks, eggplant Parmesan, and stuffed eggplants.

And for dinner, Shrimp Etouffee! My father-in-law goes "down the road" to the fishermen dock and buys them straight from the boat. The shrimper gets a better price and we get the freshest most delicious wild Louisiana shrimp you can imagine.

Easy Shrimp Etouffee

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped bell pepper

1 cup finely chopped celery (onion, bell pepper and celery are referred to as the "Holy Trinity" in New Orleans)

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Olive oil

1 stick of butter

1 cup of flour

2 cans of Rotel tomatoes and chilies (You can use fresh tomatoes and chopped chilies for this purpose)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Water or chicken stock (have ready to use in kettle next to stove)

2 lbs of peeled shrimp

2 cups of cooked short grain brown rice

Pour about 1/2 a cup to a cup of olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Saute onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic in oil until transparent. Add flour and cook while stirring constantly until flour is brown. This is making a "roux", pronounced "roo". Some cook the flour separate. I just add it to the seasoning to save a step.

Add the two cans of rotel tomatoes and chilies. Stir. Add stick of butter and water until stew is of a medium consistency. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a rapid boil. I find shrimp are mushy if not dropped into rapidly boiling water. Once boiling rapidly, drop shrimp into stew. Cook until shrimp are done. Serve over rice! Super Yummy and quick.