A fellow from the bayous of Louisiana came running up to me in an airport and shouted out a set of ingredients. He then explained it was a backwoods gumbo, the kind his grandma made for him when he was a boy. This is not as complex as a normal gumbo and therefore is easy to make. It is a good and frugal meal.

Place the gizzards and necks in a 12-quart stockpot and add 3 to 4 quarts of water. Cover and simmer until tender, about 2 hours. Set aside to cool.

Heat a large black frying pan and add the oil and flour. Stir over medium heat until the mixture becomes a peanut-butter- colored roux, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the celery, onion, green pepper, garlic, and tomatoes and cook, stirring all the time, until almost tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the sausage and the rice and simmer a few minutes until thickened.

Strain the necks and gizzards from the kettle, reserving the broth. Place the poultry pieces and the vegetable mixture in the kettle, along with 2 quarts of the reserved broth. Stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Simmer for 30 minutes. Cut sausage into 1-inch pieces. Add the sausage and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve over 1/4 cup of cooked long-grain rice in each bowl.

From <The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American>. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive, http://www. Erols. Com/hosey.