Okra Stew

"Loosely based on gumbo" is right - this stew cries out to be served over rice. It's hearty and succulent, although my first attempt was too salty. (Depending on how salty your bacon is, use a light touch in salting the cooking vegetables.) I also omitted the chiles when browning the meat, which was probably a mistake - a touch of hot sauce at the table woke it up a bit.

I do feel like there's an herbal note missing from this stew - perhaps because I'm mentally comparing it with gumbo. Thyme or a bay leaf, perhaps?