Ingredients: Four bratwurst sausages, one lemon, one red pepper, one orange pepper, six cloves garlic (plus two for garlic bread), 1/2 cup butter or oil, two shallots, six small pods okra, 1/2 cup flour, 4 cups water, salt, pepper, fresh herbs (thyme, curry leaf, lemon balm, basil)

Cooking Time: 60 minutes.

Put oil or butter in a pan over low heat. Grate in six cloves of garlic. Slice shallots and dice peppers, and add to the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste - about 2tsp of each. Skin the sausage and make balls out of the meat about 1/2" in diameter. Slice okra and coat with about 4tsp of flour. Add okra and sausage to pan, with remaining flour. Simmer over low heat until shallots are caramelized and peppers are softened.

Prepare a bouquet garni with the fresh herbs - one good bunch of each - and put them in a pot with the 4 cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil and simmer for ten minutes. Strain off the herbs, and add 1 cup water to the pan with sausages. Cover and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the water in 1c intervals, every ten minutes, and reduce the sauce. When the sauce is reduced, the sausage balls should be cooked - if they're firm to the touch and not terribly red-looking, they're done.

Serve over garlic toast, with swiss cheese melted on top - or put toast, stew and cheese in oven under a full-strength broiler for about five minutes, so the cheese is caramelized.

Enjoy!

-IB out