Becca wrote:

> I have never tried cactus in gumbo before.

It works as a "substitute" for okra. Like okra, it gives off a kind of
mucilage which serves to thicken the gumbo. It's got a nice taste of its
own, too, which I compare to green beans with a splash of lemon.

We already had the garlic-sage sausage in the refrigerator; if I were
setting about to make a "Southwestern gumbo" again I'd probably use homemade
chorizo in its place.

Bob