1/2 c. chopped celery
1 med. onion, chopped (1/2 c.)
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 c. sifted regular flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. leaf thyme, crumbled
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (1 lb.) can tomatoes
1 (about 14 oz.) can chicken broth
1 (8 oz.) can minced clams
1/8 tsp. red pepper seasoning
1 (about 1 lb.) can okra, drained
1 (about 5 oz.) can deveined shrimp, drained and rinsed
3 c. cooked rice

Saute celery, onion, and garlic in butter until soft in a kettle. Stir in flour, salt, thyme, and pepper, cook stirring constantly, until bubbly. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, clams and liquid and red pepper seasoning, continue cooking and stirring until mixture thickens and boils 1 minute. Add okra and shrimp; heat to boiling.

Ladle into a shallow serving bowl; spoon rice around edge. Or, spoon rice in mounds in center of soup plates; spoon shrimp mixture around rice. Makes 6 servings.