Creole Gumbo Pot

1 sm Eggplant

2 ts Salt

3 tb Olive oil

1 lg Onion, chopped

1 Red pepper, seeded, diced

1 Garlic clove, crushed

2 ts Paprika

1/2 ts Hot chili powder

4 oz Fresh okra

3/4 c Frozen corn, thawed

2 c Boiling chicken stock

1 cn Tomatoes in tomato juice

-(8 oz) 2 tb Long grain white rice

8 oz Peeled cooked medium-size

-shrimp, thawed if frozen Salt to taste Fresh ground pepper to taste Fresh dill sprigs (opt) Trim stalk end from eggplant. Cut in 1/2" pieces and place in a colander. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt; let stand 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add eggplant, onion, red pepper and garlic and fry over low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in paprika and chili powder and cook gently 2 minutes. Trim stalk ends from okra and discard. Cut okra in quarters. Add okra, corn, chicken stock and tomatoes to eggplant mixture. Break up tomatoes with a spoon. Stir in rice, cover and simmer gently 25 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender. Add shrimp to mixture and heat through 5 minutes, stirring ocasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired. VARIATION: Stir in 2/3 cup half-and-half and heat through just before serving.