re: Made my first gumbo; Question about tomato in it?

I agree wholeheartedly with the idea of a "brightener" needed in gumbo, but I'm not a fan of tomatoes to accomplish this. I use lemon juice, added near the end of cooking, to perk up the flavors (especially in a seafood gumbo). I also add a full bunch of finely chopped fresh parsley and a small bundle of chopped green onion tops...the slightly bitter astringency of the fresh parsley and onions add a counterpoint to the richness and smoke of the gumbo.

RE: kielbasa, no way. Not enough smoke or spice. I think the smoked meat is the most important part of a dark gumbo. If you can't get a decent smoked sausage, then try using ham hocks, smoked turkey necks or wings, or other very smoky meat. Use the milder sausage as a protein component for eating, but don't rely on it to provide the smoky backbone of the gumbo.