Okra and tomatoes

We have a potluck at work at the end of every month for birthdays, etc. We don't have any February birthdays, but they needed to party. So they decided to do Black History Month food. Why not? We had a great lunch prepared for Chinese New Year!

I'm not sure if I know what "Black History food" is, but I brought okra and tomatoes.



4 sliced cooked bacon crumbled
2 T bacon grease
1 large onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
few celery ribs chopped
2 lb frozen okra thawed
28 oz can stewed tomatoes
red pepper flakes to taste

Brown about half of the onions, celery, and green pepper in bacon fat. Add the rest of the ingredients except bacon crumbles and heat through. Put in the slow cooker to finish cooking at work (high setting 3 - 4 hours before lunch is served) Add bacon crumbles and stir before serving. (You could absolutely leave the bacon out and go vegan with this.)

Other contributions include corn pudding, chicken salad sandwiches, crab dip, mixed greens with bacon, dirty rice, cornbread, potato salad, spaghetti, bbq short ribs and mac n' cheese. We also got a special treat of cheese grits for breakfast, which is something I find difficult to get made right this far north.

I'm slipping into a soul food coma now.