There is one huge advantage to having my Mom live with us. Whenever I remember something about my grandmother - either something she said or loved to cook - the answer is just a question away.

For example, last week while I was at the grocery store I saw fresh okra and green tomatoes, which made me vaguely remember my Mom and sister talking about how wonderful Big Mama's fried okra and green tomatoes were. So, I gathered several of each in my shopping cart, and when I arrived home my Mom was happy to show me how Big Mama made this wonderful dish. Ah! I wish you could have smelled the tantalizing aroma as it fried in my kitchen.

Here's the recipe for those of you who enjoy a good southern dish:

Ingredients:

Fresh Okra, sliced
Fresh green tomatoes, sliced
Fresh sweet onions sliced
Flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Canola oil

Prepare vegetables by washing, slicing and set aside. Place generous amount of flour in gallon sized Ziploc bag. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place vegetables in bag and close. Shake until all are well coated.

Add oil to heavy duty fry pan (cast iron works best) until it is 1/4 inch thick. Heat until it begins to smoke - watching carefully. Add vegetables and allow to fry for about 20 minutes or until starting to brown - do not stir. Flip vegetables over and allow to fry for another 15 to 20 minutes watching so it doesn't burn.

Remove from pan on cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Serve warm and enjoy every bite!