This is hands down a dressing worth having on hand, I can quickly throw together wraps or salads and have a delicious mid-day snack or lunch. Gardens can go wild in Florida so its good to have a few recipes to help use up your harvest. I have even been able to take potential wasted…
Author: Ashley Rella
Chef Ashley believes that the kitchen and the farm is the center of everything - it's where families and friends congregate, history is preserved, and where health and equity can be fostered. Food is a basic human right. I believe in growing and cooking food locally as a means to help feed ourselves and our communities, especially those most at risk. I write to tell stories and share my experiences in commercial kitchens in the south. I also create recipes unique to my area and the crops that are grown well here. I do a little dabbling in uncovering and defining what Florida local and historical foodways look like.
Marinated Olives
A snack, a garnish, a meal? I love getting the mixes of olives you find on olive bars in grocery stores and then marinate them in my own mix of flavors. This isn’t necessarily a recipe but more an idea. Grab your favorite olives and explore your favorite combination of herbs and spices. Zest –…
Savory Squash Cobbler
In the south we can make anything a cobbler, and we do.
Blue Cheese Candied Pecans
I was catering an event on day for a friend. They requested I make a batch of single small bite foods that could be incorporated with her art on tables into her art event. They wanted a variety but were not specific about what I made. This is when having a pantry can save your…
Creamed Collards
Even if collards aren’t your favorite, this creamy dish can potentially change your mind. In Florida where we are prone to bugs and diseases, collards and other broad leaf brassicas are a perfect addition to any southern garden and a great way to have year-round greens available. Creamed Collards Ingredients: 4½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided…
Weekday Breakfast Burrito
Mornings are tough! Let’s face it, we don’t have time to wake up like we want to. If you are like me you are usually rushed out of bed. I had to find something that was fast and satiating. A while back I created my whole morning routine around starting my day with gratitude, intention,…
Fairytale Eggplant Tart
I’m a southern girl through and through and if you say tomato pie I will hunt you down to get a slice. But I am here to tell you, this one is the closest second best. This, like the majority of what I do when I jump in the kitchen, is put together. Sometimes its…
Food Writing: The Forgotten Coast and Pickled Squash
Every year the matriarchs of the Gunter family would travel to The Forgotten Coast; a place in Florida far from where the tourists loaded with sunscreen, neck hanging cameras, and mouse ears go. The place Floridians know as “real Florida”. Located in the panhandle, it was a central place between the all the Gunter sisters…
Spiced Okra Cake
Chefs are some of the wildest imaginations we have on this planet. And tinkering is what we do. I got a bestie who grows food. It’s the perfect friendship; she grows it, I cook it. Food was how we connected but we stay friends for much much more. A couple years ago she was growing…
Greek braised chickpeas
In a town 30 minutes northwest of Tampa lies Tarpon Springs, a lively coastal town tucked away in Tampa Bay. Its waterways made it a landing place for sponge harvesting and shrimping. Up until the late 1800’s sponging was being done on boats with long poles stabbing blindly and pulling them up to the surface….
Marinated Onions
One of the ways I am able to make things happen in the kitchen is because I have many different things prepped and ready. Marinated onions is one of them. These guys sit on the counter and then I use them throughout the week on salads, sandwiches, top breakfast bagels, omelets, braised meats or an…
Appalachian Sour Corn
What is sour corn? Sour corn is a classic Appalachian secret ingredient. This condiment, the sassy and sweet southern sister to Sauerkraut, has a long history in the Appalachian mountains who have a very rich multi-threaded historical culture that lends itself to many varieties of recipes originating in this area. If you like sauerkraut, it’s…
African Peanut Stew (Maafe) with Zucchini Noodles in Nooch Sauce
My recipes often come from a need to use up something in a pantry or the fridge. And unintentionally, I cook mostly vegetarian for myself a lot of the time. This is how this dish came to existence. It was one of those moments where everything worked and a super tasty meal was the result!…
Lentil Enchiladas
Enchiladas look like they took 10 minutes to make, but like many Mexican dishes, there are many components. And those components are more complicated and require some time. Fresh made tortillas from ground nixtamalized corn is a two day minimum process. Enchilada sauce requires cooking time after toasting the vegetables to develop its rich flavor….
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients:8 ancho chiles (mild fruity dried chili pods)4 pasilla chiles (mild fruity dried chili pods)1 medium onion quartered2 plum tomatoes3 cloves of garlic½ teaspoon Mexican oregano½ teaspoon marjoramstock of choice (enough to cover ingredients)2 tablespoons cooking oilSalt to taste Instructions:1. Toast the chiles in a hot pan or grill until fragrant.2. Allow chiles to cool…
The Southern Caper: Nasturtium Seeds
I love capers. The little salty and tangy liquid filled bobbles that burst when bit into. Perfect for balancing a cream sauce or used as a briney addition to a martini, When I discovered nasturtiums I immediately fell in love with its peppery sweet nectar flowers. The seeds are hard to find sometimes on nasturtiums,…
Edible Decor: Crafting Crystalline Kohakutou Sweets
My witchy little heart just loves an option to bring more crystals into the house, edible or not. These are some of my favorite little candies to have on hand. I put them in a variety of jars and tuck them away in places around the house. They have a long storage life, so they…
Fall Spiced Squash Pie
Fall Spiced Squash Pie Basically a pumpkin pie, but more delicate in taste. To me, any fall squash lends itself to dessert. Ingredients: 3 cups of cooked cubed cushaw squash4 eggs1 tsp of cinnamon1/4 tsp of nutmega dash of cloves1 t dried ginger2 tsp vanilla1 1/2 cups sugar1 pt heavy cream1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan…
Glazed Lentil Loaf
INGREDIENTS1 tbsp olive oil1 medium onion, finely minced1 medium bell pepper, finely minced1 small carrot, finely minced1 rib celery, finely minced1 pint crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped4 cloves garlic, minced2 tbsp tomato paste1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp liquid smoke1 cup quick oats3 cups brown lentils cooked2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced½ tsp salt1 tsp dried oregano½ tsp…
Lentil Sheppards Pie
INGREDIENTS LENTIL FILLING:2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra2 each yellow onions, peeled and chopped2 each medium carrots chopped1 pint mushroom (use your favorite)1 tablespoon thyme leaves, minced1 tablespoon rosemary1 bay leaf1 clove of garlic, pastesea salt and ground black pepper, to taste1 tablespoon tomato paste1 ½ cups lentils, rinsed1 ½ tablespoons sherry/balsamic vinegar1 ½ tablespoons…
THE FOOD STORIES PROJECT 