Meet Chef Julia LeRoy

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Chef Julia LeRoy has been writing meal kit recipes for G&G for years–you probably recognize her name from meal kits past! We're offering one of her meal kits this week that features one of her signature Produce & Provide condiments: Herb Smash. We asked Chef Julia a few questions about how she got into food and started Produce & Provide–keep reading to learn more!

How did you get started in the food world and how did that evolve into Produce & Provide?

I started off working at a country club when I was in high school. I mostly washed dishes and made sandwiches, but I had an extreme passion for food and quickly worked my way out of the dishpit. One of my favorite parts of working in restaurants was learning new sauces and salad dressings, it seemed to me that the majority of the flavor in any given dish was coming from the sauce. Sharing my favorite sauces and dressings with home cooks felt like a great reason to start a company. I could earn a living helping individuals win big at the dinner table, and that is super enticing to me.

What all do you offer through Produce & Provide? Tell us about your company!

Produce & Provide is an independent, female owned business that is focused on making flavor packed salad dressings, sauces and condiments that are as healthy as the meal you are going to serve them with. We currently offer 3 salad dressings:

Mediterranean: oil & vinegar based dressing that also makes an excellent marinade. The freshly toasted oregano is what separates this dressing from your typical Italian dressing.

Probiotic Parmesan: I love Caesar dressing, but couldn't stand the idea of making a mayonnaise based dressing. So ours uses yogurt as it's base. It's a healthy spin that tastes incredible.

Lemon Tahini: If you are looking for a creamy style dressing that is also vegan, look no further. The bright acidity of fresh lemon juice pairs so well with the tahini, and the nutritional yeast makes this taste extremely satisfying.

we also offer two sauces:

Cauliflower & Pine Nut Alfredo: For all my cauliflower fans out there! This sauce tastes just as incredible on some grilled veggies as it does on pasta (at home we also love it with our steak dinners!). The pine nuts really round out the flavor.

Herb Smash: Just like the cauliflower & pine nut alfredo, this sauce is a workhorse. It goes great with everything from veggies to chicken to beef to lamb. If you are looking for a simple way to elevate your home cooking, this is for you. The bright, herbaceous flavor is sure to make your cooking sing like never before.

How would you describe your cooking style?

I tend to favor simple meals where the quality of the ingredients are allowed to shine. I love using local proteins and produce.

What does supporting the local food community mean to you?

Survival. If we don't support our local food community, not only am I out of a job, but a lot of people I care about would be as well. I've also come to depend wholeheartedly on some of the amazing products available in our area. I don't want to live in a world that exists without things like Decimal Place Farms goat cheese, Pulp hot sauce, Pine Street Market poblano sausages or GA Grinders peanut butter.

Do you have any kitchen tools you can’t live without?

I don't step foot in a kitchen without my microplane, kuhn-rikon y-shaped peeler and my mandoline

What’s your number one tip for home chefs?

Sauce it up! Adding a sauce to your home cooking is a sure fire way to make it taste like you've got a degree in culinary arts. Learn a couple simple recipes, or pick up some herb smash or cauliflower & pine nut alfredo to compliment your next meal.

Follow Chef Julia on Instagram, and try her Herb Smash Chicken meal kit this week!

If you want to jazz up some of your own recipes at home, try some of her specialty sauces and dressings! You can add them to your G&G delivery and we'll deliver them to your doorstep.