Rachel Brownlee

As a freelance writer with a background in horticulture and sustainable agriculture, Rachel's intrest in food has, over time, become her primary artistic medium. An advocate of exploring the freedoms of "eating-in" she has worn a path from her garden to stove, but gives wide clearence to a specturm of values, culture, and individual expression on all topics of eating. She'll dog some fish n' chips with the best of them, but 99% of the time, prefers to dine at her home table or in the homes of family and friends.

Latest posts from Rachel Brownlee

Iron Circus Productions And Smoky Park Supper Club Present: 'SMALL FIRES'
Join Iron Circus Productions and Chef Mark Rosenstein for the 'SMALL FIRES' event, this Saturday December 5th at the Smoky Park Supper Club.
Wild Chestnut Stuffing
We ate the first round roasted, straight-up. Then after gathering more, it was time to come up with a recipe.
Fried Green Tomatoes with Sweet Basil Aioli
Even though I find it highly worthwhile to wait until a tomato is deeply bushed and full of sinfully sun-kissed juice, there is something special about jumping the gun.
Trader Joe's Unplugged
Why, you risk asking, is this block of sharp cheddar $3.49? Why? How? Who is getting ripped off to give me this seemingly incredible savings? Who got whacked, threatened or woke up to a severed horse head between the sheets?
Roadkill + Paw Paws - A Love Story
For the paw paw blossom, its funk attracts a specific type of lover, one with specific tastes, like the carrion fly. Yes, the same individuals who cannot help themselves from the intoxicating smell of road kill are the same to have the hots for the humble paw paw flower...
A Recipe For Spring: Ramp And Feta Focaccia
Botanically threatened in some parts of North America, ramps abound in WNC, their populations guarded by natives. And thankfully so. It's time to celebrate this historic Appalachian delicacy and here's a recipe to help you do so.
Make Elderberry Syrup At Home
The CDC may have missed the mark this year, but elderberries have been used for centuries to strengthen the immune system and legitimately prevent and fight influenza.
Home Sweet Home
A change of scenery over the holidays is usually something to look forward to, with the promise of family and good food waiting for your arrival, but coming home back to Asheville never gets old.
How to Preserve All Them Apples
Heating with wood has its pros and cons. When you wake up to cold floors and a thermostat needle just shy of 58 degrees and have to go outside to gather wood (before your coffee), it's hard to enjoy.
Homemade Bone Broth
With cold season upon us, this stuff will keep you from running to the drugstore the next time you're laid-up on the couch. Make it now, throw it in the freezer, then warm it up and sip when you need a boost.
Eating Asheville Tours
It wasn’t just because we were glad to be out on the town with each other during daylight hours without our kids, the samplings were good. Some really good.
Patagonia to Asheville
Basically, say what you will, Mallmann is a bad-ass. Not because he can cook, lots of people can claim that title, but because he took his stuffy French training and tossed it in the fires he now cooks with. Who doesn't love a non-conformist?
Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Buttermilk Biscuit Top
When you're buried in green beans, why wait until the holidays for your favorite dish? Green bean casserole was, and still remains, a favorite Thanksgiving memory...It was dirty. And perfect.
Thunderheads and Grilled Romaine
Once the clouds broke, it was time for a celebratory grill fire. And once the coals are hot and the meat has been adequately seared and infused with smoke, why not add the salad too?
Serviceberry Skillet Cake (A.K.A Asheville-Grit Cake)
If you can beat the birds to them, serviceberries are a handsome match for all things pastry...