Editor's Note: This piece accompanies our May/June article about grocery stores improving their customers' experiences with conveniences such as quick pick-up services. Tinnell's Finer Foods is included in the sidebar, discussing their role as a neighborhood store servicing their customers with pick-up and delivery services. You can preview the article here.
Chef Missy Saul: Creator of All Things Delicious at Tinnell’s Finer Foods
Fire roasted red pepper florentine soup, ranch mashed potatoes, home-style pot roast and vegetables, veggie crunch salad and butter finger pie. These are all culinary delights created by Missy Saul at Tinnell’s Finer Foods. One day, about a year ago, Missy was walking her dog, “Bart,” a Red English Lab, by Tinnell’s. She happened to see a help wanted sign for a cashier position. She popped in to check about the job and was hired on the spot. That job developed into her current role of “Creator of all Things Delicious” at Tinnell’s.
Becky Ellis
Chef Missy Saul prepares for a busy day of customers.
Missy grew up in South Roanoke and as a little girl she often visited Tinnell’s to purchase groceries with her mom who was an excellent cook. She enjoyed looking at her mom’s cookbooks before she was old enough to read. When she and her family visited their grandmother in Alabama they would churn fresh peach ice cream. She taught Missy all about good old-fashioned southern food. Her red hot cinnamon pickles, made with Red Hot cinnamon candies, were one of her favorite recipes that her grandmother made every summer.
One customer calls Missy “The Soup Queen.” She readily admits that she does have a gift for making soup. Brunswick Stew is a customer favorite. It’s taken her 25 years to perfect this recipe and it flies off the shelves every time she makes it. Her tomato basil soup is also very popular and packed with fresh tomato flavor. Missy feels fortunate to have all of the Tinnell’s fresh local produce at her fingertips to make her flavorful concoctions.
Missy enjoys her Tinnell’s work family. Everyone is super friendly and it is nice to know you are supporting your local community by shopping there. She happily shared one of her favorite summer recipes for squash fritters that are also available for sale at the store:
Missy’s Squash Fritters
- Canola oil for frying
- ½ small red onion, ¼ inch dice (approximately ½ cup)
- 3 cups shredded squash (peeled butternut or summer – zucchini or yellow not peeled)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, ¼ inch diced (approximately 1 cup)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Combine onion, carrots, peppers and squash. If using summer squash, season the squash with salt, wait 10-15 minutes, then place in a mesh strainer and press to squeeze out some of the water. Season squash with pepper and garlic powder. Mix in breadcrumbs, eggs and cheese.
Form the squash mixture into flat patties. Fry patties in hot oil in a fry pan until crispy. (Do not deep fry. Use just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.)
About the Writer:
Following her career in healthcare dining and nutrition management, Becky Ellis followed her passion to create Bubblybee, a champagne and food blog. Her motto is "Don't wait to celebrate! Pop the cork now!" She loves to share tips for entertaining with bubbly. Find her creative recipes and champagne tasting notes at bubblybee.net and Instagram @bubblybeeboop.