Sunshine Chefs

Gia Stanley

The Underground Kitchen

Gia Stanley is a full-time private chef, cooking healthy meals for families and sharing her knowledge and love of sustainable cooking via her online blog.

Gia’s culinary journey started at the Institute of Culinary Education, where her passion for food and sustainability grew. One of the first moments that sparked her interest in sustainable cooking was a class taught by Chef Frank Proto. “Learning about how unsustainable the food industry can be inspired me to further me understanding of our food systems.”

That passion shines through in her recipes, which focus on plant-forward, dairy-free and sometimes gluten-free meals all made with quality ingredients.When presented with an opportunity to create her own take on a plant-forward recipe using DOLE® fruit, she was immediately drawn to an ingredient that brought her back to her childhood, peaches. “DOLE Fruit Bowls® were a staple of my childhood and peach in particular. Growing up, I would share a bowl with my grandpa, and we would play a round of dominos to determine who got to drink the peach juice.”

From this inspiration came Chef Gia’s Peach Pie Waffle recipe that is not only deliciously nostalgic, but also incredibly easy to make. Featuring DOLE Chef-Ready Frozen Peach Purée and DOLE Chef-Ready Cuts Diced Peaches, this recipe can be scaled up to meet demand and the batter can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

For her donation, Chef Gia chose to partner with The Underground Kitchen Community First in Richmond VA. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, The Underground Kitchen quickly changed from a “roving” experiential dinner series to a meal delivery service, helping local residents in need. To date, they have delivered over 50,000 meals to food insecure communities around the Metro Richmond region.

To learn more about the Underground Kitchen visit ugkcommunityfirst.org and follow them on social media @theugk.

For more delicious culinary creations follow:
Chef Gia Stanley: Instagram | Pinterest
And check out her blog sustainablygia.com

Peach Pie Waffle