Loose Ends of 2012, Florida

Only a few loose ends this year in my wrap up of 2012. Here are just a few pictures from articles I did not have time to write.

Sprouting strawberry at JG Ranch, Brooksville, Fla.

Here's a sprouting strawberry from JG Ranch in Brooksville, FL. It was in a real hurry to multiply.

Real World Imports, 16th Americas Food & Beverage
Show, Miami Beach, Fla

I was thirsty and these lovely ladies, Sharon Hollis and Nancy Stehly, of First World Imports let me have a delicious bottle of Jamaican Blue Spring Water. This photo was taken at the 16th Annual Americas Food & Beverage Show, Miami Beach.

John Wiegand of Wiegand Steaks at Palm Beach
Gardens green market, Fla.

I bought bison, elk steaks, as well as venison sausages from Wiegand Steaks back in January at the Palm Beach Gardens Sunday morning Green market.

Chef Tony Donnelly about to slice into a Florida
grown beef shank, at Osceola Heritage Park, Fla.

In July, I met Executive Chef Tony Donnelly of Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee. He had helps organize the local food vendors each year for the Small Farms and Alternative Enterprise Conference.

My Florida Sourced Pork Dinner with Beer

Once you try Florida pastured pork you won't go back to regular store bought. Add if it's served with garlic sauteed mushrooms, rice pilaf, and steamed broccolini then you'll be spoiled for life or at least until the next seasonal, locally sourced dish.

This dish was served with Tampa based Cigar City Brewing-- Jai Alai beer, Indian Pale Ale style.

Florida pastured pork, mushroom medley, rice pilaf, broccolini, Cigar
City Brewing Co Jai Alai Ale, Fla.

This dish featured Central Florida sourced pastured pork from Tracey Lee Farms, bought from Farriss Farm. The medley of mushrooms came from Oyster Island Mushrooms, and the broccolini came from Kai Kai Farm. The rice was from out of state but it was cooked with some of Oyster Island mushrooms.

Why You Should Own A Dairy Goat with Christine Abbey, Worden Farm, Fla.

Punta Gorda, Fla.--In April 2012, I attended a goat raw-milk Home Dairying and Cheese Workshop at Worden Farm. The presenter Christine Abbey, dairy goat farmer and cheese maker, was passionate about goat ownership. 

Christine Abbey demonstrates how to milk a goat at
Worden Farm's Home Dairying and Cheese making
Workshop, Punta Gorda, Fla. April 2012

There were about fifty interested people at the workshop held both indoors and outside. Abbey started the workshop inside a small shed on the side of the farm.

"I do want to talk about goats. And this is the reason I want all of you to know even those of you who say to yourself that you are not interested in goats. I do want you to consider something but I don’t want to get political so, please take this with the right attitude.

"Although this is a very free country there are a lot of things that aren’t free here. And you really are not free to chose the food that you eat. Because many people believe that raw dairy is better for you than pasteurized dairy but you’re not allowed to buy raw dairy labeled for human consumption.

"I’m allowed to sell my cheeses, and my milk, and my yogurt and my kefir, but the only license they’ll allow me to have because I believe in raw dairy, is a feed license. That requires me to label it for animal consumption only.

"I do have some products available today but I do want you to be aware that they are made from raw-dairy, they are made in my own kitchen, I am not regulated one I-ow-ta, nobody checks my milk, nobody tests my milk, nobody comes and checks my kitchen, OK.

"There are a lot of farms around here that sell milk this way, OK. It does make me nervous because I think some people don’t take care of their product. OK. And I am not going to say one way or the other but I just want you to be aware that there are concerns with …

"I do wish there was a little bit of regulation for us but I do wish there was some way for us to sell raw dairy because the only way they will let me sell this product without that for animal consumption label is if I am a Grade A dairy and I have to pasteurize. That’s the only way…there’s no way in the United States Of America, maybe there are a couple of States now that do allow it.

"I think Pennsylvania allows it but only if I don’t cross state lines which is another weird thing to me, OK.  I’m allowed to buy raw milk if I live here but I am not allowed to buy it if I cross this line. But whatever we do what we…

"So why am I telling you this?

"If you really want good food that you have power over I’m sorry but you have to raise it yourself. So I want to tell you about goats, because I want to tell you I’ve learned a lot about goats in the last six years that I have been raising them. And it really is possible to for anyone to do it.

"And it is my personal goal to spread the word. That just like almost every person in their life at one point had a dog, I honestly genuinely feel that at some point in their life everyone should have a goat. I really do.

"Goats are incredibly smart. Goats can be just like livestock, If you to throw them out in a field…now you still have to care for them obviously. You still have to check on them daily and make sure they have hay, you have to trim their hooves, you got to make sure they’re wormed, all that good stuff. But in general your goats don’t have to be friendly and they don’t have to be smart.

"But I’m the kind of person who likes my animals to be friendly and smart.  And if you have met them you’ll see already. I have a little story to tell you later about Iris cause you will be surprised.

"Did anyone meet? There’s a little bit bigger one who’s a little bit louder, and then there’s a little bit smaller one. And the smaller one is the daughter.  And that’s Iris. So Wildflower is the Mom and Iris is the daughter. I have had those goats for actually only for a year. I got them from a breeder in Tennessee.  Goats are very, very trainable. They can be a beloved pet as beloved as a dog. OK."

To find out more about Christine Abbey, you can go to www.sprawlingoaksfarm.com/blog

Winter Park Dairy, Fla: Raw-Milk Aged Blue Cheese And More

Winter Park Dairy, Florida, makes 61-day aged raw-milk cheese using Florida milk. Recently I got to interview David Green, cheese maker, marketer, and co-owner of Winter Park Dairy, about his raw-milk cheese business. His wife Dawn Taylor Green, co-owner, accountant, and financial officer was not present.

David Green, cheese maker and owner of Winter
Park Dairy, June 2012, Winter Park, Fla.

His family has been on this 10-acre Winter Park property for the past 100 years, and started making cheese in the 2000s. Green uses hormone and antibiotic-free raw milk collected from Florida farmers through the Southeast Milk Cooperative.

"Florida's dairy industry stopped allowing hormones and antibiotics in the milk several years ago. They were pressured by big businesses like Walmart and Publix who were pressured by their customers to stop selling milk with these additives," Green says.

Cheese cave at Winter Park Dairy, Winter Park, Fla.

Green uses a temperature controlled "cave," to age his raw-milk cheese. He produces one ton a cheese a month--about 150 wheels a week. "I supply cheese to the top 10 percent of the market," Green says. Pointing to the cheese wheels he says," Every cheese in the cave is already booked or sold."

 

He is known for his blue cheese but he also makes tomme, cheddar, and baby Swiss. "Raw-milk cheese tastes different from pasteurized, and it doesn't matter where it is from. There is no benchmark for the flavor. It is infinitely variable. Lots of French customers say my cheese tastes French."

Milk vat for processing milk at Winter Park Dairy, Fla.

Winter Park Dairy is the only one in Florida that has three raw-milk handling licenses that allow him to have complete control over all stages of his cheese process. He cares a lot about his product and realizes the risks of dealing with raw-milk. "I use the harshest chemicals I can find to wash my vats," he says, adding he does not want anyone getting sick from his cheese.

I ask him what he thinks about raw-milk sales at farmers markets. He says he would never buy raw-milk at farmers markets because it has to be constantly stored at very cold temperatures to be safe, and coolers just can't reach those temperatures.

He gives me some wedges of cheese to take home, and I express concern about how to keep them fresh without a cooler. He says, "They are aged, salted, and as preserved as they can be. Why if you wanted to, you could take them hiking with you and they'd stay perfectly healthy."

He has no plans to sell to Whole Foods or similar markets preferring instead to sell direct to restaurants and locals through the Winter Park Green Market on Saturdays.

To find out more about the cheese you can go to www.winterparkdairy.com
 

My Florida Sourced Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing

It's salad and citrus season in Florida. To embrace the season I made a Florida citrus vinaigrette dressing with kumquats, and red grapefruit. All the salad ingredients also came from Florida.

Florida sourced salad and citrus vinaigrette dressing, Fla.

The salad was made up of lettuce greens from Kai Kai Farm (Indiantown), yellow bell pepper from Pure Produce Farm (Vero Beach), and mandarins from a stand at West Palm Beach Greenmarket (Florida grown).

The vinaigrette dressing was made with kumquats from Kumquat Growers Inc (Dade City), grapefruit from stand at West Palm Beach Greenmarket (Florida grown), and out of state Safflower oil.
 

Gainesville Compost, Pedal Powered Pick Up, Fla.

Food scrap waste for composting collected by pedal power. That’s what Gainesville Compost is doing in Northern Florida. Founder Chris Cano, and co-owner Steven Kanner, Chief Systems Engineer and Inventor of the bicycle trailers, started picking up pre-consumer (before human lips have touched it) food scraps from Gainesville businesses, just over one year ago, by bicycle. “It seemed silly to pick up waste for composting using gas to do it,” says Cano. 


Gainesville Compost pedal powered vehicle, Gainesville,
Fla.

The food wastes include vegetables, fruit, eggshells, and coffee grounds. The end product is a premium soil amendment (fertilizer) that includes a rich assortment of minerals and worm castings.


Steven Kanner, Chief Systems Engineer & Inventor at
Gainesville Compost, shows how food scraps are 
contained, Gainesville, Fla.

There is a charge for the service but it comes with lots of perks for the Venue Partners, companies that contribute food waste to the program. They get a clean bucket when every full bucket that is picked-up. As well as marketing space on Gainesville Compost website, regular mentions in the monthly newsletter, and a decal to put in their front window saying they are a Gainesville Compost Partner.
The Venue Partners also get advertising exposure at area farmers and green markets where the compost is sold.

There are even benefits for the Community Partners, companies that offer space for composting on their properties. They get a portion of the compost for their gardens.

 

Steven Kanner, displays Gainesville Compost collection
containers, Gainesville, Fla.

“It is a tight community based company designed to fit individual needs,” says Kanner. This means they offer different sized buckets for different clients depending on their needs. Even though the service has distance limitations because of the pedal power pick up, Kanner sees it spreading to other urban areas.

Earlier this year, a Los Angeles based composting group contacted Cano inviting him to come out and see their operation, based on his model. He did, and was impressed that the pedal powered composting idea was catching on outside of Florida.

In the future Cano hopes to re-launch a CSA program he started this past spring. It will allow members to have access to educational materials on how to use compost.

To find out more about the company you can go to their website www.GainesvilleCompost.com

Or email GainesvilleCompost@gmail.com

Or call Chris Cano at 352-356-8178

My Florida Sourced Coq Au Beer Dinner

This Florida sourced dinner mixed French and German cooking styles. The Coq au Beer, or chicken in beer, was made with Gainesville based, Swamp Head Brewery--Stump Knocker American Pale Ale. There were some North Florida, some South Florida, and some regional ingredients also included.

Florida sourced Coq Au Beer served with stone-ground cornmeal
bread, Stump Knocker American pale ale and broccoli. Fla.

The pasture-raised chicken came from Tracey Lee Farms, Hawthorn, and was processed at Seely's Ark, Ocala. I bought it from Farriss Farms at the West Palm Beach Green Market.

The sauce's Florida ingredients included Swamp Head Brewery's Stomp Knocker, D & D Family Farms' (Stuart) green bell pepper, Oyster Island Mushroom LLC's (Vero) Maitaki mushrooms, and Farmhouse Tomatoes Inc's (Boynton Beach) Heirloom tomato. There were also carrots, shallots, chicken broth, spices, bacon, and oil sourced from other states. The broccoli, for the side, came from California.


Nth Fla. pasture-raised chicken, beer, and stone-ground corn flour
Sth Fla. maitake mushrooms, green pepper, heirloom tomato

The corn flour for the bread was stone-ground in a 1918 grist mill at Melton's Machinery Museum in Dade City, Florida. The whole corn kernels came from Ohio.

Stump Knocker really complemented the Coq au Beer both in a sauce, and as a beverage.

To find out more about Swamp Head Brewery's ales you can go to http://swamphead.com/

Centennial Variegated Kumquats, Kumquat Growers Inc, Dade City, Fla.

When you think tart citrus, Kumquats come to mind. But that's not the case with Centennial Variegated kumquats, developed in 1993. They are shaped like a pear and have reddish stripes on their orange skin when they are ripe.

Centennial Variegated kumquats at different stages of
ripeness, from Kumquat Growers Inc, Dade City, Fla.

The flesh is orange, juicy, and tastes like a cross between a Mandarin orange and Kumquat.

Centennial Variegated kumquats on tree at Kumquat
Growers, Inc, Dade City, Fla.

I was fortunate enough try these exotic fruit while on a tour of Kumquat Growers, Inc. in Dade City, Florida. There was just one bush, near the loading bay, with pale yellow striped leaves and clusters of fruit. My tour guide, Mrs. Gude, said that her father-in-law had planted the bush. The fruit is not grown commercially and so I felt privileged to have access.

If ever you get a chance to try one, take it. Or if you are in the Dade City area of Florida visit Kumquat Growers Inc., and ask if you can have a fruit.

Florida Crackers: Dade City Florida Style

I recently came across an imaginative interpretation of the expression "Florida Crackers."  The term usually refers to the original pioneers of Florida and their present day relatives

Florida crackers at Steve Melton's Machinery Museum Sugar Cane
Syrup making Day, Dade City, Fla.

These crackers were Florida shaped, crispy, and topped with sesame seeds. They were offered at Steve Melton's Machinery Museum's Sugar Cane Syrup Day in Dade City, Florida.

El Rey De La Paella, Miami, Local Sourcing

El Rey De La Paella Catering Company uses some locally sourced Florida ingredients. I met them at this year's Taste of Peru in Miami, Florida. They had the largest pan of paella I had ever seen. Giovanni Fernandez, standing over six feet tall, told me the pans were from his family in Spain.

Giovanni Fernandez of El Rey de la Paella Catering
Company with large pan of seafood paella at Taste of Peru,
Miami, Fla.

It was the third paella company to open in Miami in 1997 when Fernandez's Spanish grandparents started the business. Now the company has 16 styles of paella including vegetarian and Kosher, says Fernandez.

El Rey de la Paella buys plantains and corn from Homestead farmers, seafood from Key West, and other ingredients from Miami-Dade farmers' markets. They also make their own spice mix, which according to Fernandez sets their paella apart from their competition.

To find out more about the company you can go to www.elreydelapaella.com

Lake Meadow Naturals U-Pick Eggs, Ocoee, Fla.: Updated Version

When you think u-pick farming, vegetables usually come to mind. But that's not the case at Lake Meadow Naturals Farm where eggs are the u-pick item. The hens live in a cage-free environment with lots of access to sunshine, grass, and juicy bugs to eat along with their feed.

U-pick eggs at Lake Meadow Naturals Farm,
Ocoee, Fla

Dale Volkert, originally from Wisconsin, bought the Lake Meadow Property in 2000 and started raising cage-free hens for eggs. He had a small flock to begin with and gave lots of his eggs away to friends for free. Now he has 3000 Rhode Island Red Hens and supplies many Florida restaurants with eggs.

There is nothing quite like fresh eggs. Especially when you get to remove them from a nest box even as the hen glares at you and makes low clucking noises in protest.



Rhode Island Red hens at Lake Meadow Naturals Farm,
Ocoee, Fla.

At Lake Meadow Naturals Farm they have three U-pick hens. Two are filled with Rhode Island Red hens and the other with Americana hens that lay green eggs.

When you go, be prepared to be mobbed by the hens. They are very inquisitive birds and want to know everything about you. They also love to play tug-of-war with people's shoe laces. This can be a bit scary for young children.

Florida raised meats and chicken in freezer at Lake
Meadow Naturals Farm store, Ocoee, Fla

There is a farm store on site with pre-picked eggs, if you don't want to pick your own eggs. It also has a large selection of Florida raised meats and other American products. You can buy broiler chickens, turkeys, grass-fed beef (distributed by Growing Synergy LLC), Dakin Dairy Farms milk (Myakka City, Fla.), tomatoes (grown by Volkert), cheese, honey, and other products. Volkert tries to have as many locally Florida sourced items in the store as possible.

You can visit the farm Monday, Thursday, Friday 1 - 5pm, and Saturday 9am to 1pm. Lake Meadow Naturals Farm has just has one restriction that you leave your pets at home because it causes a health risk to their animals and yours.

They are located at 10000 Mark Adam Road, Ocoee, FL
Phone: (321) 206-6262 (farm); (407) 399-7670 (retail)

To find out more about the farm you can go to http://lakemeadonaturals.com
 

My Florida Sourced Cheeseburger And Beer

There’s nothing like a home-made cheeseburger served with beer. It is even better when most of the ingredients are sourced from Florida except the garlic (CA). This dish features Tequesta Brewing Co.’s Terminally Ale (American Brown Ale).


Grass-fed beef, shiitake mushroom, bell pepper, rosemary, beer
burger on Italian bread with Tomatoes, lettuce and aged
raw-milk cheese. Served with a glass of Terminally
Ale.

The hamburger meat was combined with ale, diced Shiitake mushrooms, diced green bell pepper chopped rosemary, and slivered garlic. Grilling the meat over natural charcoal slowly carmelized the beer and turned the burger red. It was served on Italian bread with mixed lettuce, tomato, and Aged Harvarti raw-milk farmstead cheese.

Ingredients of Florida sourced cheeseburger: beer, mushroom,
bell peppers, tomato, grass-fed ground beef, Italian bread,
and aged havarti raw-milk cheese.

The cheese came from Central Florida based Cypress Point Creamery (distributed by Farriss Farm), the grass-fed ground beef came from Pan Handle Florida based Arrowhead Beef (distributed by Farriss Farm), the lettuce was grown in Loxahatchee (bought from Seed to Bloom), the tomato and bell pepper were grown in Clewiston (bought from Francesca’s Terra Verde Farm Club), I grew the rosemary, and the Italian bread came from Tequesta (bought from Breads by Johnny).

Taste Of Peru 2012, Miami, Fla, Highlights

The Taste of Peru, Miami, Florida, was entertaining and delicious. Public Relations Coordinator Nikol Seitner said, "We are trying to reach out to all communities. We want it to be the most important gastronomic show in Miami." Organized by the Peruvian American Chamber of Commerce of South Florida this lively event did exactly that.

Chef Javier Angeles Beron of P.A.CH.A and Chef
Jacques Benoit at Taste of Peru 2012, Miami, Fla.

Chefs were there from all over Florida and Peru. Some were famous, like Lima, Peru, based Manifiesto Restaurant owner Chef Giacomo Bocchio. And some belonged to the Peruvian American Chefs Association (P.A.CH.A) like Chef Javier Angeles Beron. They came to participate in chef and pisco competitions, put on cooking demonstrations, and act as judges for the culinary competitors.


Traditional Peruvian dances performed at Taste Of
Peru 2012, Miami, Fla.

There were also many happy yet homesick Peruvians, inquisitive non-Peruvians, restaurant owners, models, musicians, and dancers.

Paternal twin sisters, Melissa and Mariella, modeled traditional Peruvian dancing outfits supplied by Miss US Nation Pageants. They also wore sparkly, crystal jewelry made by Peruvian designer Maritza Guevara Sanchez of Angelica's Jewelry Designs.

The food was overflowing at this year's event with some refreshing new takes on the cuisine. Tira D. Toss a Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant in Doral served traditional Japanese food with a twist. They had a salmon sushi made Causa (Peruvian-style yellow mashed potato) instead of rice. It was quite tasty.

The restaurant opened just over two months ago but according to Sushi Chef Miguel Lopez, "We're doing really well. People like our concept."

Nelly Salinas serves up Rocoto Relleno at Taste
of Peru, Miami, Fla.

Nelly Salinas has been cooking traditional food in her Lince, Peru, based restaurant El Rinconcito Arequipen͂o, for 44 years. She served a traditional Areguipa, Peru, dish called Rocoto Relleno. It was made with mozzarella topped--meat, raisin, onion, and cheese stuffed sweet peppers. The dish was alive with flavor and spicy too. It was accompanied by a cream sauce sautéed yellow potato, also topped with mozzarella.

There were also many booths with ornately decorated plates of ceviche. Mochika restaurant made theirs' with sweet potato, Peruvian yellow corn, lime marinated fish, and red onions.

And some, like Miami based, El Chalán Restaurant had more expected dishes like causa con camaron y quinoa tricolor, lomo saltado, arroz con mariscos, and ceviche.

Chef Javier Florez of Aromas Del Perú Restaurant, based in Coral Gables, had a very colorful and interactive booth with multiple styles of ceviche.

Peruvian desserts finished off the gastronomic tour. There were Alfajores cookies, Pionono (rolled sponge cake with sweetened condensed milk), and Picarones (deep fried pumpkin and sweet potato rings served with a honey syrup).

 

To find out more about the Peruvian American Chamber of Commerce of South Florida events, you can go to their Spanish language site www.peruchamberusa.org
 

My Locally Sourced Steak & Mushroom Dish: Fla Style

I spent my summer drinking lots of brands of fresh beer from Southern breweries. This experience inspired me to incorporate as many Florida beers as I can into this season's Locally Sourced dishes.

Southbound Brown Ale slow cooked grass-fed Sirloin with
 sauteed Oyster Island Mushrooms, 7-greens
salad, and baked red yam.

I used Southbound Brown Ale from Due South Brewing Co. in Boynton Beach, Florida, to marinate the grass-fed beef. The beef and other ingredients came from the Wellington GreenMarket, the West Palm Beach GreenMarket, and a local grocery store.  

 

The Arrowhead Beef, Grass-Fed Sirloin, was bought from Farriss Farm stand at the West Palm Beach GreenMarket. It was topped with sautéed yellow oyster mushrooms bought from Oyster Island Mushrooms LLC (also at West Palm Beach GreenMarket).

Florida sourced ingredients: yellow oyster mushrooms,
grass-fed steak, edible marigold flowers, broccoli
micro-greens, and cucumbers.

I accompanied this with a fresh six-green and one-flower salad. The Florida sources were: Swank Specialty Produce (Marigolds), Black Fork Specialty Produce (micro-greens), Fong Farm (cucumber), Green Cay Produce (baby spinach and arugula), and my backyard (Thai basil). A Californian farm grew the endive.

The sirloin was infused with the sweet caramel flavors of the Southbound Brown Ale's. It was also extremely tender for grass-fed beef. The mushrooms, sautéed with garlic and shallots, tasted like roasted chestnuts.

And the fresh salad, made of both bitter and sweet greens, balanced out the richness of the meat and mushrooms.
 

Terra Verde Farm Club Lunch, Clewiston, Fla.

What's better than dinner and a movie? How about lunch on a Florida farm with Francesca's Terra Verde Farm Club. This past summer I got to tour C & B Farm, and taste some delicious Florida sourced food made by club co-owner R. Francesca Golub.

Florida sourced lunch put on by Francesca's Terra Verde
Farm Club owners, C & B Farm, Clewiston, Fla.
Copyright 2012 by Helen A Lockey

I and a handful of club members climbed into a small minivan, rented by Terra Verde staff, on a warm summer morning in May. Then we drove out, past green fields of corn and canals filled with alligators, to C & B's 600-acre property, just south of Lake Okeechobee.

Farmer Charles during tour of C & B Farm, Clewiston, Fla.
Copyright 2012 by Helen A Lockey

We were greeted by farmer Charles Overn who invited us to gather around him so he could tell us the story of farming in his part of Florida. He talked of the challenges NAFTA's free-trade agreement put on his farm especially when it came to tomato prices. The imported ones were so inexpensive this year he could not sell his Florida grown ones.

Francesca Golum shows off fennel plant at C & B Farm,
Clewiston, Fla. Copyright 2012 by Helen A Lockey

Then it was time to see more of the farm. So we piled back into the minivan and drove deeper into the property past manicured rows of fresh herbs. At one stop, members were encouraged to pick as many herbs as they wanted to take home. Francesca showed us how, pulling a large fennel plant from the sandy soil.

Francesca's Terra Verde Farm Club lunch at C & B
Farm, Clewiston, Fla. Copyright 2012 by Helen A Lockey

Soon the tour came to an end. We walked quickly into the break room where Francesca had a gourmet Florida sourced lunch waiting for us. It included sour orange flavored pork, grass-fed beef, sweet white yams, watermelon, tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables.

The only items that were not produced in Florida were the condiments, burger buns, and spices. Francesca said that someday she hopes to get many more of these types of items from Florida and offer them to her members.

Francesca's Terra Verde Farm Club also has pastured eggs, tropical fruit (sometimes including ginger), ethically-raised meat, citrus, and berries. These items are grown on 20 Florida farms and ranches.

UPDATE 2016: Francesca's Terra Verde Farm Club has now closed.

Lazy Magnolia's Pecan Beer, 16th Americas Food & Beverage Show, Miami, Fla.

Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company makes beer with local ingredients. Based in Kiln, Mississippi, just 30 minutes from Biloxi, this brewery uses ingredients local to its State. At this year Americas Food & Beverage Show in Miami, Lazy Magnolia showcased their pecan beer, made with Mississippi pecans.

Christiana Miller of Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company, LLC
at 16th Americas Food & Beverage Show, Miami, Fla.

"We're a full circle brewery", said spokesperson Christiana Miller in reference to the fact that the brewery donates all their mash (spent grain after the brewing process is complete) to local farmers to feed their cows and pigs. And in return when the brewery has a special event, the farmers give back meat from a steer fed on mash, or cheese made from a cow fed on mash.

Their support of the local community does not stop there. They employ locals, and after Hurricane Katrina, they rebuilt the brewery using Mississippi workers. They also support regional business by buying hops from California, Oregon, and Washington State.

"It's not a stereotypical craft beer because it's four point two percent alcohol and very sessionable," said Miller, adding, "we are the first opened brewery in Mississippi since prohibition."

The Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale had a slightly sweet smell and a rich, smooth flavor. There was just a hint of toasted pecans at the end of the sip.

Lazy Magnolia beers have been selling in North and Central Florida for some time. "People love to drink local," Miller said. The brewery just broke into the South Florida market. "The whole southeast has embraced us," she added.

They also have a sweet potato cream stout called Jefferson Stout, made with Mississippi sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, it was not available for tastings at the show. I guess I'll have to wait until it gets into South Florida restaurants.

To find out more, you can go to www.lazymagnolia.com or check with your local restaurant or bar.
 

My Favorite Chefs List, Nov 2012

My favorite chefs don't over salt their food. I am not against salt I am just against food that only tastes like salt. The chefs listed below know how to salt their dishes so that the flavors of the ingredients still shine through. They are also all farm-to-table chefs. This means they source at least part of their ingredients from local farmers, ranchers, fisheries, and dairies.

Chef Drew Belline, Georgia. I first met Drew at the Floataway Cafe in 2009. I pestered the server so often, to verify I was correct about ingredients I guessed, that Drew came out to greet me after the meal. He sourced 70-75% local ingredients for the Floataway menu. Now he has his own restaurant called No. 246, in Decatur.

Chef Craig Mombert, North Carolina. I first met Executive Chef Craig in 2010, while visiting the Davidson College cafeteria. His favorite expression is, "Salt is not a seasoning, it is a flavor enhancer." I must also mention Dee Phillips, Director of Dining Services, who is the driving force behind the sustainable, green practices of the college.

Chef Dean James Max, South Florida. I first met Dean at Jodi Swank's farm-to-table dinner in 2010. He showed me, through his 12-course dinner that it was possible to source local and still have amazing flavors. I am a fan of his restaurant--3030 Ocean in Ft. Lauderdale. Chef Dean is no longer at 3030 Ocean.

Chef Francesca Golub, South Florida. I met Francesca early in 2010 but I would have to wait until 2012 to try her food. Her company Francesca's Terra Verde Farm Club had a tour of C & B Farm in Clewiston. There she delighted all with a delicious locally sourced meal that included grass-fed beef.


Chef Jeremy Salamon, South Florida. He was just 17 years old when I met him in 2011, at the Wyland Living Green Fair. He prepared the most delicious bowl of pumpkin soup I have ever had. His humble, open style of communicating, and his incredible palette made me an instant fan.

Chef Greg Williamson, South Florida. I met Greg after a 2011 cooking demo at D & D Family Farms, in Stuart. He made low sodium dishes with produce picked that day. "I used to not care how long a distance it took to get an ingredient if it tasted good. Now I want to keep it seasonal," said Greg. D & D Farms closed in 2013.

Chef Tim Lipman, South Florida. I met Tim back in March 2012, when he first opened his restaurant--The Coolinary Cafe. I was impressed by his light salting style. I love his interpretation of food with Florida sourced ingredients. I also like his willingness to try new things like Florida wine.

Chef Dana Johnson, West Florida. I first met Dana at Rosa Fiorelli's Vineyard-to-table dinner in March 2012. He and his culinary students catered the event using local west coast ingredients. I was impressed with the imagination of the dishes. He has a company called Savory Scenes.

Chef Kira Volz, South Florida. I first met Kira at a Mother's Day brunch in 2012, on Paradise Farms. I was impressed by her use of edible flowers in an all vegetarian spread. She said she did not have to use a lot of salt to enhance the flavors of her dishes because her ingredients were so fresh.

Chef Tony Adams, Central Florida. I first met Tony at the Audubon Park Community Market, early 2012, in Winter Park. I bought a delicious Po' Boy roll made with Ft. Myers scallops. He has a food truck called Big Wheel Provisions. His rule is to source at least one local ingredient per dish. Big Wheel Provisions Food Truck closed in 2013.

Chef David A Didzunas, Central Florida. I first met David at an Growing Synergy Open House lunch, Oct 2012, on The GreenH2ouse farm. He is an Executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport, and has been supporting local farmers for five years. I enjoyed his salad made with Florida shrimp.

Updated April 2015