Kai Kai Farm Pig Roast Dinner, Indiantown, Fla. Updated

Indiantown, Fla.—Kai Kai Farm is embracing casual farm-to-table dinners. This 40-acre, organic growing methods farm, likes the idea of affordable on-farm dining. 

Chef Jason Stocks carving roasted pig at Kai Kai Farm Pig Roast Dinner,
Indiantown, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

The first event, held earlier this year, featured roasted pork cooked by farm-to-table style Chef Jason Stocks, owner of District Table & Bar, and Kai Kai Farm grown vegetables.

Kai Kai Farm co-owner and farmer Diane Cordeau talking to guests
about her farming method, Kai Kai Pig Roast, Dinner, Indiantown, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

“We don’t use pesticides on the farm so we can walk through the fields and hear the buzzing of bees,” said co-owner Diane Cordeau during a 20-minute farm tour.

Guests help themselves to vegetarian sides at Kai Kai Pig Roast
Dinner, Indiantown, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

A buffet style table sat at the back of a large tented seating area. It was decked out with large bowls of vegetarian dishes to go with the roasted pork. A generous helping of strawberry shortcake and vegan peanut butter cup, created by Veggie Love Food Truck, finished off the meal.

Carl Frost and Diane Cordeau farmer owners of Kai Kai
Farm thanking guests for attending dinner, Kai Kai Pig Roast
Dinner, Indiantown, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

After all had filled their bellies, co-owner Carl Frost thanked everyone for driving out to his farm, ”We feel like pioneers out here.”

Later, Jennifer Sacket, dinner coordinator at Kai Kai Farm, said, “I am a vegan vegetarian and so it is nice to have a sustainable amount of vegetarian food like we had tonight.”

Sacket added that there will be more events on the farm in the near future.

To find out more about Kai Kai Farm, their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership program or their upcoming events you can go to www.kaikaifarm.com 

You can also email Farmer@kaikaivegetables.com or call 772-597-1717.

This dinner cost just $45 a person. This was a bargain by Florida on-property farm-to-table dinner standards that tend to start at $100 a person.

Organic Edible Flower Dinner, Paradise Farms, Homestead, Fla. Updated

Homestead, Fla.--Paradise Farms' flowers were more than pretty, they were also yummy.  Earlier this year this organic farm held an edible flower dinner that started with a flower infused cocktail hour followed by an edible tour of the property accompanied by unique libations. It was the first dinner of its kind at Paradise Farms, under the ownership of Gabriele Marewski.

Brie cheese, dried fruit cups decorated with edible organic flowers at Dinner
In Paradise Edible Flower Festival, Homestead, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

At each talking point on the tour there was either a wine or a Kombucha (fermented tea) made with farm grown ingredients like oyster mushrooms and ginger flowers.  Guests were encouraged to help themselves to as many edible flowers as they wanted to eat during the farm tour.

Guests eat their way through Paradise Farms' edible flower festival
dinner farm tour, Homestead, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

The most surprising flower stop was at the begonia beds. These succulent pink petalled flowers tasted like lemon juice. The Begonia wine that accompanied this stop had hints of eucalyptus and citrus.

Corvina ceviche with Clitoria (edible blue flower)
leche de tigre, sweet potato, peppers, onion and garlic chips,
prepared by Chef Eric Do, at Dinner in Paradise Edible Flower
Festival, Homestead, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

The tour ended with a glorious sit down dinner in an open air gazebo. Chefs from all around Miami and even one from Washington, D.C. cooked delicious dishes with Paradise Farms grown edible organic flowers.

White asparagus salad served with quail egg and nasturtium flower,
created by Chef Harold Ortiz at Dinner in Paradise Edible Flower
Festival, Homestead, Fla. Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

The culinary celebrity line up consisted of Chef Harold Ortiz (Banquet Chef, Intercontinental Hotel Miami), Chef Alex Feher (Intercontinental Hotel Miami), Chef Eric Do (Toro Toro Miami restaurant), Chef Jose Luis Flores (Richard Sandoval Restaurants) and the culinary students of Johnson & Wales University.

Banana dulce de leche with farm grown roselle hibiscus flower
sauce, rose petals, viola flower and bananas, prepared by Chef Jose
Luis Flores at Dinner in Paradise Edible Flower Festival,
Homestead, Fla. Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

Four courses later, the dessert crafted by pastry Chef Flores, arrived with many ingredients from the farm like bananas, rose petals, roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) sauce, and edible viola flowers.

Final thanks and congratulations of Chefs, Sponsors, servers
and Gabriele Marewski at Dinner in Paradise Edible Flower
Festival, Homestead, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

Then it was time to thank all the chefs, their servers, the sponsors, and Gabriele for her wonderful event. And then the night was over.

This dinner cost $165.50 per person before tax.

As of Sept. 2014, Paradise Farms organic is up for sale. It is unknown if the next owner will continue the tradition of farm-to-table dinners.

So we will just have to wait and wish.

Chef Peter Kenney, Purple Olive Bistro, St. Augustine, Fla.

St. Augustine, Fla.—The Purple Olive Bistro supports local farmers. But co-owner and Chef Peter Kenney does not want his restaurant labeled farm-to-table. “ I never claimed anything to be farm-to-table. I don’t like putting a label on it. I try to source as much local as I can. It is just a good practice with food,” Kenney said during an interview at this year’s Tour de Farm organized by Slow Food First Coast.

Chef and owner of Purple Olive Bistro, Peter Kenney, First Coast Slow Food
Tour de Farm event, St. Augustine, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

The Purple Olive Bistro opened in 2004. Chef Kenney knew what he wanted in a Bistro after having spent many years working in restaurants around St. Augustine like Manatee Café. His vision came together with the help of his wife and co-owner Deidre after they took a trip to Italy.

Kenney sources from many St. Augustine farmers markets and farms like meat from Cartwheel Ranch, and vegetables from SJ Farm. In the summer when it is harder to get local ingredients he buys from farms in Georgia and North Carolina.

“We are always cooking everything from scratch. We make a purple carrot ginger sauce made with Florida fish,” said Kenney with a shy smile, adding, “Our fish and shrimp are always local.”

With 422 restaurants in the St. Augustine, Florida, area according to Kenney, he has to stand out somehow. “I don’t think you have to use a lot of salt because of the flavors. But my style is more Mediterranean and salt comes with the style.”

The Purple Olive Bistro is located 4255 A1A South, Suite 6, St. Augustine, FL  32080

They also do catering for functions and weddings.

To find out more you can call (904) 461 - 1250 or go to their website www.purple-olive.com

To find out more about Slow Food First Coast you can go to http://slowfoodfirstcoast.org