Florida Grown White Asian Eggplant

Wellington, Fla.--Fresh Florida grown white Asian eggplant is delicious. They are a unique, slim, cucumber-like shaped eggplant with pale white, thin skin. Their sweet, delicate flavor lacks the bitterness usually associated with purple, Italian eggplant.

Florida grown white Asian eggplant, Wellington, Fla.
Copyright 2016 by Helen A Lockey

I bought some earlier this month, which had been picked the day before, from the Seed To Bloom booth at the Wellington Green Market in south Florida. I choose the tiniest eggplant I could find. They cost $4 a pound.

I took them home and immediately started preparing them for dinner.

I preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and lined a backing sheet with aluminum foil. Next I cut off all the green tops off each eggplant and slit them, lengthways, in half from top to tail making them look like thick string beans.

Then I tossed them in safflower oil (a high smoke/heat oil). 

If you are allergic to daisies do not use this safflower oil. Instead use another high smoke oil like coconut, macadamia nut or grape seed oil.

I placed each oiled eggplant strip on the aluminum foiled baking sheet leaving about a quarter inch of gap between each strip.

Oven baked Florida grown white Asian eggplant, Wellington,
Fla. Copyright 2016 by Helen A Lockey

I put the tray into the oven and cooked the eggplant for 30 minutes until they were golden brown.

They were creamy, crunchy and slightly sweet in flavor.

Barrel Of Monks Brewing LLC, Boca Raton, Fla.

Barrel of Monks Brewing had a birthday party, with a few hundred paid guests, this past weekend. The brewery located in Boca Raton, Florida, turned one this year and they celebrated with food truck treats, guest taps and all of their delicious brewed creations.

Barrel Of Monks 1801 Mocha Kaffie Dark Saison, Barrel Of Monks Brewing,
Boca Raton, Fla.
Copyright 2016 by Helen A Lockey 

The brewery owned by Matthew Saady, Keith DeLoach and Bill McFee, Belgian beer enthusiasts and home-brewers, could not find a decent beer outside of Belgium, so they decided to start their own brewery last year. They built the only Floridian Belgian trappist style brewery. "We are the only ones dedicated to traditional Belgian style," said Tasting Room Manager Zachary Agran, during an interview last year.  

To keep the beers truly European they import their yeast from Belgium, and their grains from Belgium, England, Scotland, and Germany. And to keep the quality high they hired brewmaster Kevin Abbott who previously worked for Funky Budda's and Due South.

"Our goal is to make Belgians the right way," said Matt Saady during last year's Holiday party.

Despite all the importing they still support local by using Florida citrus in their recipes. And they follow other Florida brewery trends by giving their spent grain mash to a local animal farm for feed. "We're very much about local produce and supporting local," said Agran.

The anniversary party went from 2 to 6 p.m. and was a lot of bubbly fun. My favorite brew was the 1801 Mocha because it had deliciously bold flavors of coffee and chocolate.

You can find Barrel Of Monks beers at many South Florida restaurants and bars and at many stores but the best place to try it is at their tasting room in Boca Raton, just off of Clint Moore Road.

Barrel Of Monks Brewing is located at 1141 S. Rogers Circle #5, Boca Raton, FL 33487

Phone: (561) 510-1253

Just one note, Barrel Of Monks Brewing LLC has a strict 21 years and over policy so if you have children under that age they will not be allowed into their tasting room.

Endless Summer Vineyard & Winery, Ft. Pierce, Fla.

Ft. Pierce, Fla.—Endless Summer Vineyard & Winery makes Florida sourced wine. This 10-acre vineyard, owned by Gary Roberts, started crafting and serving blended wine to the public just seven years ago. Back then all their wines were made with grape juice sourced off property because their vines were not mature enough to produce the needed juice.

Inside tasting room, Endless Summer Vineyard & Winery, Ft. Pierce, Fla.
Copyright 2016 by Helen A Lockey

Today, they have two Family Estate Reserve muscadine wines that are Vine-to-Bottle style made with the grapes from their fields. They also continue to make blended wines made with grape juice from north Florida vineyards and other areas around the country.

I got to taste their wines earlier this month while touring the countryside on the Gold & Treasure Coast Slow Foods U-Drive Farm Tour.

Not Starboards, fortified port style Muscadine dessert wine,
Endless Summer Vineyard & Winery, Ft. Pierce, Fla
Copyright 2016 by Helen A Lockey 

My favorite was, “Not Starboards,” a brandy fortified, port style Muscadine dessert wine that was 18 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). It has a silky mouth feel and flavors of caramelized raisin, smoky leather and toasted coconut. It reminded me a lot of rum & raisin ice cream.

Next on my list of favorites was a white called, "Beach Nut," made with a blend of Chardonnay and Carlos Muscadine grapes. It was lightweight semi-dry wine that started off fruity and finished dry.

Of the reds, I liked, "Rated Arrr," because it had a surprisingly complex tannin profile and rich flavors. It finished deliciously drier than I expected. It was made with a blend of Merlot and Noble Muscadine grapes.

Muscadine grape vines at Endless Summer Vineyard
& Winery, Ft. Pierce, Fla.
Copyright 2016 by Helen A Lockey

I was not a fan of the Family Estate Reserves wines but other people on the tasting tour enjoyed them greatly.

This vineyard is definitely worth a visit.

Endless Summer Vineyard & Winery is located at 4200 Johnston Rd., Ft. Pierce, FL  34951

Their phone is (772) 460-0500

They are closed on Mondays, but open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues. to Fri, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. sat, and 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sun.