Florida Squirrel Eats Local Coconut

Even the squirrels in Florida get it that local tastes better. This furry foodie was sitting in a tree in my backyard waiting for a local treat of freshly harvested green coconuts.

Florida squirrel waits for local food feast

Little did I know this was a favorite food of Florida squirrels. I cracked one open, poured the water into a glass and went inside to get some ice.

While I was gone the furry foodie left his high perch and went to investigate the nuts below. He stuck his head deep inside the shell, took a sniff, and timidly tasted. "Ah, sweet coconut," I'm sure he thought and dived in for some more.

Everglades Agricultural Area, Fla. Lettuce

Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), Florida, grown lettuce is unique. The area, located on 470,000 acres of land close to Lake Okeechobee has some of the blackest soil you will ever see. It is made of peat muck. The earth was exposed over a century ago when the Everglades were drained to make room for farm land. 

Everglades Agricultural Area, Fla., grown romaine lettuce

More and more South Florida grocery stores are carrying lettuce grown in the EAA. The way to spot that your leafy green has been grown in this area is to look for coal-like soil at the base of the plant.

Another way to tell is by taste. It will be saltier than greens grown in other areas of the country.

Other crops grown in the EAA are green beans, carrots, potatoes, beets, sweet corn, rice, and sugar cane.

If you want to see the black soil for yourself, take a ride west on Southern Boulevard past the City of Wellington. When you get to the sugar cane fields, stop and look down to see the black gold of the EAA.

My Locally Sourced Chocolate Mousse: Fla Style.

Chocolate mousse is great. But it is even better if some of the ingredients are local and have a low carbon footprint.

Partially Florida sourced chocolate mousse

This mousse was made with Florida grown eggs, milk, and sugar. It was decorated with a Florida grown strawberry.