CEDAR KEY SMALL BOAT WEEKEND
Getting Around Island Style
Small boat designers, sailors and enthusiasts have converged here for over 20 years. The boat meet has never had organization, except tides and weather. It’s an ardent but fanciful gathering of friends and their boats among the keys, channels and oyster bars the first weekend in May. There are no events, signups, or fees. But three congregation places have evolved. Friday evening, the Treats open their home to all in blatant hospitality. The best chance to see most of the boats and people together is Saturday morning, on Atsena Otie Key’s north beach. Saturday night, the West Coast Trailer Sailors’ Squadron has a barbecue. For paddlers and shoal draft sailors it’s endearing because it has a place for everyone, in almost any combination of tide and wind. So what’s better than a scamper in shallow draft nirvana, with old or new friends?
Park your car, slow down, and experience Cedar Key on island time. Electric scooters, bicycles and golf carts can be rented. On the water take a cruise, hire a boat and a guide, or head out on a kayak adventure.
Photos: Top left, Hugh Horton; all others, Sean Dowie
by Hugh Horton
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Golf Cart Rental Tom Duggan:
1st and A Street 352-543-5300
Rustic Farms Historical Cedar Key Carriage Tours By appointment or at the dock on weekends. Contact Jeanne & James: 352-615-3961 or 352-486-6416 Cedar Key Rickshaw will pedal you around paradise 352-477-9012 Pick up from your room, Island Tours, Historical, Ghost and Eco Tours
Hearts of Palm Salad The Sabal Palm, also known as the Cabbage Palm, is the state tree of Florida. The palm grows in great abundance in the vicinity of Cedar Key and once provided masses of fiber for the Donax brushes shipped from the area for use across the United States. It is difficult to obtain fresh palm hearts outside of Florida and the canned version does not provide the full flavor and texture of the fresh hearts.
This is the traditional Cedar Key recipe. The Island Hotel serves the salad with fresh fruit according to the season Bed of Lettuce Peaches, Pineapple and Sugared Dates Fresh Hearts of Palm Top with a Dressing of: 1 part vanilla ice cream 1 part lime sherbet 1/8 part peanut butter 1/8 part mayonnaise Freeze dressing and dollop on top of lettuce, fruit and hearts of palm.
Unbaked pastry for 9-inch 2-crust pie (see step 1 below) Dash of ground cloves 1 3/4 lbs. green tomatoes, thinly sliced 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 1 1/4 cups sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons water 1/2-teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/4-teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4-teaspoon salt 1. Roll out half the pastry; line a 9-inch pie plate; place in freezer until ready to use. Thanks to Carol McQueen, Levy County Visitors Bureau, 2. Place tomato slices in a shallow dish. Add boiling water to cover, let stand for 5 mins. Drain www.VisitNatureCoast.com well, and set aside. 3. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; stir well, and set aside. 4. Combine lemon rind, lemon juice, and water in a small bowl; set aside. 5. Place half of green tomato slices in pastry shell; sprinkle with half of sugar mixture. Drizzle evenly with half of the lemon juice mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Repeat one more layer with remaining ingredients. REAL ESTATE OFFICER • SALES & RENTALS 6. Roll remaining half of pastry to 1/8-inch-thickness; cut into 1/2-inch strips. Arrange pastry strips in a lattice 352-543-0809 design over green tomato mixture. Trim off excess pastry along edges. Fold edges under and crimp. 8030 “A” Street, Cedar Key, FL 32625 7. Bake at 425*F (220*C) for 50 minutes. www.KeyRealtyofCedarKey.com Cool on a wire rack. Serves 6 - 8.
Green Tomato Pie