Literally Local

Plate by IRON at Marcus Pointe / photo by Samantha Crooke

Celebrating foods grown and raised within a 200 mile radius of Pensacola and the restaurants, chefs and local businesses who use and sell them July 11, 2013

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Eating Out, Eating Local The Chefs and Restaurants Plating Pensacola's Local Fare

by Jessica Forbes

can grow. “I’m constantly changing the menu, we’re constantly running specials,” putting Knight in an ideal position to integrate what’s seasonally available.

“Luckily we have two meals a week that the menu changes for every week—the Sunday Brunch and Thursday Dinner—and I can do that with some oddball vegetables that we have.” Knight also does catering and personal chef work, which are also locally sourced and/or organic. “We don’t even advertise it anymore, that it’s local … at this point, it’s second nature to us.”

End of the Line is also a hub for local music, artists, non-profits and community groups. Knight says she even gives kitchen scraps to a local community gardener who composts them, “We’re keeping our dirt local, too.”

In August, Knight is offering a cooking class—a regular event that always utilizes seasonal produce—that she’s calling a "local vegan challenge," showing customers how to cook vegan dishes with exclusively locally-sourced ingredients, and challenging them to put together one meal a month using all local ingredients.

“My class is going to show how easy [cooking local and vegan] is actually—once you put your mind to it and know the resources to look for, where to go—that it’s actually kind of fun and not as hard as you think.”

A NEW FRONTIER

Jen Knight / photo by Samantha Crooke It probably goes without saying that chefs love food—and some more specifically love food prepared using fresh, local ingredients.

We set out to identify and speak with local chefs who use locally grown, caught, or produced food and food items in their restaurants, and discovered that "local" has become a quietly huge movement in Pensacola’s culinary community.

A number of local chefs are well aware of the bounty harvested only miles from their restaurants and are thrilled to utilize the products. Many have even built collaborative business relationships with the farmers who are supplying increasing varieties and quantities of items.

Whether sourced locally or states away, these chefs are dedicated to knowing exactly where from their fresh ingredients come, but all we spoke with share a passion for using local, seasonally available ingredients and do so at every possible turn.

From vegan cuisine to local fine dining institutions, the following Pensacola-based 010 1

restaurants are committed to strengthening the area’s growing network of farmers, food artisans, and chefs that are keeping many of us eating literally local—whether we’ve been aware of it or not.

LOCAL VEGAN

From the local art on the walls to the local vegetables in the dishes, End of the Line Café is as serious about supporting the local community at large as they are providing healthy, healthful meals.

Committed to using local ingredients since opening End of the Line Café 11 years ago, Owner Jen Knight used to ride her bike—trailer attached—to Bailey’s Farmer’s Market at its former Fairfield Avenue location to load up on local produce.

“It seemed to make more sense. If it’s here, if it’s available, why aren’t we using it? Why aren’t we supporting our local community?”

Since Bailey’s moved, Knight still buys local whenever possible, from farmer’s markets to farmers themselves.

“I tell everybody that we’re 100 percent vegan, about 85 percent organic, and as local as we can get.” Knight has a specific source for shitake mushrooms in Beulah, bread from Pensacola, coffee roasted in Santa Rosa Beach, and the organic produce the restaurant buys is regional. “If I have to get something from a distributor, I ask where it’s from.”

Farmers from Palafox Market often stop by the restaurant on Saturday afternoons to sell their remaining product.

Knight talks to farmers when buying, asks what else they have, and what else they

It’s fair to say that IRON at Marcus Pointe is distinct among Pensacola restaurants. From the open kitchen itself to the garden located 20 yards from the restaurant’s back door, every aspect of IRON is committed to providing a transparent and informed, yet still relaxed fine dining experience.

“Cooking in New Orleans definitely got me interested in local stuff because their entire restaurant community thrives on it,” said Executive Chef Alex McPhail, who, postKatrina, helped rebuild and then rose to rank of Sous Chef at Commander’s Palace, and later worked at Restaurant August and The Roosevelt before returning to his native Pensacola.

“There’s an awareness now amongst chefs and the community about locally sourced ingredients—finally people care about where their food is coming from.”

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Arugula Pesto

from IRON at Marcus Pointe Sous Chef Charlie Meyers; shared with IN by their Veggie Gardner Nik McCue You must first have these ingredients gathered and prepped: Toasted pistachios (better if you toasted them) Grated parmesan (better if you grated it) Fresh arugula (better if you grew it) Fresh chopped garlic/shallowed (better if you chopped it) Garlic confit (well... really it's just olive oil used to braise garlic cloves) In a mixing bowl...

Add a couple fists full of blanched arugula Half a shot glass of garlic/shallot mix Crumble in a left hand full of parmesan Toss in a right hand full of toasted pistachios Pour on a bottle cap of salt Sew in a thimble of black pepper Add to a VitaPrep (or other high speed mixer of your choice), turn on, drizzle garlic confit to your taste/ texture preference, and enjoy.

When conceiving IRON at Marcus Pointe in early 2012, McPhail reconnected with former Pensacola acquaintance Nik McCue, a computer tech turned gardener, after seeing photos of McCue’s homegrown produce on Instagram.

“We decided to take it one step further,” said McPhail. “We had this beautiful piece of property and a lot of talented people on our team.” McPhail cites John Besh’s La Provence outside of New Orleans as an inspiration for setting up a kitchen garden for the restaurant. “We never anticipated it being what it is now … we were just winging it at that time,” McPhail remembers of their initial crop.

“We focus on show ingredients, the inspirational and main ingredients,” said McCue of the IRON garden’s staple items, which include heirloom tomatoes, greens, carrots, herbs, and edible flowers among others.

McCue plants on a carefully planned schedule so harvesting can be staggered based on the kitchen’s supply needs and what’s seasonally possible.

“We do experiment a little bit, and that’s how we get things that are unique in this area,” McCue says of the crops, some of which are so unique—like purple carrots—they would be cost-prohibitive to obtain elsewhere. “It becomes impossible to offer some of those cool things unless you do it yourself.”

The restaurant’s successful first year has shown that customers are excited by the flavorful produce and being able to literally see from their tables where much of what is on their plates was harvested.

July 11, 2013

McPhail estimates that 80 percent of the produce used is local or grown on property and 50 percent of meats are local, including seafood. Though not all items are supplied from their garden, “We’re constantly talking to providers about where the produce, goods come from,” said McPhail.

Through IRON, McPhail hopes to increase awareness of seasonal and fresh eating and eventually reverse the decadeslong trend of reliance on grocery stores and corporate chain restaurants. “What Besh did for New Orleans is what I want to do for Pensacola. Just supply Pensacola with the best local food, flavor, recipe, technique that we can possibly do.”

Now in its second year, the restaurant itself recently expanded and will soon be up to 70 seats. IRON remains dynamic, and according to McCue, “It’s tough to do something new, it takes a little bit of extra work, but it’s been incredibly worth it thus far.”

CELEBRATION ON THE SQUARE

You’ve probably never heard someone use the word “celebrate” with as much earnest resolution as when you hear Chef Irv Miller describe how he utilizes the products of local farmers and fishermen at Jackson’s Steakhouse.

As the restaurant’s founding executive chef, Miller made a conscious decision to utilize whatever local ingredients were available to him when he opened Jackson’s in 1999.

“When we talk about locally sourced or locally farmed ingredients, it’s fair to say that I’ve been doing that since I’ve

Miller. “I think it’s here to stay. I’ve watched been on the coast, so that would go back it come and go too many times, but this to three decades ago,” said Miller. time it feels like all the young chefs are Having lived and worked in the Destin trying to create names for themselves, and area since the early 1980s, Miller was fathey’re trying to be at the forefront of their miliar with the seafood and produce availgame by supporting and using local ingrediable on the Gulf Coast, but was initially ents, which I think is wonderful.” challenged in sourcing enough produce for Jackson’s.

“Produce has taken off in the last decade or so,” says Miller who is now able to Chef Frank Taylor has been in business feature dishes built entirely around locally for almost 10 years on Palafox Street. In available vegetables. “The Seasonal Gulf that span of time, Global Grill has become Coast Farmland Salad is a celebration of a fine dining favorite and source of local everything that’s in season from Creole foodie pride. tomatoes and field peas, zucchini and The breadth of offerings—Global squash, to Craine Creek greens.” remains one of the only restaurants in town Miller even has a salad named for Tomawith an actual tapas menu—and rotation of to Joe, the farmer who provides tomatoes to specials reflect Taylor’s mission to connect his restaurant and to the Fish House. with as many food producers as possible Though not a complete farm-toand create dishes that represent what is table restaurant, Miller maintains strong possible when farmer and chef or farmer relationships with a number of farmers, and fisherman are communicating regularly. communicating with them about what’s About four years ago, Taylor says he possible for them to grow and for him to began increasing the amount of produce use. “I’m of the school that says, ‘You tell he purchased from local farmers. “At first me what you’ve got and I’ll make sure I it was kind of hard going getting enough use it on my menu.’” farmers to grow enough for the restaurant, The staff meet regularly to discuss but we’ve got about four or five now that ingredients and, according to Miller, to produce enough where we can say we’re have “conversations about things that we almost sustainable with local stuff.” use. It’s an ongoing effort to educate the customer as much as possible without intimidation about food and where it’s from.”

“There’s an awareness now amongst chefs and the community about locally sourced ingredients— finally people care about where their food is coming from,” said Miller, who is a board member of the newly launched Slow Food Gulf Coast chapter.

“I’m so proud to be amongst everything that’s going on here.”

All of Jackson’s seafood is local except for salmon, and much of it is purchased from Maria’s Seafood where Miller can get information about sourcing if a fish was not caught in the Gulf. Some of the restaurant’s chickens are raised in Molino, as well as some lamb, pork and eggs. Miller, like other chefs, does have to go out of area for some items—such as berries—when they are out of season.

“We try to do our part in the sustainable Global Grill's Heirloom Tomato Salad / courtesy photo food movement,” said

LOCALLY ‘GLOBAL’ GOODNESS

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200 miles of the city. “We’re a little behind; we’re not New York, we’re not California, but we’re definitely getting there.”

FRIEND OF THE FARMER

MariCarmen Josephs at Coldwater Gardens / courtesy photo About three times a year, the farmers Taylor works with the most come to discuss what they can possibly grow and what he’d like to try in the restaurant.

“They want to see what grows around here, too and I want to see if I can use it.

That’s the fun thing about working with farmers,” said Taylor. Last winter, they tried fava beans, one of several types of beans Taylor also experiments with in his home garden.

“When Coldwater Gardens first came to me they had a handful of stuff, now they have enough they can produce for other restaurants, too,” Taylor said of one of his primary produce suppliers. Global still obtains all of its lettuces and herbs from Coldwater during the winter. During the summer, Taylor estimates 50 percent of his produce—namely zucchini, eggplant, herbs, heirloom tomatoes, Elderberry flowers, herbs and shitake mushrooms—come from Coldwater Gardens.

The rest come from smaller farms from which Taylor regularly sources as well as growers who come to the restaurant to connect with the chef, such as one farmer who regularly drops off chanterelle 212 1

mushrooms. Taylor is also able to obtain quail eggs, duck and pig, some rabbits from regional specialty farms.

“Now we’re getting enough variety and enough volume that we can actually write our whole menu around it mostly,” said Taylor, who says the restaurant’s supply varies from between 50 and 75 percent locally produced. “We do the best we can with the volume.”

As for seafood, Taylor—an avid fisherman himself said, “We’re on the Gulf Coast, so fish is not a problem. That’s the easy part.” Aware of what fish are running, Taylor communicates with seafood purveyors as he does with farmers. “I have about two commercial fishermen that fish directly for me and then I use Maria’s a lot.”

Even though he has set relationships for food sourcing, Taylor says he still likes to check out the farmers markets to see what varieties people are producing.

“You’ll find a couple farmers out there that really have some cool stuff growing.”

Like other chefs, Taylor strives to be as close to farm to table as he can, but notes it’s difficult to source everything he needs for every service exclusively from within

Carmen’s Lunch Bar chef and owner MariCarmen Josephs is as enthusiastic about her ingredients as any foodie could probably be.

Josephs made a pledge when she opened Carmen’s eight months ago that she would shop the Palafox Market every Saturday; in the ensuing months, she says she has only missed one Saturday. “It’s gotten so fun and exciting that I have to allow about two hours,” Josephs said of her weekly shopping trip, “because I really have a lot of conversations with the farmers.”

Josephs creates specials—soups, salads, and desserts—often for the whole week based on what she gets at the market, “Basically, they show me what they have and I create a dish around it.”

“One of the most exciting things is seeing how excited the farmers are when they’re able to grow something that’s put to good use,” said Josephs, who even photographs dishes and takes her camera to show individual farmers what she makes with the items they sold to her. Josephs also uses Facebook to present her dishes and ingredients, and tags farmers when possible.

Initially skeptical that she would be able to source so much locally, Josephs said that buying seasonal, locally produced ingredients, “Really makes it exciting for me, too, because it keeps me inspired.”

Josephs also works with Flora Bama Farms for some items, and directly with others like Coldwater Gardens and Stewart Farms. “I never pretend to say that everything in here is local and that we buy only local produce, I just buy what I can,” said Josephs. “Why create a special around an ingredient that isn’t fresh, seasonal, or local?”

Carmen’s Spanish Lump Crab MeltOpen Face is a customer favorite, and Josephs said the staff at Joe Patti’s knows when they see her coming to start bagging up whatever Alabama crab they have, “I, whenever possible, buy the Alabama crab, it’s absolutely by far the best.” In addition to produce and seafood, Josephs also uses local honey suppliers as well as C&D Grits.

One unique aspect of Carmen’s is the range of gluten free option the restaurant offers. Gluten-free for eight years herself, Josephs is able to use local produce in many gluten free dishes such as a local blueberry gluten-free tart dessert special.

In the cases Josephs can’t use all of a farmer’s offerings, she is happy to recommend them to other chefs. “Our community is really all about helping each other out … a real cooperative environment.”

Most recently, she referred a blackberry farmer with an overabundance of berries to Flora Bama, and also to Jaco’s; as a customer of theirs, she knew they have a blackberry mojito on special.

By maintaining a collaborative spirit, Josephs hopes to perpetuate the growing farm-to-table movement in Pensacola, “The more you build these relationships with the farmers, the more they’re able to grow things to suit our needs.”

FRESH AIR, FRESHER FOOD

Al Fresco, Pensacola’s food truck haven, has opened in stages over the past several months. Despite the summer heat—and probably due to the umbrellas and mister system that cools things down a bit—the open-air eatery is usually full of diners. A few of the trucks are already interested in revamping and localizing their menus and have turned to local chef Amber Solnick Rushing for guidance.

Solnick recently opened Gourmand Pro Consulting, a business in which she offers restaurants restructuring, training, pricing, sourcing, and menu development solutions. Having put together menus for weekly Lee House dinners and special events, Solnick is versed in buying local and seasonal for this region.

Greenhouse at Al Fresco is already implementing local sourcing practices, buying ingredients from Wendt Family Farms and the market outside of Joe Patti’s Seafood. “All of our olive oil and vinegars to make our vinaigrettes come from Bodacious Olive,” said Solnick, adding, “We’re trying to transition to getting hopefully all of our produce that we don’t already get from the farmers from Flora Bama. We’re working on that right now.”

Gouda Stuff will be the next truck to receive menu-revamping guidance from Gourmand. “I’m definitely going to be working to try and get more and more local stuff on the menu,” said Solnick.

“Basically, food that’s grown around you is healthier for you because you’re in the same environment. You’re inhaling the same pollen as the food that you’re eating, so your body is already hardwired [to accept it].”

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Drinking Local

“Nobody seems to mind so far. I think they like it.”

It’s that kind of customer experience and satisfaction Solnick hopes to duplicate at Al Fresco, and anywhere else that summons up Gourmand’s services.

“There is nothing like having fresh cobia grilled up to perfection, and knowing that it just came out of the water that day—nothing like it.”

DOCKSIDE DOWNTOWN

Patrick Bolster / photo by Matthew Coughlin Approaching its third anniversary in August, Vinyl Music Hall’s 5 ½ Bar quickly made a name for itself as the go-to place for high quality, old school inspired cocktails. Part of the bar’s methodology is its attention to ingredients. Aside from high quality liqueurs and mixers—where else in town do you order a drink that has bitters in it—bartender Patrick Bolster also uses fresh herbs and produce from local farmers.

Flavor and visual interest are the main benefits of fresh ingredients, Bolster believes. “There is a big difference when it’s fresh, I call it the fajita affect,” said Bolster, referencing the way people turn their heads when a sizzling plate of food goes by. “When people see a drink, they say, ‘What’s that?’ when they see a fresh garnish.”

Bolster writes the cocktail menu based on what seasonal ingredients are available. Each week, the bar goes Already looking a few seasons ahead, Solnick is also working with Greenhouse to conceive new ways to utilize their fresh juice press. “When citrus season happens this winter, we’re going to have freshly pressed juice.” Currently for summer, Solnick is retooling the truck’s fresh lemonade, “That’s what we’re going to be working on this week, adding a ginger lemonade, a lavender lemonade, and a non-alcoholic mojito to the menu.”

As a working chef, Solnick tries to go to Palafox Market every week, “I do try to go and chat with people, and go out to farms, too.”

The health benefits of eating local, seasonal produce is an important aspect of keeping food fresh for Solnick, who studied macrobiotics and learned, “Basically, food that’s grown around you is healthier for you because you’re in the same environment.

You’re inhaling the same pollen as the food that you’re eating, so your body is already hardwired [to accept it].”

July 11, 2013

through pounds of lemon, limes, cucumbers, berries, basil, mint, “As far as food, it’s been going on for years, but it seems like the public is more conscious of it now, using less commercially produced ingredients, less industrialized product.”

Bolster keeps the menu as fresh and local as possible, buying from Bailey’s and, more recently, from Flora Bama Farms, and encourages customers to ask about what ingredients are new. “If I were coming into 5 ½, I would definitely ask what’s fresh, what’s local,” said Bolster. “We’re always happy to whip something up.”

5 1/2 BAR

5 E. Garden St. 607-6758 fiveandahalfbar.com

As far as Pensacola eateries go, the Fish House is a go-to location to impress out of town guests and/or or to enjoy a meal right on the bay. Maria Goldberg, director of marketing for the Great Southern Restaurant Group, says that using local ingredients has been part of the Fish House’s operations for quite some time.

“First and foremost, we’re a local restaurant. We’re firm believers in supporting our local community be it our local farmers or local nonprofits,” Goldberg points out, adding one of every diner’s favorite aspects of buying local: “Plus, it tastes wonderful to boot.”

Aside from providing a unique backdrop for dining, the docks and marina at the Fish House serve an important purpose for ingredient sourcing as well. The Fish House has a license to purchase seafood from boats at their docks enabling the restaurant is to obtain and prepare fresh seafood from the Gulf only hours after it is caught.

“It’s a great thing to offer, because it’s right here in our back yard,” said Goldberg. “There is nothing like having fresh cobia grilled up to perfection, and knowing that it just came out of the water that day—nothing like it.” When demand surpasses supply from their docks, the restaurant does turn to popular local seafood purveyors Maria’s and Joe Patti’s to supplement their offerings.

Grouper Piccata from The Grand Marlin

INGREDIENTS: Parmesan crust 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated parmesan 1 teaspoon Italian parsley, chopped 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

As for the Lee House dinners, Grouper Filets Solnick practices 4 6-8 ounce grouper filets the principles she Salt and freshly ground black pepper implements 1 cup all purpose flour through Gour2 eggs lightly beaten mand. The menus 2 cups Parmesan crust (see above) change weekly, 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley “but we still try to 4 tablespoons fresh butter get as many things 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice as we can from the farmer’s market.

2 tablespoons drained brined capers, minced We’ll even go out to Lemon slices, for garnish Bien Dong [Oriental Market]. They’ve got really cool things out there, things you’d never see at the farmer’s market because nobody knows what it is.”

Through her work at the Lee House, Solnick has seen that most customers are excited about eating local and when slight changes to advertised menus occur due to what products are freshest,

DIRECTIONS: In a bowl combine all the ingredients to make the parmesan crust. Season both sides of the grouper with salt and black pepper. Place flour in a stainless steel bowl. Place eggs in a separate stainless steel bowl. Place the parmesan crust in a stainless steel bowl. Dip the grouper filets first in flour, then in the egg and then into the parmesan crust mixture.

Over medium heat, heat about 1/3 cup of oil in a non stick skillet, add the breaded grouper filets to the pan and cook about 4 minutes on the first side (until golden brown) then carefully turn to the other side and cook for another 4 minutes. If the grouper is very thick, you can have them butterflied to flatten them out for more even cooking or place them in a 350 degree oven to finish. Cook until the fish is cooked to about 135 degrees, they will be just cooked with a moist translucent texture. Do not overcook as it will be dry and tasteless.

Remove the grouper from the pan, add in the butter. Heat until the butter begins to brown. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice chopped parsley and capers. Pour sauce over fish and serve.

Garnish with lemon slices.

Serves 4

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In addition to fresh local seafood, the Fish House has also has a long-standing relationship with Renfroe Pecans, whose crop the restaurant utilizes for pecancrusted fish dishes, on salads, and in sauces. The Fish House also uses C&D Grits, as does sister restaurant Jackson’s, and sell the grits—the centerpiece of Grits a Ya Ya, one of the restaurant’s signature dishes—at the Fish House Gift Store.

“They fly off the shelves,” said Goldberg.

“There is a man known as Tomato Joe who handpicks tomatoes and brings them to us. We use those for salads, entrees,” said Goldberg of a figure who is almost legendary within the Great Southern Restaurant Group. “It’s a wonderful thing to have.” For other produce, the Fish House utilizes Flora Bama Farms, whose owner Sandy Veilleux is also the restaurant’s assistant pastry chef.

Across the board, the Fish House and its chefs believe in the virtue of buying fresh and local and will continue to do so, according to Goldberg, “Anytime we can use what our community brings to us, we will put in on the table.”

fet for Evenings in Olde Seville Square on Thursdays as well as working on banquet and special event menus. The chef says he currently uses Joe Patti’s seafood almost exclusively and Green Acres Farms for pigs and beef, which he will continue, along with locally grown produce sourcing.

“I’ll keep using it as much as I can, if not more, especially with the changing menu. As produce, new stuff is available every week and coming into season, it works out perfectly,” said Rushing.

“I’ve always read that items from within 100 miles are better for you,” Rushing says of his reasoning for buying local. “The more local stuff you can eat the better.”

“If it’s something special and local, we definitely put the name of the farm, where it’s from [on the menu] for sure,” said Rushing of both regular dinners and special event menus. Rushing has learned that customers at Lee House respond well to seeing local items listed on menus, and dinners put together using exclusively locally sourced ingredients typically sell out.

“People really liked it,” he said. “They all want to know where it’s from.”

As a food enthusiast himself, Rushing agrees with his customers’ feelings about eating local: “It’s so much nicer. It just tastes better.”

“I’ve always read that items from within 100 miles are better for you.

The more local stuff you can eat the better.”

TYPE OF CHANGE

When asked what his signature dish is, Chef Blake Rushing gives an answer that is telling of an almost compulsive urge to create new ingredient medleys, “I think that my signature dish is ‘Everything is always different.’ I don’t like cooking the same thing over and over.”

At the end of July, Rushing will open Type by Chef Blake Rushing at Duh. “Basically, we’re going to have five signature dishes that are always on the menu and the rest of the menu is going to change every week,” said Rushing. “So three starters, three mains, and three desserts that all change every week with the seasons and using as much local produce, fish, meats, and poultry as possible.”

The name “Type” is a play on Rushing’s aim to feature a different type of menu every week that shows off his self-identified New American/Modern American, Asian, and French influences. “It will be my style of cuisine with all different flavors,” said Rushing. “I think that is my favorite thing: Super fresh, simple flavors.”

Type will be open Monday through Friday for dinner. Rushing has a split lease for the space inside of Duh with Norma’s, which will serve lunch during the day.

Rushing explained, “We’re joking we should call it ‘Norma by Day, Blake by Night.”

Rushing currently works at Lee House, putting together the weekly Gourmet Buf414 1

LAID BACK LOCAL

The Leisure Club (TLC) has possibly one of the most self-descriptive restaurant names in Pensacola. The ambiance aside, however, the management and new chef are anything but leisurely about sourcing fresh, local, and craft food items for the restaurant’s food and beverage menus.

Matt Barnhill, manager and barista at TLC, listed numerous ingredients the restaurant sources locally and some just barely outside of the 200-mile local cutoff.

“All of our produce comes from Flora Bama Farms as well as Ocheesee Creamery milk, yogurt, and butter, which comes from Blountstown,” said Barnhill. The Ocheesee milk goes into not only the coffee bar’s numerous drink offerings, but into the pastries made in house as well.

The restaurant buys cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville, Ga. and also purchases its small-batch, craft ice cream from a creamery in Atlanta.

To supplement produce purchases, Barnhill said—referring to new Chef Lindy Howell –“Our chef Lindy sometimes brings stuff from her garden. It’s not exclusively, but sometimes she uses basil or tomatoes she’s grown.”

In the future, Barnhill plans to add more locally sourced ingredients and

Alex McPhail / courtesy photo regional beers. “We’re definitely pushing local, trying to get more and more, I was just thinking about it yesterday,” he said.

Upcoming changes to the menu are also in order. According to Barnhill, “Soon we’re going to be adding more salads, fresh items.” With a new chef and an existing dedication to quality ingredients, it will be worth continued visits to TLC over the summer to see what changes are in store.

ONE STOP SHOP

Situated on Ninth Avenue, the East Hill Market is a hybrid of sorts. A combination restaurant and market, Owner Susan Countryman has operated out of the building, a renovated auto garage turned bike shop turned foodie haven, for two years and eight months.

“I buy for the market and use it in the kitchen or vice versa. Not to sound cheesy, but I cook what needs cooking,” said Countryman.

The café offers a wide variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and heartier entrees—like the meatballs one customer

was raving about on a recent Saturday afternoon—in an eclectic and warm setting.

Countryman likes the challenge of adapting the menu based on what is in season. “It helps me to rotate,” she said. “I cook seasonally and usually I change the menu based on what’s available.”

As the head of the family run operation, Countryman says she buys some produce from Flora Bama Farms, but also gets a lot of items from farmers who walk in, “I’m so busy here all day, every day that unless they come through my door I can’t, as of yet, venture out to get things.”

A dedication to regional ingredients and products is evident when browsing the market’s offerings; it is also evident when Countryman begins listing off where from she sources her various ingredients: Watermelon from Tallahassee, corn from Alabama, peaches from Chilton County, local berries, and seafood from Maria’s and Joe Patti’s.

“I use Shore Acres Plant Farm for Poinsettias—they’re near Bellingrath Gardens—and some fresh herbs and flowers,” offerings that Countryman would like to expand in the future. inweekly.net

Countryman also sells multiple products available at Palafox Market, including Keen’s Beans Coffee and Farm Girl’s raw milk, cream, and kefir, jams. Other locally produced items include Yummy Cheese Straws made on the beach, Ladybird’s Hot Sauce and Kitrell’s Honey. For a meal or a stop to pick up something you forgot to get at the market on Saturday, remember East Hill Market, a locals’ spot providing local goods.

BAYFRONT FRESH

Executive Chef Tricia Horton has been creating dishes at Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille for the past three years.

Known for its excellent views of the bay, Horton aims to create dishes at Jaco’s that are as colorful as the sunsets that diners take in at its South Palafox location.

“We use produce daily, and usually use up what we order that day,” said Horton who lists tomatoes, berries, corn and chanterelle mushrooms as the most common ingredients sourced during the spring and early summer months.

Of the produce used at Jaco’s, Horton estimates between 75 and 80 percent is locally grown. The restaurant buys from a combination of Flora Bama Farms, Joe Patti’s, Maria’s and individual growers.

“We have farmers who come in,” said Horton. “We often buy product and find a way to use it in the menu.”

“Depending on what the farmers have in season affects what our special is going to be that month,” said Horton, who also enjoys the changes in cooking technique that accompany seasonal ingredient preparation. “More fall and winter dishes involve more braising and stewing, long cooking processes where the summer is kind of a quick grill or sauté; real light, fresh flavors. You want your produce to stand out more because it’s not being cooked.”

“In summer, you don’t want to use heavy cooking techniques.

You really rely on fresh, tasty ingredients to brighten up dishes,” said Horton, whose menu of salads, flatbreads, starter courses, and entrees utilizes a number of ingredients that are grown locally each season.

Like other chefs, if a particular ingredient is not in season locally, Horton buys from the freshest source possible. Horton avoids buying produce or items that travel great distances from farm to restaurant, as experience has taught her, “You definitely lose flavor, essence. There’s nothing like something that’s coming right off the farm. There’s definitely more flavor there.”

SEAFOOD CENTRIC

As one of the Grand Marlin’s operating partners, Chef Gregg McCarthy has been with the Pensacola Beach restaurant— which opened in March 2010—since its inception.

With a style McCarthy identifies as “Local Gulf Coast Seafood with a New Orleans-meets-the-Caribbean theme,” Grand Marlin serves a variety of fresh seafood, the origins of which are clearly identified on the menu. “I really concentrate my efforts on the freshest seafood available,” said the chef.

“I try to change a lot of the menu with the seasons. It’s very important to only have on your menu what’s in season, because then it’s fresh,” explained McCarthy.

Though some of the seafood is sourced from New England or the Carolinas, much of it comes from the Gulf Coast. “I kind of encompass the whole Gulf region as being local,” he said of seafood. He uses purveyors from Alabama to Apalachicola, and some in Louisiana to supply the restaurant.

Working with local produce companies, he noted, “I actually have a farmer that grows produce for us directly, he only deals with us—that’s all organic produce.” McCarthy also buys from Flora Bama Farms, and the restaurant’s menu currently features a Gulf Breeze Gardens Farmhouse Salad.

“For a general sense of community, I think it’s very important to buy local as much as possible,” said McCarthy. “This is our area, we need to keep it surviving and thriving. For the fishermen, I want to do my part to keep these guys in business.”

McCarthy has found that the Grand Marlin’s customers recognize and appreciate the quality of his ingredients.

“People really enjoy knowing that its fresh seafood, people keep saying, ‘Don’t change,’” he said. “Finally, we have a place they can come and although we offer some fried food, they can get fresh grilled or pan seared seafood, we’ve had a great response to that.”

“All of our produce comes from Flora Bama Farms as well as Ocheesee Creamery milk, yogurt, and butter, which comes from Blountstown.”

Matt Barnhill

July 11, 2013

FRESH AT THE YARD

As one of the most spatially unique dining venues in Pensacola, the East Hill Yard is also striving to be as fresh through the ingredients it uses as it is in its dining approach.

The laid back atmosphere allows diners to choose a table from large indoor and outdoor seating areas; outdoor seats

availability,” said Norris, who has previously worked at the Fish House and East Hill Market.

Norris is currently utilizing zucchini, tomatoes, avocados, and lettuce among other items that come fresh via Flora Bama Farms. The ingredients find a home in regular menu items such as tamales and fresh salsa, and in dishes that cater from vegans to meat and cheese enthusiasts.

The seasonal ingredients Norris has access to inspire changes to specials.

“Right now, we have a summer vegetable soup, and I try to keep fresh fruits in all of the desserts,” said Norris, who recently had a very tasty Strawberry Shortcake on special using the season’s last strawberries. Diners can probably anticipate some blueberry special desserts in the coming months, and fresh takes on whatever else the local produce purveyors can provide. {in}

often come with the added benefit of live music on the restaurant’s outdoor stage.

Diners are also free to wander in to the drink room at their leisure, where they

“For a general sense of community, I think it’s very important to buy local as much as possible. This is our area, we need to keep it surviving and thriving.” can place an order from the Yard’s South American-inspired menu.

Executive Chef Jason Norris began using Flora Bama Farms to supply produce for the restaurant not long after he came on board at the Yard in early 2013. “The regular menu stays the same, but special items change depending on seasonal

Dining Directory jacksons. goodgrits.com

GLOBAL GRILL

27 S. Palafox St. 469-9966 dineglobalgrill.com

384-4333 facebook.com/typerestaurant

THE LEISURE CLUB 126 S. Palafox 912-4229 tlcdowntown.com

EAST HILL MARKET 1216 N. Ninth Ave. 469-1432

CARMEN’S LUNCH BAR JACO’S BAYFRONT 407 S. Palafox BAR & GRILLE St., Ste. B END OF THE LINE CAFÉ 610 E. Wright St. 429-0336 eotlcafe.com

IRON AT MARCUS POINTE

2500 Oak Pointe Drive 476-7776 marcuspointegolf.com/ iron

JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE

400 S. Palafox St. 469-9898

542-4334 carmenslunchbar.com

997 S. Palafox St. 432-5226 jacosbayfrontbarandgrille. com

AL FRESCO

GRAND MARLIN

FISH HOUSE

5 1/2 BAR

TYPE

BY CHEF BLAKE RUSHING AT DUH

THE EAST HILL YARD

501 S. Palafox St. 438-1999 eatalfresco.com

600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 fishhouse.goodgrits.com

501 N. Ninth Ave.

400 Pensacola Beach Blvd.

677-9153 thegrandmarlin.com

5 E. Garden St. 607-6758 fiveandahalfbar.com

1010 N. 12th Ave. 696-2663 facebook.com/easthillyard 15

How Does Your Garden Grow?

by Jessica Forbes

“It’s not easy, but you can learn how to do it, particularly if you have someone that shows you how to do it.”

Tom Garner and Renee Perry in their backyard garden / photos by Samantha Crooke For aspiring gardeners, the ever-expanding backyard set up of Tom Garner and Renee Perry is an emulation-worthy example of what a local kitchen garden can be.

A combination of square beds full of veggies, compost stations, a sprouting zone, homemade sprinkler systems, a portable chicken coop, and fruit tree dotted perimeter fill the standard-sized East Hill backyard.

Having purchased their home a little over two years ago, Garner and Perry developed their garden gradually based on a combination of experience, research, and inspiration from a number of permaculture methods.

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Garner says even before he and Perry began repairing the interior of the home, a short sale in need of some TLC, they began by prepping the backyard for food production. “The first thing we did when we bought the house—when we closed, within the next couple of days—we started putting the garden in. It’s pretty important to us.”

Garner has gardened for 14 years, Perry off and on for 25 years—but consistently since the late 1990s—growing food at their past rental houses before finding their current home. “We bought this house specifically because it was perfectly

situated for the garden that we wanted,” recalled Perry, siting the quarter acre lot with trees on the north side as one of the major selling points.

The couple estimates that currently about 50 percent of their food comes from the garden in which dozens of species grow.

“I haven’t counted in a while,” said Perry, who in the small yard of a garage apartment was able to grow 69 species, much to her land lord’s surprise.

While the couple grows traditional crops such as tomatoes, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, corn, and okra, discovering species from similar climate zones from

around the world is an interest of Garner’s, as well as Perry, who frequently sprouts roots from Asian produce she finds in Asian markets (ginger root, turmeric, and water chestnuts among the first she tried), and tries out those and various African crops in their garden.

“This garden is for growing food, but it’s also for experimenting,” said Garner.

“I know that there’s a bunch of stuff that’s being grown in South America, Africa, Asia that we don’t know about yet that will do well here.”

This is the third summer the couple have had the garden, to which they’ve added

inweekly.net

beds each season. Earlier this year they planted fruit trees around the perimeter of the garden comprising 12 eight by eight foot stations.

To help fertilize the soil and also from Chef Tricia Horton at Jaco’s provide additional Bayfront Bar & Grille food, the couple constructed a 4 cups watermelon (small dice) portable chicken 2 cups avocado (small dice) coop—Garner 1 cup cucumber (small dice) was active in 1/2 cup scallions (chopped) lobbying the city 1 lemon ( juiced) last year for an salt & pepper (to taste) updated chicken ordinance—which Combine ingredients in a large bowl. moves from station to station, an Chef's note: This pairs great with a seafood inspiration taken from omelet or blue lump crab cakes. permaculture practices.

Garner and Perry recommend herbs as a good crop to try for beginners, and say basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano will all do well in this climate. They also suggest increasing soil life; the soil holds water keeping those crops near the house, to better.” If you’re container gardening, they encourage their use and to make watering recommend using straight mushroom comeasier. post from a local nursery as potting soil, as The couple is also proponents of plantit is full of nutrients. ing in the existing soil and don’t believe While accomplished growers themraised beds are necessary unless soil is too selves, Garner and Perry are clear they conwet, saying soil here is naturally sandy, and tinue to learn, utilizing the internet and inter will pull water from raised bed anyway. They library loan to gather information. Eventudo recommend adding compost and other ally, they would like to compile their and organic matter into the soil in all cases. “If other local gardeners’ knowledge to develop you don’t mulch, the soil just dries out and educational programming. “Gardening is it’s tough to keep things going,” said Garner. not necessarily easy—it’s like driving a car,” “We mulch heavily. No bare soil,” said Garner explained, “It’s not easy, but you can Perry, who names mushroom compost as learn how to do it, particularly if you have one of the best soil amenders she’s found. someone that shows you how to do it.” {in} “When you add organic matter you are

Watermelon & Avocado Salad

Creative Organic Vegan Cuisine Coffee & Catering

Bodacious Cooking Pensacola Cooks is currently hosting a series of Learning Lunches at Bodacious Olive. Ninety percent of Pensacola Cooks’ classes, including their lunch, dinner and children’s classes utilize local ingredients.

Demonstration Cooking Classes are held Mondays for $20. Hands-on FUN-Da-mentals Classes are held Wednesdays for $25. Class times run from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. This month’s demonstration class lineup includes a “Farmers’ Market Lunch” on July 29, featuring squash and zucchini ribbon salad, along with Bodacious bread and pimento cheese. If you are looking to be more hands-on this month, sign up for "Techniques Incorporating Fresh Herbs" on July 31.

To learn more and view the current class lineup, visit bodaciousolive. com {in} July 11, 2013

Vegan Cooking Classes twice a month Sunday Brunch with champagne specials Thursday 3 Course Gourmet Dinner Menu changes weekly Plus Daily Specials

610 E. Wright St. | 429-0336 | eotlcafe.com 17

Foodie Field Trips

by Sarah McCartan

Peanuts available at Flora Bama Farms / photo by Samantha Crooke Everybody loves a good field trip—especially one that in some way, shape or form, revolves around food. With the growing concern for knowing where your food comes from, who is handling it, and how it’s being handled, an increased number of farmers are opening their doors, and their fields, allowing the public to see firsthand how the food they are eating to fuel their bodies and satisfy their taste buds is actually being grown, raised, harvested and handled. Many farmers are going beyond the food itself, offering tours, onsite markets, workshops, volunteer opportunities and more.

Depending on where your taste buds are leading you and what you are in the mood or market for, prepare yourself to have a foodie field day at any, or all, of the following nearby locations.

GET NUTTY

Fidler Farms

15705 Harris Lane Silverhill, Ala. (251) 945- 5687 fidlerfarms.net Visit Fidler Farms and go home with nuts galore. Nearly 85 percent of peanuts from Fidler Farms are sold within a 40-mile radius of the farm to local individuals and local produce stands. Fidler Farms’ raw peanuts are freshly roasted, while their green peanuts are dug to fill orders, meaning typically they are less than a day old. Raw and roasted peanuts are available year-round. If you can’t make it to the farm, you can pick up a bag at Flora Bama Farms.

BIRD’S THE WORD

Meme’s Poultry and Quail 21985 Koier Road 818 1

Robertsdale, Ala. (251) 716-1460 Now that you’re allowed to have chickens in the city—bird is officially the word. And Meme’s Poultry and Quail is your go-to bird dealer. Meme’s mission is to provide healthy, quality chicks and other poultry to local and national poultry lovers. If you aren’t in the market for live poultry to take home, visit Meme’s to enjoy holding some baby chicks, and take home some quail, turkey or chicken eggs. Meme’s eggs are also available at Flora Bama Farms.

Visit Meme’s Facebook page at facebook. com/memespoultryandquailsales to peep the current lineup of cute chicks.

MELONS AND MORE Holland Farms

2055 Homer Holland Road Milton, Fla. (850) 675 - 6876 hollandfarmsonline.com While Holland Farms is known for their “nuttiness” as well as their fall pumpkin patch and hayride, the farm is a year-round affair. Holland Farms currently has melons, tomatoes, peas and butterbeans for purchase and this season’s peanuts will be available by the end of July.

Holland Farms grows and sells directly from their farm to the public.

A DAY IN THE LIFE Cambridge Farms

3230 Deloach Lane Milton, Fla. (850) 855-6420 cambridgefarms.webs.com Cambridge Farms invites you to experience life on the farm and offers tours, volun-

teer days, as well as classes and workshops on sustainable farming. They also have fruit for the picking and seasonal produce available for the purchasing. As an alternative to farms that sell larger orders to business and restaurants, like Holland Farms, Cambridge Farms sells directly from their farm to the public.

GET CHEESY

Sweet Home Farm 27107 Schoen Road Elberta, Ala. (251) 986 -5663

Blueberry Almond Pound Cake

from Beulah Berries; can be found on beulahberries.com INGREDIENTS: Pound Cake: 3/4 cup butter, softened 6 ounces cream cheese 2 ounces almond paste 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 3/4 cups thawed or fresh blueberries 1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted Lemon Flavored Glaze: 2 cups confectioners sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS: To prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, cream cheese, almond paste and sugar; cream until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix on low speed. Stir in blueberries. Spoon into well-greased bundt pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8-10 servings.

To prepare lemon flavored glaze: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over pound cake then sprinkle with slivered almonds as desired.

inweekly.net

You may have unknowingly tasted their cheese at the Fish House, if not, you are in for a cheesy sweet treat with a visit to Sweet Home Farm family dairy. Sweet Home serves up several varieties of cheese that are available for purchase at the farm from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Cheese availability includes a core lineup, with rotating specialties featuring an extra-aged seasonal, and their delectable cheese fudge. The Guernsey cows at Sweet Home are grass fed and live a life of leisure in the fields for the majority of the day.

To Market, To Market

by Jessica Forbes & Sarah McCartan

DAILY PERMANENT MARKETS Bailey’s Produce & Nursery

4301 N. Davis Hwy. Mon. – Sat., 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

332-5959 baileysproducepensacola.com A Pensacola tradition, Bailey’s Produce & Nursery consistently offers a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as local honey, yard eggs and other specialty items. They also bring in seasonal produce from across the Southeast, such as Florida citrus from the Indian River region, Chilton County Alabama peaches or Carolina apples.

BERRY RIPE

July may be National Blueberry Month, but hurry, hurry—the berries are going, going and nearly gone! As blueberry season winds down, this weekend may be your last chance to fill your buckets. Here are a few “U-pick” berry farms that anticipate having berries through mid-July due to favorable conditions.

It’s always best to call first to check on the status of berries. And remember, it’s best to pick first thing in the morning to beat the heat.

Beulah Berries, LLC. 6658 Suwanee Road Pensacola 453-2383 beulahberries.com

Broom Bush Farm 15780 Lille Lane Summerdale, Ala. (251) 988-1700 broombushfarm.com

Hillcrest Farm

30497 Hixson Road Elberta, Ala. (251) 962-2500 facebook.com/hillcrestfarmalabama If you can’t make it in time for blueberries at Hillcrest, check out their seasonal produce available for sale on-site.

LA Berry Farms

12562 Mary Ann Beach Road Fairhope, Ala. (251) 421-2073 laberryfarms.com

PRODUCE PICKIN’ B.J. Farms

27618 Hwy. 98 E. Elberta, Ala. (251) 986-5391 Although known as the go-to area strawberry picking farm when in season, B.J.’s is currently offering other picking opportunities for the public. Their current “U-Pick” lineup includes tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, corn, melons and more—a perfect opportunity to go home with some fresh produce, while staking it out so you know exactly where to turn for strawberry goodness. {in} For more seasonal pickin’ opportunities, visit pickyourown.org.

July 11, 2013

Burris Farm Market Bailey’s Produce & Nursery / photo by Samantha Crooke Whether you are looking for a weekly, entirely open-air outdoor market that’s an event in itself, or a permanent structure you can turn to daily to satisfy your food desires, the Florida-Alabama border area has got you covered. Although each market has distinguishing factors of its own, be it size, location, variety of spread, or all of the above, one thing is for sure—all consistently host fresh, seasonal produce options.

Here are a few area markets to check out—some familiar, some not. For a full listing of markets and all of your harvest needs, visit localharvest.org.

WEEKLY (& SEMI-WEEKLY) MARKETS Palafox Market

Downtown Pensacola Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Weekly, year-round unless otherwise noted palafoxmarket.com If you haven’t visited the bustling year-round Palafox Market by now, you are missing out. Rain or shine, Saturday after Saturday you can find vendors lining up and down Palafox Street from Wright to Chase streets. Sip on a cup of Keen’s Beans coffee while you browse arts and fill your bags full of local produce from a variety of farmers. The market also features canned food items, baked goods, plants, treats for your pets, jewelry and more.

a.m. to 1 p.m. st-monicas.org/market.html A self-supporting ministry, this seasonal open air market at Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church features fresh produce, fruits, vegetables and other consumables from area farms and back yard gardens, in addition to arts and crafts.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore Craft & Farm Market

6606 Elva St. Milton Wednesdays, 10 a.m. -2 p.m.

981-0009 The recent lineup includes fresh corn, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, fresh from scratch Chinese buns, local honey, jams, jelly, potted plants like hibiscus, trumpet plants, herbs, and more.

3100 Hwy. 59 (corner of Hwy. 59 and Hwy. 64) Mon – Sun, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Loxley, Ala. burrisfarmmarketandbakery.com A family destination for 25 years, Burris Farm Market will meet all of your vegetable and bakery product needs. The market offers produce, breads, sandwiches, salads and a large variety of famous sweet breads, cobblers, pies, Strawberry Shortcake and more.

Flora Bama Farms

6404 Mobile Hwy. Mon. – Sat., 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. facebook.com/florabamafarmsofpensacola With an emphasis on quality, sustainable food produced by local farmers, Flora Bama Farms offers a variety of local seasonal produce, honey, cheeses and more. Flora Bama Farms is constantly and consistently bringing in a great variety of items to share with the community.

The Market at Saint Monica’s

699 S. Hwy. 95A (Old Palafox Hwy.) Cantonment First and third Saturdays, May - Oct., 8 19

Connecting the Dots

by Sarah McCartan

Local produce at Flora Bama Farms / photo by Samantha Crooke Let’s play a little game of “connect the dots.”

Let’s connect the dots from the scrumptious entrees boasting local flavors that are prepared in area restaurant kitchens and then beautifully plated and served on their restaurant tables, back to the source. While some area chefs work directly with farmers, for others, there is a common denominator when it comes to gathering local grub, an individual by the name of Sandy Veilleux.

As a part of her current operations at Flora Bama Farms, Veilleux acts as a pairing agent of sorts—pairing local farmers with area chefs.

Veilleux eagerly shares her zest for and “love affair” with food—food that is fresh, traceable, and when at all possible, local.

“Maybe I over romanticize food, but the food tastes better when you know more about it,” she said. “And sometimes you just want to share it.”

Although Veilleux has been involved in the area food community as both chef and healthy food enthusiast for a substantial length of time, her relationship with Flora Bama Farms has been shorter lived, but no less prosperous.

In just a year’s time, not only has she strengthened her own ties with area farmers whose food she stocks in her market located on Mobile Hwy., she has assisted in forging new relationships between farmers, chefs and fellow foodies.

Although Flora Bama Farms’ operations began close to home, within the confines of a 200-mile radius, Veilleux’s range has

expanded. Above all, she fervently seeks out freshness, and the food that is brought in is done so with a confidence of quality.

“There are certain things we’re attached to as foodies,” she explained. Still, for these items Veilleux seeks to use connections she has made, ones that she trusts.

Just as I stepped onto the premises of Flora Bama Farms, a truck from Quincy, Fla. was delivering boxes upon boxes of mushrooms. Veilleux quickly guided me over to the unloading zone, where she pulled back a cardboard box lid to reveal the most voluptuous mushrooms I have ever laid eyes upon—mushrooms that had been picked just a few hours before.

For every farm they bring in food from that isn’t local, Veilleux seeks to balance it out with one that is.

Veilleux walked me through the market, stopping at each area of food, lighting up and bursting at the seams with information about the individual local farmers she features and interacts with on a regular basis, not only in regard to what and how much they are growing—how much heart and soul they are putting into it.

From trading with farmers operating small-scale gardens with modest yields, to purchasing in bulk from others that span acres beyond acres, Veilleux has made a commitment to do a walk-through with buyers and is very clear to communicate with farmers to understand the levels of care taken and if at all, at what point any unnatural chemical touched the soil, or the

“Maybe I over romanticize food, but the food tastes better when you know more about it.”

020 2

Sandy Veilleux / photo by Samantha Crooke crop. In turn, she communicates this inforAlthough Craine Creek Farm has only mation with those purchasing her products. been in operation for eight months, accordVeilleux is quick to admit that “Just being to Micah Craine, they are able to produce cause somebody says something is organic, 2200 heads of lettuce a week. They have difdoesn’t mean it is.” ferent varieties depending on the season, and “A lot of my farmers are conspiracy have plans to expand to grow other produce theorists—growing more responsibly than such as heirloom tomatoes. ‘organic,’” she said.

Although the bulk of this lettuce is She went onto explain that many of the bought by a grocery company and Gulf farmers have seen the negative side effect Shores area restaurants their lettuce has of chemicals on both their crops and their made its way into markets including Flora families in working with chemicals in years Bama Farms, and has also been featured at past, and therefore go above and beyond Jackson’s Steakhouse. They have also sold what is considered to be “certified organic” to almost every grocery store in the area by technical federal label standards. since their existence.

For some, technology has lent a hand in fostering sustainable environments.

“The concept of creating a sustainable environment changes everything,” said Veilleux.

“When I visited Craine Creek Farm, I put on a different pair of shoes and the world stopped.”

Craine Creek Farm of Loxley, Ala. utilizes hydroponic technology in its greenhouse where they are able to grow lettuce year round. Craine Creek Farm was born out of a parents’ wish, thanks to a son’s commitment to bringing this desire into fruition. After scouring other successful hydroponic greenhouse setups in the Southeast, Micah Craine returned home to the area to help turn his family’s dream into a Craine family at Craine Creek Farm / courtesy photo reality. inweekly.net

Although working with an entirely different setup—another name Veilleux utters repeatedly is Jeta Farms.

In nearby Elberta, Ala. Ed Frank of Jeta Farms has been farming for about 45 years.

In addition to servicing restaurants in Baldwin County with his produce, you can find Ed at Palafox Market most every weekend, where his ingredients have been picked up by local chefs, and found their way to dishes at restaurants, including Carmen’s Lunch Bar. Jeta Farms also offers community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes, a growing appeal for those who are looking to ensure a steady supply of fresh, local produce grown for their household, without the personal labor. Community-supported agriculture is yet another food production and distribution system that directly connects farmers and consumers. In the fourth year of CSA boxes, Ed indicates receiving quite a positive response from the community.

Garden Delights

by Sarah McCartan

work with restaurants. We work directly with the chefs and grow seasonal produce for the dishes they plan. This approach allows the chefs to get the very best fresh local produce and the quality really comes through in their dishes. This approach takes planning from both the chef and the farm but we’ve become used to planning and staying ahead three months of the planting curve. Quality control is a high priority to us and we make sure we deliver only the best produce. All produce is picked and delivered within one day directly to the client.

GIVING BACK IN THE BACKYARD Veilleux doesn’t simply operate from farm to her market or farm to chefs’ tables, or merely orchestrate between farmers.

She operates and orchestrates from farm to anywhere—anywhere that opens their arms to fresh food.

“Everything we’ve worked so hard to do is flourishing,” she said. “We want it to translate into so many things.”

And it already has.

In May, Veilleux worked with farmers to supply food to Hangout Fest, serving fresh food to acts including Stevie Wonder. She is also part of the expanding national Slow Food Movement, whose Gulf Coast Chapter just hosted an “eat and greet” connecting chefs and farmers, further promoting the regional food economy.

She has assisted with ventures such as taking 1,000 lbs. of broccoli off a farmer’s hands and in turn, meeting a need at Manna Food Bank. She describes these acts as “giving back in your backyard.”

Ultimately, Veilleux encourages individuals to shop fresh and make a move to eat healthy, and to choose local, as much as possible.

“I love when people shop here [at Flora Bama Farms] but I love it even more when people are healthy no matter where they are. I don’t care where you do it—just do it.”

So long as Veilleux is helping to inspire and further a food movement—she and the area farmers—will keep moving to fulfill it. {in}

FLORA BAMA FARMS

6404 Mobile Hwy. Mon. – Sat., 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. facebook.com/florabamafarmsofpensacola

July 11, 2013

Coldwater Gardens / courtesy photos Inspired by “Agritourism” retreats they visited while traveling around the world, Michael and Natalia Ritter arrived at the idea of developing their own retreat—Coldwater Gardens. The search for the right spot began in 2005 and in 2007 they found what is their current location in Milton, Fla. In addition to working to develop their retreat and growing a plethora of produce and herbs, you can find the Coldwater Gardens crew at the Palafox Market most weekends.

Coldwater Gardens also supplies fresh ingredients to area restaurants.

They deliver weekly produce to Global Grill and regularly work with Pensacola Country Club, Jackson’s, Carmen’s Lunch Bar and Nancy’s Haute Affairs. Depending on seasons and needs, they also occasionally work with End of the Line Café and The Leisure Club.

summer. We grow culinary and medicinal herbs all year. We sell honey in the summer, and shiitake mushrooms for as much of the year as possible, with fall and spring being our best seasons for these.

IN: How long has Coldwater Gardens been in operation?

CG: Our Gardens began very small in 2008 when we started infrastructure and building good soil. In the past three years the garden has started to take off and we’ve started selling produce to restaurants. We’ve been working on this project in some capacity since roughly 2007, but things are now starting to come to a point where we can soon have guests stay on the farm.

IN: Is everything grown organically?

CG: We are Certified Naturally Grown, which is basically the same as Certified Organic. We pride ourselves in the fact that what we do here is more sustainable and better for the environment than either certification. We make all of our soil onsite with a well-developed composting system. We never add in purchased chemical fertilizers because although they may meet the organic standards they are often harvested from unsustainable sources. We only use Certified Organic pesticides when absolutely necessary such as BT [Bacillus thuringiensis], and only in small amounts on targeted pests.

In our opinion, this farm is really as organic as it gets, and getting better every day. We are also proud of our recycling of organic material from restaurants that feeds our worms and adds fantastic compounds to our compost. By reusing organic material from the restaurants we are saving thousands of pounds of natural composting material from making its way to the landfill. We welcome the public to visit our farm and meet their farmer to see how the food is grown.

IN: What’s growing in your gardens?

CG: In general, because our main focus is sustainability, we grow with the seasons.

Salad greens and root crops in the fall, winter and spring. Beans, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers and of course our delicious heirloom tomatoes in the

IN: How did you foster relationships with area restaurants?

CG: The first chef to come on board was Frank Taylor of Global Grill. Our relationship with Global for the past three years has been an incredible experience and has guided us in the way we prefer to

IN: Is the long-term goal for Coldwater Gardens to become a garden, adventure land of sorts?

CG: We have a large property that we are trying to bring back to native habitat and this is a long-term vision that we are hoping will be enjoyed and supported by visitors. We have many great ideas and hope to reach the critical mass when we open our doors that will allow us to invest more into the project. We'll promote sustainable living and natural outdoor activities at Coldwater Gardens. As far as activities, the sky is the limit for anything that can be done outdoors. We have not finalized our initial activities list as of yet but we do plan to work with local artisans in all crafts to host workshops and activities onsite. {in} Although the tourism side of Coldwater Gardens remains in development, they currently welcome the public for garden tours. To schedule a tour or learn more, email info@coldwatergardens.com or visit coldwatergardens.com.

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Late Summer/Fall Harvest Calendar Don’t enjoy just any produce. Enjoy biting into the very best, and the very brightest produce by eating seasonal. Eating local produce that’s in season means eating produce that’s fresher, riper and above all, richer in flavor. It means consuming produce that’s maxing out its nutritional value.

Not to mention, it encourages you to mix up your diet and try something new, maybe a vegetable you've never even heard of. Plus it puts you in sync with the earth and its bountiful harvest.

These monthly lists indicate when each crop typically ripens; but be sure to call local farms, as it is just an approximation. Harvest dates can vary dramatically in different seasons and even in different parts of the state. For harvesting information for the rest of the seasons, go to pickyourown.org/FLharvestcalendar.htm. {in}

July

August

BEANS CANTALOUPES CHERRIES CUCUMBERS EGGPLANT HERBS PEPPERS POTATOES RASPBERRIES SQUASH SWEET CORN TOMATOES WATERMELONS

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Grow Up

by Jessica Forbes

“When you’re container SARAH BOSSA The Local gardening, you have a lot Member, Motive and ComGardening more control of how long munity Pro your resources last you.” Suggested crops

best way to do it, that’s how I have my vegetables.” Derrick stresses to make sure the container in which you are planting allows for water to drain (at least one hole in the bottom) through the soil to avoid root rot.

Suggested further reading: “Vegetable Gardening in Florida,” by James Stephens Words of wisdom: “A garden is always a work in progress.”

TINA O’DANIEL Rosemary at Floral Tree Gardens / photos by Samantha Crooke In many ways, Northwest Florida is a great place for food growers. Almost year round growing seasons allow for a variety of edible crops to flourish here. There is a bevy of farmers markets, nurseries, and home and/or community gardeners with whom to consult.

If you’re thinking about trying your hand at food growing, many folks who’ve already made the plunge say not to worry, just get to it. You don’t need a farm or even acreage at all to grow things you can snack on. Containers or a few square feet of your yard can yield produce and herbs that will allow you to cook up homegrown goods every season.

So while the heat of summer is not the best time to plant, it is a great time to read up a little, decide what you want to

Extend Yourself

by Jessica Forbes

For anyone with questions about gardening in Northwest Florida, the University of Florida’s (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Extension Service is a good place to begin.

“Extension takes research-based knowledge that’s coming out of the University of Florida and gets it out to farmers, landscapers, home owners, and the general public,” explained Mary Derrick, residential horticulture agent in the Santa Rosa County Extension.

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grow, talk to some nurseries or community gardeners, and, if you want, try your hand at planting this September, the next good planting season.

Below is a list of advice for beginners from several local gardening pros. From soil and beginner-friendly crops to containers and raised beds, the following are recommendations to consider when dreaming up your foodscape, however big or small you decide to go.

MARY DERRICK

Residential Horticulture Agent, Santa Rosa County Extension Suggested crops for beginners: Green peppers, eggplant, broccoli, salad greens On container gardening: “That’s the

Every one of Florida’s 67 counties has an extension office. Funding is a cooperative arrangement through federal sources, UF, and each county. The public can e-mail, call, or stop by their local extension, where no question is too elementary or complex.

Beth Bolles, extension agent for horticulture and natural resources with the Escambia County Extension, says their office receives many inquiries from people just beginning gardening or people who have gardened elsewhere and aren’t experienced growing in Northwest Florida’s climate. “If someone comes in and hasn’t gardened before, we go through the basic steps—how you prepare either the soil or container, the timing to plant, and successful things to start with.”

Both local extension offices offer courses on a range of gardening-related topics. Course listings are available on their

Floral Tree Gardens Suggested crops for beginners: Herbs Know the Basics: “Compost you usually mix into your soil. Fertilizer is used as a topical.”

On container gardening: “When you’re planting in the ground, you deal with that never-ending bottom. When you’re container gardening, you have a lot more control of how long your resources last you.” You can enrich your soil using less compost, worm castings, etc. which are available at most nurseries Preferred containers: Whiskey barrels, which are large enough to accommodate a few smaller plants and/or herbs, are popular Benefits of local nurseries: “It’s important when people start growing things they’re going to eat that they come to a reliable local garden center that sells product for this area.”

Suggested further reading: Container Gardening Magazine

respective websites. From growing herbs and vegetables to setting up rain barrel and aquaponics systems, the courses are usually a combination lecture and hands-on format. The extension agents and Master Gardeners—who train and volunteer at the extensions—also give presentations to public groups, tailored to the audience.

Escambia Extension’s 24,000 square foot demonstration garden has a number of stations, including raised beds and a therapeutic sensory garden that is raised for wheel chair accessibility. Likewise, Santa Rosa’s Demonstration Garden features various types of garden beds and trellises, showing off what vegetables, herbs, and flowers for natural pest control it’s possible to grow locally.

For those who are planting in their own soil, the extensions also offer soil testing for a

for beginners: Bok choy, beans and peas Why she loves bok choy: “I think bok choy is actually one of the easiest things to grow. You can eat it raw, sautee it, put it in stir frys and soups.”

Why she gardens: “My first real garden was in pots, a lot of lettuces. That was the hook for me—how great it was to be able to go out back and get some fresh lettuce and herbs and throw something together.”

Point of focus: “For me the biggest thing about gardening is focusing on the soil.”

Bossa recommends adding organic materials such as wood chips and leaves to soil, in addition to compost occasionally

CHRISTIAN WAGLEY

Fruit Tree Enthusiast and Home Gardener Suggested crops for beginners: Satsuma and fig trees Principles of Permaculture: Read up on how large trees and their root systems will get. Plant where the tree will provide shade as it grows. Fig trees like being planted near buildings, as the roots find refuge beneath the house to avoid nematodes. As the tree grows, its shade will help to keep your home cool.

Mulch right: Keep mulch under the tree to keep weeds away, but be sure to keep it away from the trunk of the tree, especially with citrus trees Caffeinated compost: If you start your fee of $7, which measures pH and the level of nutrients in the soil, and comes with fertilizer and/or liming recommendations. Nematode (microscopic worm) testing is available, too.

In addition to on-site education at the county Extensions, numerous free guides such as the “Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide,” are available through IFAS Extension’s Electronic Data Information Services (edis.ifas.ufl.edu).

IFAS Extension offers free e-mail subscriptions as well, through which they spread new research-based information. “We don’t provide products or services, just advice,” said Derrick, assuring that there are no sales or advertising, through the system, “It’s strictly getting information from UF experts.” {in} For additional information, visit escambia. ifas.ufl.edu and santarosa.ifas.ufl.edu. inweekly.net

Retooling Community Gardens

by Jessica Forbes

Cruising around Pensacola, it’s typically not difficult to spot at least one community garden.

Sarah Bossa estimates there are at least 65 community gardens in Pensacola, about half of which are in schools, and several churches maintain gardens as well.

Bossa sits on the Board of the American Community Gardening Association and on the Advisory Council for UF IFAS Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) additional questions Committee. Having previously worked for Manna Food Gardens, Bossa is also now serving as part of the newly formed “The Local Motive” a group focused on, Veggie Gardener at IRON at as Bossa puts it, “looking at Marcus Pointe the big picture of food Planting, to the systems.” point: “Just get it Part of the started. You’re big picture that gonna make Bossa and mistakes, others are but you from Patrick Bolster at 5 1/2 Bar seeing, is learn. that for And ask 2 ounces Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka those around, 1 ounce fresh & local blueberry puree commuthere are 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice nity garpeople 1/2 ounce simple syrup dens not doing it 6-8 basil leaves associthat love ated with to share.”

Start with the basil in a mixing glass then muddle a church Words of well. Next, add remaining ingredients and shake or school, wisdom: with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and coordinators Don’t plant a garnish with more blueberries/basil. are finding that whole package Cheers! the traditional of seeds at once model needs some if you’re just growretooling to suit Pening for your household, sacola. you’ll wind up with way One garden that has remore food than you can handle, “A tooled over time is the GROW Community couple of plants goes a long way.” {in} Garden at 209 N. Martin Luther King, Jr

Drive. Rick Kindle developed the garden almost eight years ago in collaboration with Manna Food Pantry. “Initially there was a lot of interest,” Kindle remembers, but in his experience, “It has been a challenge to sustainably get people over a long length of time to participate.”

Over the years, Kindle says many people have come, learned gardening techniques, and taken that knowledge back home to develop a garden of their own. “I look at it more as a teaching garden now, because we’re not in an urban area where no one has any property to grow food; people have yards in Pensacola,” said Kindle.

The availability of yard space has others considering remaking local gardens into teaching facilities. Indeed, those involved with the gardens are learning a great deal themselves.

“We’ve seen community gardens go up, some have succeeded, some have not, but they’re all important stepping stones because they’re all helping us learn what works, what doesn’t and how we can improve in the future,” said Bossa, who believes looking at the culture and infrastructure of a city is important when planning a community garden. “A community garden really requires some level of self-organization and leadership and management.

We may need to think about those things before just building community gardens.”

Kindle, an early adopter of what could be the new model for local community gardens, is happy to share his knowledge with those interested every Saturday and weekday evening in the garden, and still sees education as a part of the cooperative foundation of community gardening: “We all work together, we all get food.” {in}

“We all work together, we all get food.”

own compost pile, add used coffee grounds to heat up the process On keeping it simple: “Money and complication are obstacles to gardening. You want to keep it as simple as you can.”

RICK KINDLE

GROW Community Garden Coordinator and Owner of Grow Your Garden Suggested crops for beginners: Okra.

Kindle says okra loves the heat, and at the end of last August, one 15 by 15 bed was yielding 30 pounds of okra a week, which he donated to Manna Food Pantries Suggested study tips: “Do a little bit of research, see what you want to grow,” and also consult those you know who have attempted gardening before, “It’s usually best to talk to somebody who grows.”

Words of wisdom: “It’s all about the dirt.”

Kindle is a believer in using raised beds, also.

Thoughts on foodscaping: “Why grow a lawn and just cut it when you can grow food and eat it?”

If you find you need professional help: Kindle owns a garden consulting business, “Grow Your Garden.” He’ll build your bed, remediate the soil before every planting season, and consult with you if you have

Friends of The IN Here are a few more local restaurants we are loyal to and no, it's not just because they are loyal to us—which they are and we greatly appreciate them for.

We just consider ourselves lucky to have advertisers who also happen to make some of the best pizzas, french fries, sushi and chicken wings in town. It makes picking a lunch spot much easier for us.

July 11, 2013

NIK MCCUE

HOPJACKS

10 S. Palafox 497-6073 204 E. Nine Mile Road 912-6181 hopjacks.com Hopjacks features specialty pizzas, pita folds, salads and snacks such as creamy brie, bacon and artichoke dip, sun-dried tomato hummus and Belgian fries. You can also build your own pizza with pretty much as many options as there are beers on tap, which is a lot.

T he Blueberry Smash

ICHIBAN

5555 N. Davis Hwy. 494-2227 ichibanpensacola.com Ichiban is a Japanese restaurant with an extensive sushi menu featuring inventive rolls such as the BMW roll, which includes grilled chicken, seaweed salad, crab stick and spicy sauce. Ichiban also has authentic Japanese cuisine.

NEW YORK NICK’S 11 S. Palafox Pl. 469-1984

newyorknicks.net New York Nick’s serves bar food favorites such as cheesy fries, onion rings and nachos, but also offers a full menu from appetizers to hand-cut steaks. Almost everything on the menu hails from a longstanding recipe. And with 40 high definition flat screen televisions, no game goes unnoticed.

SEVILLE QUARTER

130 E. Government St. 434-6211 sevillequarter.com Whether you need a cup of coffee

and an order of beignets in the morning at Palace Café or need catering for your wedding reception in the Heritage Hall, Seville Quarter has it all within its seven rooms of entertainment.

SHARK FIN

5912 N. Davis Hwy., Ste. C 912-8669 sharkfinpensacola.com Shark Fin serves affordable, yet high quality Chinese cuisine. From sushi to stir fry, you can enjoy your favorite Chinese dishes in upscale ambience.

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