The Water Issue

edible NORTHEAST FLORIDA

ISSUE FIVE | May-June 2016

Eat . Drink . Think . Explore . | Season by Season OYSTERS • ST. JOHNS R I V ER • SUSTA INA BLE SE A FOOD • WATER A ND COFFEE

No.5 May-June 2016

Member of Edible Communities

Contents

DEPARTMENTS

2 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 4 CONTRIBUTORS 5

EDIBLE TABLE What’s In Season

6

SEASONAL PLATE Fernandina Beach Bacon Prosciutto-wrapped Triggerfish Pickled Shrimp

14

LOCAL LIBATIONS Just Add Ice

19

EDIBLE INNOVATORS Intuition Ale Works

26

EDIBLE INGREDIENTS Salt of the Earth and Sea

34

EDIBLE DIY Socializing Over Seaweed

44

FROM THE OVEN Chickpea Socca Cornbread Pudding with Salted Bourbon Caramel

47

GROWING THE GOOD LIFE Building a Hugelkultur Bed

48

LAST BITE What Water Means

FEATURES 10

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT Safeguard the St. Johns

20

CASTING A WIDER NET Local chefs showcase less-familiar fish species

29

BURIED TREASURE Could Northeast Florida be the next oyster hotbed?

39

JUST ADD WATER There’s more of it in your cup of coffee than you think

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.

– Jacques Cousteau On a recent Sunday, I took a ride to the Orange Park Farmers’ Market. The 100-mile round-trip route from St. Augustine carried me over 14 bridges, underscoring the abundance of water in Northeast Florida. Starting from the ocean, I crossed the Intracoastal Waterway, the mighty St. Johns River and numerous creeks and branches (Governors Creek, Black Creek, Doctors Lake, Johnson Slough, Julington Creek, Cunningham Creek, Mill Creek, Kentucky Branch, Kendall Creek, Trout Creek, Wades Creek). That was just the visible water I traversed. Underneath the entire state sits the Floridan Aquifer, the main source of ground water for this area. One can get a sense of liquid prosperity during the course of an average day’s travels throughout our region.

There’s a lot of talk these days about being more mindful of our water footprint, especially when it comes to producing what we eat. You might be surprised by how much is needed to grow and make our food. According to recent research, it takes about 1,000 gallons per person per day to produce the standard American diet —more than the global average water footprint of 900 gallons per person per day for diet, household use, transportation, energy and the consumption of material goods.

The stories in this issue look closely at the food we harvest from the sea, how we get the water we drink and why water is vital in the production of the things we eat. We showcase research on the health of local oysters and ways you can get involved to help rebuild their beds. Tired of the same old seafood choices? Read about some delicious alternatives you can find at your local fish market to support a more sustainable seafood industry. Learn about programs local farmers are implementing to conserve water use and reduce impact to the St. Johns River while growing our food. And finally, we go beyond your coffee cup, to the source of beans and explore the role water plays in creating one of our favorite daily elixirs.

In conjunction with the Water Issue, we are excited to announce two upcoming events.

First, The St. Johns County (SJC) Cultural Events Division, in partnership with Edible Northeast Florida and the US Green Building Council, will present the inaugural Green Film Series, featuring two free viewings of the documentary “Tapped” on June 25 and 26.

The event will include family-friendly activities and local advocacy organizations representing a wide variety of water issues in our region.

Second, mark June 5th on your calendar for our next Sunday Supper. This time, it will be a Low Country Boil and Potluck at Intuition Ale Works, to raise awareness for the Seafood Nutrition Partnership. The evening will include plenty of seafood, side dishes and beverages.

I look forward to having you join us for one or both of these gatherings. For more information on both events, please visit our website.

In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue. And remember, as you think about what’s for dinner, make sure you appreciate how much water it takes to produce that meal.

ON THE COVER: Local oyster Photo by Sean Kelly Conway Edible Communities Publications of the Year 2011

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PUBLISHER Amy Robb amy@edibleneflorida.com EDITOR Lauren Titus lauren@edibleneflorida.com COPY EDITOR Doug Adrianson DESIGN Matthew Freeman PHOTOGRAPHY Jenna Alexander, Sarah Annay, Zack Burnett, Sean Kelly Conway, Christina Karst, Stefanie Keeler, Amanda Lenhardt, Amy Robb CONTRIBUTORS Kathy Ames Carr, Kenny Gilbert, Lauren Gilliam, Jen Hand, Garrett Llopiz, Sarah Kathleen McCartan, Lauren McCormick, Jennifer Myers, Jane Pascal, Katie Riehm, Savannah Rubino, Martha Smith, Jack Twachtman, Jasmin Wooden SUBSCRIBE Edible Northeast Florida is published 6 times per year by Slidetray Media LLC. Subscriptions are $28 and available at edibleneflorida.com.

FIND US ONLINE EdibleNEFlorida.com facebook.com/edibleneflorida instagram.com/edibleneflorida twitter.com/edibleneflorida pinterest.com/edibleneflorida CONTACT US Have a story you'd like to see featured in Edible Northeast Florida? Send us your ideas! editor@edibleneflorida.com Edible Northeast Florida 24 Cathedral Place, Suite 406 St. Augustine, FL 32084 p. 904-494-8281 No part of this publication may be used without written permission by the publisher.

Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us.

Thank you. © 2016 Slidetray Media LLC. All rights reserved.

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS Jenna Alexander

Lauren Gilliam

Jennifer Myers

Telling a story through pictures, no matter the medium, has always been Jenna’s thing. She is a photographer, illustrator and painter, currently working out of her studio in St. Augustine. She is drawn to natural light and airy images, and white is her favorite color.

Lauren is a musician, glass blower and certified birth doula in St Augustine. She spends most of her time playing, singing and touring with her husband in their bands The WillowWacks and The Young Step.

She works part time at Creative Studios in town and also runs her own online Etsy store selling her glass work. She also thinks she’d be pretty good at archery if she did it more.

Jenn is the owner and operator of Juniper Market on San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine. She left the corporate world to pursue her passion for slow foods, and enjoys working with local vendors and creating recipes that highlight simple and seasonal ingredients.

Sarah Annay Sarah, a full-time wedding photographer, splits her time between Florida, Vermont and most recently Kolkata, India—where she teaches empowering photography workshops to women. Sarah, raised in Vermont, made St. Augustine home after graduation from Flagler College, where she earned her degrees in journalism and sociology and could never imagine spending 6 months in the snow again.

Zack Burnett As managing partner of Bold Bean Coffee Roasters, Zack directs retail operations, quality control and green coffee buying for the company. He was drawn to the coffee business as a way to embrace not only his love of the beverage but of travel, people and hospitality as well. When not working in one of the cafes, the roastery or traveling to source coffee, Zack enjoys surfing and time with friends and family over food and drinks.

Kathy Ames Carr

Jen Hand Jen is a freelance writer based in St. Augustine. Her work has appeared in the St. Augustine Record and Folio Weekly and currently blogs for RoadBikeOutlet.com. A former short order cook, caterer, bartender and baker, she loves her CSA and farmers’ markets, and may have a slight cookbook problem.

When not eating copious amounts of vegetables, Jen is found running trails, paddling the Intracoastal or playing soccer.

Christina Karst Christina lives in Jacksonville, FL and takes pictures like a boss. She holds the world title for the most Diet Coke consumed in a day. Christina loves telling people’s stories through her work.

Amanda Lenhardt

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Kathy recently relocated to Northeast Florida. As a full-time freelance writer and editor, Kathy writes and copy edits for local, regional and national publications, including Edible Cleveland, Edible Northeast Florida, First Coast Magazine and Grow Forth Magazine.

Amanda is a freelance photographer, a once Northwest native who calls Florida home for the time being. With a love for visual storytelling, she has spent the last two years creating a business to help showcase the lives of others. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Fine Art with an emphasis in Photography from the University of North Florida is 2013.

Sean Kelly Conway

Garrett Llopiz

Flagler grad and St. Augustine native, Kelly spent several years honing his documentary and street photography skills while working and traveling around Asia, before getting cozy in his home town (although the horizons still beckon). When not bothering shrimpers, Kelly can be found digging through anthropological field recordings, chasing surf, photographing motel signage and giving historic photo tours in downtown St. Augustine.

Garrett is the principal designer of EcoDesign Solutions and vice chair of Florida Coalition of Peace & Justice. He is passionate about discovering synergies between social systems and ecosystems in order to create just and sustainable communities.

Kenny Gilbert Cooking since he could barely reach the kitchen counter at age three, Chef Kenny Gilbert is best known for his appearance on “Top Chef” Season seven, where he displayed big personality and instantly become one of the most likable cheftestants to date. He returned to the Jacksonville area to open Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen, a neighborhooddriven Deep Southern American restaurant in Fernandina Beach.

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Sarah Kathleen McCartan Sarah is a professional storyteller with a passion for real food made simple. She holds tightly to her mantra “you are what you eat” and is a firm believer that good health starts in the kitchen. Sarah splits her time between writing, running, and crafting vegan meals. She shares her plant-based journey via her blog, Vegan on the Run.

Lauren McCormick Lauren is a graphic designer and photographer, part-time food-blogger at Ease and Carrots and full time food lover. As a born and raised Florida girl I have a crazy love for the sun and being outdoors and am always looking for a new place to travel and explore. I’ve lived in Jacksonville for 14 years and am totally in love with the city and am proud to call it my home.

edible NORTHEAST FLORIDA

Jane Pascal British born Jane has been an avid cook since her childhood growing up in Yorkshire (home of Downton Abbey. She has lived in London, Singapore, Italy and now resides in Florida. All these countries have influenced her culinary style and have resulted in her blog dinnerwithjane.com

Katie Riehm Katie is the owner of Sweet Theory Baking Co., where she is known as Baker/Doughnut Glazer/ Product Developer/Social Media Ninja. Her food of choice at the bakery is a gluten free muffin – light and moist, with a perfectly crispy top.

Savannah Rubino Savannah, a Florida native is finding deep roots in St. Augustine. With an ever growing love for herbalism and deep nourishing traditions, her biggest hope is that her children will grow up with an understanding and connection to food as medicine. You can also find her teaching Yoga and singing in the husband wife duo The Rubies.

Martha Smith Martha started her career as a museum archivist, then spent 18 years as an academic law librarian.

She and her husband now own and operate the Green Man Gourmet specialty grocery and love talking to people about food.

Jack Twachtman Jack is the owner and general manager of BREW Five Points and has been an instrumental part of such Northeast Florida institutions as Burro Bar, Burro Bags and One Spark. His passions are specialty coffee and craft beer but he spends all his free time in the kitchen fermenting and preserving whatever he can get his hands on.

Jasmin Wooden After moving to Jacksonville in 2011 from California, Jasmin started Blue Sage Cuisine, an off-site catering service that focuses on locally-sourced, scratchmade, organic and natural cuisine.

EDIBLE TABLE

What’s in Season?

Here’s a list of the produce and seafood you can expect to find at your local farmers’ market in the coming months. Growing methods such as hydroponics can extend seasons, so you may also see other types of produce on occasion. Additionally, seasonal closures and catch limits may affect availability of fish and seafood.

PRODUCE Basil Beans Beets Blackberries Blueberries Broccoli Broccoli raab Cabbage Cantelope Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chard Chives Cilantro Collards Corn

Cranberry Hibiscus (Roselle) Cucumbers Curry leaf Daikon radishes Dill Eggplant Grapefruit Kale Lemongrass Majoram Mint Mizuna Moringa Mulberry Nasturtium flowers Nectarines Okinawa spinach

Okra Onions Oregano Pawpaw Peaches Peanuts Peppers Potatoes Radishes Rosemary Salad mix Shiso Thyme Tomatoes Turnips Red orach Watermelon

FISH AND SEAFOOD Black Sea Bass Blueline Tilefish Dolphin Golden Tilefish Gray Triggerfish Greater Amberjack King and Spanish Mackerel Red Porgy Shallow Water Grouper Shrimp (June only) Snowy Grouper Vermilion Snapper Wahoo

Information provided by Florida Department of Agriculture, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and other sources.

Photo by Amy Robb EdibleNEFlorida.com

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SEASONAL PLATE

Fernandina Beach Bacon While prepared smoked mullet can often be found at local fish stores, there’s nothing like the flavor and satisfaction of smoking your own.

Serve this locally caught mullet dish with Datil pepper remoulade.

You can find Chef Kenny’s Raging Cajun Spice and Chicken Spice online at ChefKennyGilbert.com.

Serves 6 | Recipe by Chef Kenny Gilbert INGREDIENTS

½ cup salt ½ cup white sugar ½ cup Chef Kenny’s Chicken Spice 6 (6-ounce) Mullet fillets PREPARATION

Combine first three ingredients and mix well. Dredge mullet in the mixture. Cure for 3 hours. Rinse fish. Place fish skin side down on resting racks. Season fish with a light dusting of Chicken Spice. Air dry in cooler, unwrapped, overnight. Preheat smoker with ¼ bag charcoal and 3 logs, and heat to 300–350°. Place racks of fish on the smoker. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove and cool.

Datil pepper remoulade 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons datil pepper sauce 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard 1 tablespoon chopped capers ¼ cup diced red onion 1 teaspoon Chef Kenny’s Raging Cajun Spice ¼ cup fresh lemon juice Zest from ¼ lemon 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix together well with a whisk. Reserve. Serve on top of mullet.

Photo by Amy Robb

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Triggerfish with Spring Vegetables

This dish is easy to assemble and works with a variety of vegetables, so you can adapt it to what’s in season at the market.

Serves 4 | Recipe by Jane Pascal

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1½ pounds potatoes (Yukon Gold or small red potatoes) 1½ pounds triggerfish fillets ½ pound Prosciutto di Parma, sliced thin 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed 2 zucchini, sliced in rounds 1 pound cherry tomatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped Olive oil Salt and pepper Lemon

Preheat oven to 425°.

Photo by Amy Robb

When potatoes are done, toss together with asparagus, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil and oregano in olive oil to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and layer fish fillets on top. Reduce oven to 400° and roast for 20 minutes, until fish is flaky. To serve, squeeze lemon over the top.

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Photo by Amy Robb

Toss the potatoes in olive oil and par roast for about 30 minutes, turning halfway. While potatoes are cooking, wrap each triggerfish fillet in a slice of prosciutto and drizzle olive oil over each fillet. Heat some oil in a pan and sear fillets for 5 minutes on each side. Set aside.

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SEASONAL PLATE

Pickled Shrimp When doubled or quadrupled, this is a great recipe for a crowd. Shrimp are a quintessential part of North Florida cookery and a big part of our seafood industry and heritage. This recipe keeps the shrimp from becoming too rubbery by being tossed more in a vinaigrette type dressing than straight vinegar based pickling liquid.

Serves 4-6 | Recipe by Jenn Myers

INGREDIENTS 1 pound large, unpeeled shrimp 1 tablespoon salt Spices ½ teaspoon celery salt ½ teaspoon mustard seed ½ teaspoon ground mustard ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon ground coriander 3 bay leaves 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon capers Zest and juice of 1 lemon ½ cup white wine vinegar ½ cup good olive oil (preferably not EVOO) ½ thinly sliced sweet onion 1 (14-ounce) can hearts of palm 1 (8-ounce) jar plain artichoke hearts 5 or 6 thinly sliced and seeded sweet peppers 2 dashes hot sauce (optional) PREPARATION Bring pot of water to boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Add shrimp. Once water returns to slight simmer, strain shrimp and rinse with cold water. Peel shrimp. For a nice presentation leave the tails on.

Course grind mustard seeds and peppercorns with mortar and pestle or spice grinder. In measuring cup or Mason jar combine spices, garlic, capers, lemon zest, juice, vinegar and oil; whisk or shake well to combine. Place shrimp, thinly sliced onion, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts and peppers in non-reactive bowl and toss with vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, occasionally stirring contents to evenly coat. Serve with baguette or toast points to help sop up all that delicious pickling liquid.

Photo by Amy Robb 8

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Pimento Cheese made with Wainwright Dairy cheddar, Live Oak, FL Kaiser Bun from Village Bread, Jacksonville, FL Eggs from Black Hog Farm, East Palatka, FL

Grass-Fed Meat from Seminole Pride, Fort McCoy, FL Lettuce from Bacon’s Select Produce, Jacksonville, FL

Bread & Butter Jalapeños made in-house at Black Sheep

Bacon from Pine Street Market, Avondale Estates, GA

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D

Do you take water for granted? In Northeast Florida, it’s easy to do.

In the face of inescapable stories from across the nation of the crippling water crisis in Flint, historic drought in California and the fast disappearance of the giant Midwestern Ogallala aquifer, in Northeast Florida it may seem we’re flaunting our abundant supply. Turn on a tap, there’s clean water. Jump in the sparkling ocean after work for a refreshing dip. Get the kids up early for a Sunday jaunt on the river or Intracoastal.

We mustn’t take it for granted, however.

Livestock and crops, of course, need fresh and healthy water to grow. Agriculture worldwide accounts for about 70% of water use.

Here at home, agriculture impacts the St. Johns River, its tributaries and the Floridan aquifer. Groundwater from the Floridan aquifer is used for crop irrigation. The lower St. Johns has recently battled algae blooms and other water quality issues. These blooms are caused by excess nutrients from fertilizer, wastewater and stormwater runoff, and coincide with copious sunlight, warm temperatures and shallow, slow-flowing water. There’s also a concern about runoff from fields to surface waters after heavy rains.

Florida’s longest river flows south to north and cleaves a path through Florida’s northeast counties. The Tri County Agricultural Area (TCAA) includes St. Johns, Putnam and Flagler, and is nestled

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in the lower St. Johns River basin.

Both farming and urban growth are affecting aquifers nationwide, and the situation is no different in Florida. It should go without saying that population growth contributes to various water issues across the region and state. Nearly 1,000 people move to Florida every day. We have 20 million residents and millions of tourist visits each year as well.

Says Mark Warren, the agriculture extension agent who covers Flagler and Putnam counties, “We have got to learn how to do agricultural production in a commercial way; we’ve just got to do it in a sustainably commercial way.”

Northeast Florida farms large and small are taking control of water challenges on their own and with help. Jody Lee is an environmental manager in the Office of Agricultural Water Policy for the Florida Department of Agriculture. He is based in the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and, among other things, helps growers in the district with cost share program enrollment and Best Management Practice (BMP) programs.

Lee says that even though the St. Johns River is considered an impaired water body, we are “doing better.” Since the river is impaired, working with farmers to reduce nutrients is critical. The main objective of the cost-share program is to assist farmers, growers and ranchers

A River Runs Through It Farming Practices to Safeguard the St. Johns WORDS JEN HAND PHOTOS SARAH ANNAY

in water conservation and the reduction of nutrient runoff.

“The BMP of conserving soils helps to prevent excesses from entering native waterways as sediment, which in turn adversely impacts water quality, plants and native aquatic wildlife,” says Robert Storm Burks, an environmental scientist and former longtime SJRWMD employee.

“The nutrients from fertilizers (along with pesticides and other compounds) can enter natural waterways, often by being transported along with soil,” he adds.

One way to lessen the nutrients is to get farms to switch from broadcasting fertilizers to using banders. Banders, a more precisionbased technology, allow farmers to apply less fertilizer by placing the nutrients directly on the row closer to the seed instead of broadcasting over the entire field. The cost-share program assists with the purchase of banders.

Cost-share programs are funded by several agencies at local, state and national levels. According to Lee, “there are several programs available to assist producers with BMPs and projects that target water quality and water conservation goals. They are funded primarily by SJRWMD, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and US Department of Agriculture/ Natural Resources Conservation

Service (USDA/NRCS).”

“There are high salinity levels in some of the irrigation wells used for crops. This is damaging to crops, could be the result of intrusion, and over-pumping could exacerbate the problem,” says Lee. Area growers are looking hard at ways to conserve their water use because if they pump too much, salinity levels may increase. Converting to sub tile irrigation (underground plastic pipes) from other methods can drastically cut water use on farms, and cost-share opportunities are available.

The Barnes family has run Barnes Farm in Hastings for five generations. Virginia Barnes, her brothers and parents currently grow cabbage. During the writing of this article, Barnes Farm was in the throes of the high holy cabbage holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, and a constant stream of semi-trucks carried full loads of cabbage from the farm all over the eastern seaboard.

Barnes says her farm consistently stays under their consumptive water use permits by very carefully monitoring use. If they go over in one field, they stay under in others and keep their overall use under their allowable permitted usage. As well, they conservatively apply pesticides to their crops. Barnes Farm has donated excess produce to Second Harvest (which supplies to local food banks). Wasting food also means we waste the water used to grow it.

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Brian Lapinski and his family started Down to Earth Farm on the west side of Jacksonville in 2007 with the full intention of using sustainable methods to grow vegetables. Their philosophy is to “make as small a footprint as possible,” he says.

Lapinski says that as the past few years have been very wet, he has recently gone “entire seasons without ever irrigating.” At Down to Earth, they use as little water as they can, and use the most efficient watering method: drip tape. Drip tape irrigation delivers water directly to plants’ roots, minimizes evaporation and is better for the plants as the leaves don’t remain wet (therefore are less prone to fungal diseases).

“It’s smarter,” he says.

At another small local farm recently started in Jacksonville, farmer Simon Hoek Spans thinks water does not get enough attention. His Urban Folk Farm also employs drip irrigation, and they use watersoluble fertilizer, minimally. Down to Earth and Urban Folk both use organic methods and pesticides that are Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) compliant.

Ag Agent Mark Warren works with producers large and small in all areas of production including vegetables, cattle, citrus and more.

His role, as he explains, is less with helping disseminate regulatory information and more with education. He translates, as he says “from geek to Farmer Joe.” On this two-way info-swap street, local needs are assessed, compiled into regional needs and then ultimately to statewide needs that are communicated to the research centers at UF “so they know what to focus on.”

Warren says 98% of farms in the TCAA have enrolled in the voluntary BMP program and promised to follow to these practices.

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This includes things like planting cover crops to keep soil in place and assimilate unused nutrients, and the use of water control structures to conserve water resources. While different types of producers adhere to different BMPs, it is all to the same end of doing better with conservation and land protection.

Local water companies JEA and St. Johns County Water Utilities encourage residential conservation, and we know the drill: Water the lawn less frequently, take shorter showers, shut off the faucet when brushing our teeth. Local farms are asked to do a lot, and there are so many simple things we can do to play our part as well.

How? When possible, eat local! Food that does not travel from far away is not as subject to waste at every stop between a distant farm and your fork, nor does it use as much fuel. Also, think about the watersuckingness of the food on your plate. Go meat-free once a week, or try to consume less meat and dairy overall. There is no comparing the water footprint of meat (huge) to the water footprint of vegetables (not as huge).

The rumblings are that an impending severe global water deficit looms, possibly by the year 2030. Didn’t 2030 used to sound like the future? Honestly, the future is here. Now. Our smallest choices have consequence and can make a difference.

If you live, work or play in Northeast Florida, remember this: The source of the St. Johns River is everywhere. You are connected to it.

Our farms are connected to it. There is no “us” versus “them.” We can all be good stewards of our river and our earth.

Simon Hoek Spans at Urban Folk Farm.

DEFINITION OF IMPAIRED WATERWAY: Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection regularly checks the state’s waters to determine whether they are up to quality standards. According to their website, “these standards are established to protect public health, preserve aquatic habitat and wildlife, and assure safe and healthy fishing and recreational uses.

Surface waters that do not meet the standards set for them are determined to be ‘impaired’ and in need of restoration.”

SUB TILE IRRIGATION: Lee says “the best way to picture it is as a stick tree drawing with the trunk as the main line and the limbs as laterals. There are mini water control structures at the edge of the field to allow management of the water table.

Virginia Barnes of Barnes Farm.

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LOCAL LIBATIONS

A

Just Add Ice WORDS LAUREN TITUS PHOTOS SEAN KELLY CONWAY

Along with homemade syrups and shrubs, artisanal spirits and grown-to-order garnishes, there’s another ingredient equally important in craft cocktails: ice.

Nowadays, along with a cocktail menu, many drinking establishment also feature an in-house ice program. While you may not specify the size or cut when you order your drink, a good bartender knows that the shape used can either enhance or dilute your beverage.

At this point, you may be thinking “Really? Ice making as an art? Who cares, as long as the ingredients swirling around those cubes are high-quality and tasty?” If you have just shelled out $10– $14 for a drink that quickly ends up being more water than whiskey, you might be interested in ice that chills without melting too rapidly, diluting just enough to take the edge off strong spirits.

So what is the science behind the aesthetics? Most ice is created in freezers that cool water from the top down. As a result, air bubbles get trapped below the surface, so the cubes end up cloudy and not very dense. Enter the Clinebell, the behemoth machine used to produce 300-pound blocks of ice that is colder and harder than standard ice cubes. Because the Clinebell slowly freezes water from the bottom up, circulating the top layer of water to remove bubbles, the resulting ice is clear and dense, ready to be chainsawed down into smaller shapes for cocktails.

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Since opening in 2013, The Ice Plant has been intent on bringing back the craft of ice harvesting. Housed in a building formerly used to manufacture commercial block ice, this St. Augustine bar and restaurant takes the process of freezing water seriously. As he shaped a chunk of clear ice into a sphere using a tool that might also double as a torture device, Bar Manager Zach Lynch explained the process.

Starting with the filtered water used, the bar relies on three different types of machines, including a Clinebell, to create ice shapes suitable for the various cocktails on the menu.

“Cubelet or pebble ice can be used for Tiki-, Collins- or Mulestyle drinks, where you may want to chill down quickly, and shaved ice, which is kind of a more whimsical style, is great for adult slushy drinks. Bigger cubes go well in straightforward drinks like gin and tonic, or cocktails that are shaken,” said Lynch. “The sphere shape lasts twice as long as the cube, and it’s quite showy. It’s perfect for classic whiskey drinks, like an Old Fashioned. And the long rock or spear works well in highball drinks.”

It may be that after a highball or two, you are thinking how cool it would be to have crystal clear frozen water when entertaining guests at home. No room for a Clinebell or another industrial-grade ice maker in your house? At least get the home ice advantage by using filtered water. Or maybe just skip the ice and store your spirits in the freezer, to be served straight up.

Delta Spirit Serves 1 | Recipe by Chris Faber and Anthony Auger

INGREDIENTS 2 ounces Old Forester Bourbon ½ ounce Altoid simple syrup* 6 raspberries Mint to garnish

PREPARATION Muddle Altoid simple syrup and 3 raspberries in a julep cup, then pour in bourbon. Add pebble ice and swizzle. Garnish with 3 raspberries, powdered Altoids and mint. *To make Altoid simple syrup, dissolve 3 Altoid mints in 1 cup simple syrup.

The High Country Serves 1 | Recipe by Jessi Lane

INGREDIENTS 1½ ounces Rutte Dry Gin ½ ounce Luxardo Amaro Abano ½ ounce lime juice ¾ ounce cucumber syrup ½ ounce ginger syrup* Dash of bitters PREPARATION Combine all ingredients, shake and pour into Collins glass with long rock ice. Decanter bitters on top and garnish with fresh upland cress. *To make ginger syrup, combine 1 part fresh juiced ginger, 2 parts simple syrup and 3 parts fresh lime juice.

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Bonnie and Clyde Serves 1 | Recipe by Bryan Crowder

INGREDIENTS 1 ounce rye whiskey 1 ounce cognac ¾ ounce Amaro Montenegro 2 dashes Angostura bitters 4 dashes Peychauds bitters PREPARATION Combine all ingredients and pour over sphere ice.

Coconut Pete Serves 1 | Recipe by Anthony Auger

INGREDIENTS ¾ ounce Avua Amburana Cachaca ¾ ounce lime juice ¾ ounce Barbancourt 8 Year Old Haitian rum ¾ ounce Coco Real Cream of Coconut PREPARATION Shake all ingredients together and pour into cocktail glass with shaved ice. Garnish with a banana leaf.

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Simple ingredients.

Exquisite execution.

Restaurant & Raw Bar | 220 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 904.746.0909 | sbragadining.com/sbragaandcompany

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EDIBLE INNOVATORS

I

CONSERVING WHILE WE CAN

Intuition Ale Works isn’t waiting for a drought to start conserving its most precious resource WORDS JACK TWACHTMAN PHOTO CHRISTINA KARST

In 1516, the German Beer Purity Law decreed that only three ingredients be permitted in the brewing of beer - barley, hops and water. Although barley and hops get all the glory, it should come as no surprise that water is far and away the most important ingredient in the recipe for the world’s oldest and most widely consumed fermented beverage.

So important, in fact, that brewers by tradition have their own special word for it - liquor.

Water composition has been the driving force behind some of the world’s most popular beer styles. In the early days, breweries were built around natural water sources, each with their own unique chemistry.

Naturally filtered by sandstone, the soft water of Plzeň in the Czech Republic allowed the aroma of Saaz hops and Moravian barley to shine, setting the stage for what is still the world’s most popular style, pale lager or pilsner. Pale ales were made possible by the hard water of Burton-on-Trent, the brewing capital of Britain in its day, which imparted a dry minerality and characteristic sulphuric “snatch” to the bitter beer.

Nowadays, breweries are able to treat their water to imitate these kinds of conditions.

Water isn’t just a crucial yet underappreciated ingredient in every beer’s recipe, it’s also a workhorse in the brewhouse. From cleaning and sanitization to chilling and steam generation, water is an essential part of nearly every brewery operation.

Fresh, clean water is a resource and a finite one at that. Severe droughts in California have forced restrictions on brewers’ use of water, prompting them to come up with creative ways to conserve.

While the situation here in Florida may not be quite so dire, environmentally conscious brewers like Ben Davis of Intuition Ale Works aren’t waiting for the wells to run dry to implement conservation techniques of their own.

“There’s no need to use any more water than necessary,” Davis said.

“Beer is 90-95% water so we can’t reduce that side of water consumption, but we can reduce the amount of water we use to clean our equipment, tanks, floors, etc.”

Enter Intuition’s new Clean in Place (CIP) system, being installed as part of the new brewhouse opening later this year. Rather than disassemble the pipes, fittings, valves and hoses that make up the brewery’s physical plant, the CIP system circulates water and cleaning agents through a closed loop that saves water otherwise headed for the drain. The result is a cleaner system, which ultimately makes for better beer.

CIP systems are not exactly new technologies. They’ve been used for over 50 years to more efficiently clean everything from dairy and food processing operations to pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturing. However, these systems are not cheap and craft breweries are not multi-million or even billion dollar businesses. Walk into any new craft brewery (even the well-funded ones) and you’ll find second-hand equipment, creatively engineered solutions and a decent amount of duct tape – in other words a DIY, start-up culture. So you won’t find the CIP systems in smaller breweries that rely more intensively on manual labor. But as breweries grow, automated systems become not only more accessible, but indispensable when it comes to maintaining consistency, cutting costs and in this case, conserving water.

With an annual production of 7,500 barrels and a major expansion on the horizon, it not only makes environmental but fiscal sense for Intuition to conserve every last drop of precious water. The exact impact of this new program is as of yet unknown but as Davis puts it, “anything we can do to reduce our water use is good for the environment and our bottom line.”

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CASTING A

Wider Net Local chefs showcase less-familiar fish species WORDS KATHY AMES CARR PHOTOS SEAN KELLY CONWAY

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“I’ve always embraced my heritage, and that is what mullet is to me,” he says. “It’s a stubborn fish to catch, and it takes time to clean. But the locals are impressed that we’re bringing back to life something truly historic.”

Ben Williams and seafood at Fisherman’s Dock.

T

The menu at Catch 27, a local-foods-focused eatery in St. Augustine, ebbs and flows according to what the local fishmonger retrieves off the boats that troll through Northeast Florida’s waters. Sure, the ubiquitous fresh flounder and Florida shrimp make regular appearances on the menu. But restaurateur Stephen Hutson is passionate about also serving up the area’s more obscure native species caught by locals on small boats: sheepshead, hogfish, black drum, African pompano and amberjack, to name a few.

Diners may tip their heads to the side with curiosity when the server tells them about the blackened triggerfish with sherry cream sauce, grilled vermilion snapper with local vegetable risotto and lemon compound butter or golden tilefish and saffron rice.

“I think the general public expects to see fish like salmon, tilapia and flounder because they’re more familiar with them,” Hutson says. “But once we educate our diners about our local fish, they are a lot more open to trying a new dish.”

Hutson is among a cadre of indie restaurant owners, chefs and fishmongers who are

encouraging the consumption of underutilized Florida coastal fish—those incidental varieties accidentally caught by fishermen— and other underappreciated native or invasive species.

Eating what is local, available and in season has significant environmental and economic benefits. It balances the stock levels of all species and prevents overfishing. Consuming local fish also supports community fishermen and fish market purveyors. Plus, our local species have distinct, delicious flavor profiles that too often are overlooked in the mainstream dining realm.

“Most of the fish from Northeast Florida waters are a variant of a mild white,” Hutson says. “The locals refer to triggerfish as the poor man’s lobster because it has this sweet, buttery flavor. It’s one of my favorites.”

Just don’t mischaracterize these lesserknown species as “trash fish,” a term used loosely that refers to unintended catches, bottom feeders and other non-mainstream species. That label devalues the integrity of these species’ role in the eco-system and potential in the kitchen, those in the seafood industry say.

More than 200 native species of freshwater fish inhabit Florida’s waters, with most found in Northeast Florida. Recreational anglers focus on about 35 species. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission manages more than 500 saltwater species, but only about 55 varieties are caught commercially as food fish or bait. Many species are not heavily targeted by recreational anglers or commercial fishermen, according to the agency.

Those in local seafood circles suggest that the general public is skittish about wading into unfamiliar territory when it comes to trying local fish for a couple of reasons. One is the perception that it doesn’t taste good. It’s the same unease that causes many to refrain from trying underused parts of an animal, like oxtails or pig jowls, even though our grandparents and great-grandparents utilized all parts of an animal to prevent food waste.

North Atlantic swordfish, for one, has fallen off the radar. The species was a dining favorite until the 1990s, when overfishing led to its population only reaching 58% of its target level. Now, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

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Right: Josh Smith, chef at Catch 27.

Below: Jesse Motta selecting fish at Fisherman’s Dock.

this species is one of the greatest success stories of the U.S. and international fisheries management, thanks to a sweeping plan to rebuild stock to full levels.

Unfortunately, locally caught swordfish represents only 2% of sales at C&C Fishery in Atlantic Beach.

“I think it comes down to perception,” says Atillio Cerqueira, owner of C&C Fishery. “Chefs quit buying these fishes in the ’80s and ’90s because they didn’t want to contribute to the problem. I think there’s still a hangover from that time period. It has nothing to do with flavor profile—they’re delicious.”

THE SLOW FISH MOVEMENT Ben Williams, former owner of Fisherman’s Dock in Mandarin and longtime fishmonger, supervises the influx of locally harvested species making their way into the display in the center of this retail fish market. He examines the rows of whole fish in various shades of gray, fanned out across a bed of ice chunks.

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He points to a half-dozen or so that stand out because of their blush hue.

He pulls one out and brushes his hand across its sharp scales. Williams explains that most fishermen on snapper boats accidentally catch this squirrelfish on a hook and line and throw it back into the waters.

“It used to be that fishermen would hardly keep squirrelfish at all. They don’t like to handle them,” he says.

They’re relatively small—only a halfpound to three-quarters of a pound—and not ideal for fileting.

“But anyone who likes to cook whole fish should pounce on them,” Williams says. “Its meat is light and tastes like snapper, it’s that good.”

Squirrelfish is making a comeback, slowly.

“Now there’s a small market for them,” Williams says.

He explains that he’s been working extensively with chefs during the last six or seven years to integrate these and other regional species into their local food sourcing routines.

edible NORTHEAST FLORIDA

Golden tilefish represents one example of a strategic conservation recovery effort and successful foray onto the plates of openminded diners.

“Eight or 10 years ago, the seasons were smaller and closures were significant,” he says. “But quotas have been increasing over the last four years. More restaurants are serving it. Golden tile, if you ask me, tastes better than grouper, and you can enjoy it when grouper season is closed. There are a lot of restaurants here selling it.”

Endorsements aren’t unique to native species either. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as well as environmental activists are encouraging the capture of invasive species such as the rapidly populating lionfish, which according to the agency has the potential to significantly alter the population dynamics of native marine species. These interlopers are relatively easy to capture but usually are only intentionally targeted by divers who use dip nets or spears.

HOW TO BUY SEAFOOD While many of us have become more aware of the importance of supporting our local food system when buying produce and meats, we may not be as familiar with ways to create a resilient seafood industry. Ben Williams, former owner of Fisherman’s Dock, offers these tips for supporting our First Coast seafood economy: • Prioritize local and domestic. Regulations ensure the species are harvested sustainably.

• Eat seasonal. Consume the species fresh while they are in season. “Enjoy the snow crabs when they’re available during winter, then move on,” said Williams.

• Trust your local fish markets. Owners have a stake in what you buy. They want to make sure their customers are satisfied.

• Eat the whole fish and extend the resource.

For some reason, many consumers are resistant to eating whole fish. When you eat the whole fish, you waste less, and you get more for your money. “This approach puts you into the buying realm of fish that aren’t big enough to fillet, like grunt,” Williams said. “That little fish’s meat tastes identical to mangrove snapper. And a 1½-pound fish will feed two people.”

And there’s work involved. The venomous spines must be extracted. But to chef Mike Riska at North Beach Fish Camp, which occasionally features the fish as a chef’s special, the tasty payoff is worth the effort.

“Lionfish is a super flaky, rich white fish,” Riska says. “We fry the whole fish, and finish it off with an adobo seasoning and a smoked orange and jalapeño marmalade on top. It’s incredible.”

To a certain extent, chefs and restaurateurs—particularly at chains that have to meet bulk food purchasing demand — are feeding the general public’s deference to the common seafood species, some of which are the least sustainable choices because they are being overfished in seas abroad with little regulation, says Kathy Collins, executive chef at NOLA MOCA. “Frozen grouper and snapper are available all the time,” she says. “I’d rather serve what’s local and in season. I’d rather my fish be fresh and run out, than serve something frozen.”

Further north in Fernandina Beach, close to where the St. Marys River snakes into the ocean, Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen regularly adjusts its menu according to the seasonal availability of ingredients from the surrounding land and sea. Early morning phone calls from Fisherman’s Dock alert Gilbert of its freshest local harvests.

“They’ll call and say, ‘Hey, we got some sheepshead or triggerfish in today. Do you want it?’” chef Kenny Gilbert says. “I’ll say yes. We also get catfish from St. Johns River.

I serve it on grits with a sweet potato chow chow. It’s really craveable.”

Longtime locals flock to Gilbert’s for his saltwater mullet, a species that harkens back to his fishing days with his grandmother off the coast in St. Augustine.

“I’ve always embraced my heritage, and that is what mullet is to me,” he says. “It’s a stubborn fish to catch, and it takes time to clean. But the locals are impressed that we’re bringing back to life something truly historic.”

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A primer on cooking squirrelfish Squirrelfish has delicious meat, best cooked whole over a charcoal grill.

Words Ben Williams | Photo Amy Robb INGREDIENTS

1 (½- to ¾-pound) squirrelfish per person Olive oil Salt and pepper PREPARATION Scale, gut and gill the fish. Score the fish and rub the skin with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place fish on the grill and cook over natural charcoal for about 12 to 15 minutes, flipping it midway through. The skin should be crispy before you take the fish off the grill. You may use foil to prevent the fish from falling apart, but the skin won’t end up as crispy. Serve with a couple slices of lemon, onion and tomato.

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edible NORTHEAST FLORIDA

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EDIBLE INGREDIENTS

SALT OF THE EARTH AND SEA WORDS LAUREN TITUS PHOTO AMY ROBB

Indian Black

Cyprus Black Flake Lava

Brazilian Pure Ocean

Ghost Pepper Himalayan

Espresso

French Grey

Alderwood Smoked

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Alaea Hawaiian Red

FOR SOMETHING THAT ENDS UP AS SMALL AS A GRAIN OF SALT, NaCl HAS HAD A SEISMIC IMPACT ON HISTORY. This compound of sodium and chloride ions is an essential element in our diet, critical to survival of life as we know it.

Salt has been a form of currency, a commodity traded and fought over between countries and used as a preservative so we can eat foods that might not be in season or from our region. The word

“salary” originated from the word for salt, dating back to early Roman soldiers receiving salarium argentum—salt rations. The expression “not worth his salt” is used when referring to someone who does not deserve the compensation paid for work.

The two main sources of salt are sea water and the mineral halite, or rock salt. On an industrial scale, salt is produced by one of three ways: solution mining, deep-shaft mining or solar evaporation of brine or salt water. Most table and industrial salt is produced by solution mining, where the salt reaches the surface as brine, from which the water is evaporated leaving salt crystals.

The following is a list of some of the wide variety of culinary salts used for savory and sweet dishes.

SALT 101

Provided by Martha Smith, Green Man Gourmet

French Grey French Grey, or Sel Gris, is harvested using the traditional Celtic methods. This prized process is done entirely by hand, using only wooden tools. This preserves the pure taste of the French salt and produces a very special moist crystalline texture.

The color reflects the fact that this salt retains more of the trace minerals that naturally occur in sea salt. Sel Gris is lower in sodium chloride content than average sea salts, generally containing anywhere from 83% to 87% sodium chloride. French sea salts are ideal for use on salads, cooked fresh vegetables and grilled meat.

Alaea Hawaiian Red Sea Salt A natural mineral called “Alaea” (volcanic baked red clay) is added to enrich this salt with iron oxide. This natural additive is what gives the salt its distinctive red color. The clay imparts a subtle flavor that is said to be mellower and more earthy than regular sea salt. It is the traditional and authentic seasoning for native Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua pig, poke and Hawaiian jerky. It is also delicious on prime rib and pork loin.

Brazilian Pure Ocean® Sea Salt Quite possibly the best-tasting sea salt in the world! Completely unrefined, the natural minerals add subtle nuances of flavor that make this sea salt superior. Pure Ocean is simply solar evaporated ocean water with no additives of any kind. Visualize the crisp blue waters, warm sun and gentle winds that naturally produce this premium sea salt. It is perfect for baking, cooking and seasoning, and the coarse grind is specially sized for use in salt mills.

Himalayan Himalayan salt is a pure, handmined salt that occurs naturally deep within the pristine Himalayan Mountains. Crystallized over 200 million years ago, ancient sea beds were protected from modern-day pollution, lending to the belief that Himalayan pink salt is the purest salt to be found on Earth. It contains more than 84 elements and trace minerals that are the same found in our bodies. Use it as a replacement for your table salt, liberally in pickling brines or try your hand at salt-roasting fish or chicken for a moist and flavorful result.

Cyprus Black Flake Lava Cyprus Black Lava flake salt is simply Mediterranean flake salt mixed with activated charcoal.

The dramatic color and texture makes it a beautiful finishing salt for roasted vegetables, soups, stir-fry and grilled dishes.

Ghost Pepper With a taste only for the very daring, this is the hottest salt in the world! Made from pure, unrefined sea salt and the Naga Jolokia pepper, this salt has a spicy-hot flavor that is without compare. This pepper, also known as the King Cobra Chili after one of the most venomous snakes in India, has a blazing heat that is out of this world. For some flaming flavor, sprinkle over chicken wings, chili or your fajitas, but beware: This salt bites back!

Alderwood Smoked This Pacific sea salt combines traditional alderwood f lavor with sea salt to create a most unique and beautiful spice to use in any of your favorite recipes, both on and off the barbecue. Slow smoking over real alderwood results in an authentic, clean smoke f lavor

with no artificial coloring or flavoring. In fact, Northwest Red Alderwood has been used to smoke salmon and other meats for hundreds of years, making it a true Northwest tradition.

Indian Black Kala Namak or Black Salt is a special type of Indian mineral salt. It is actually pinkish grey rather than black and has a very distinctive sulfurous mineral taste (like hard-boiled egg yolks). Vegan chefs have made this salt popular for adding an egg f lavor to dishes like tofu scramble and tofu “egg” salad.

Black Salt is used in Indian cuisine as a condiment and is added to chaats, chutneys, raitas and many other savory Indian snacks.

Espresso Sea Salt A fusion of sea salt and roasted espresso beans, this salt is a delicious addition to desserts— think salted caramel brownies, or a rich chocolate torte. It is also pairs wonderfully with red meats, adding flavor to prime rib or burgers. Bring it to your cocktail hour—rimming glasses of, say, chocolate martinis.

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Buried

Treasure Could Northeast Florida be the next oyster hotbed?

WORDS SARAH KATHLEEN MCCARTAN

PHOTOS SEAN KELLY CONWAY

There’s something strangely therapeutic about putting on an oversized glove, pulling out an oyster knife and shucking a freshly roasted oyster.

Whether sucking and devouring these slimy gems leaves you feeling starved for more or skittish at the mere thought of such a feat, one can’t argue the benefit of oysters — both to the health of our waterways and the ecosystem.

Though small in stature, these plump filter feeders can individually clean up to 50 gallons of water per day — removing dirt, pollution and algae from our waterways.

Here in Northeast Florida, there’s an abundance of oysters, yet more beds are closed than open, and a lack of water quality monitoring suggests this isn’t going to change overnight. Thanks to concerns raised by oyster harvesters and a local research institution, monitoring efforts are seeking to address the status and sustainability of oysters in our region.

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FEAST OR FAMINE? Recent media headlines have suggested the South, specifically along the East Coast, could become its own Napa Valley for oysters — a mecca of uncharted territory that has long been sleeping.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the St. Augustine region is second to Apalachicola for the commercial harvest of oysters in Florida. The region produces about 10 percent of Apalachicola’s output; however, both awareness of the volume of our oysters and funding available to support and expand the industry is lacking.

“I think the fact that we are second in the state, and Apalachicola has been on the decline, really speaks to the importance of us understanding our oysters,” said Nikki Dix, research director at Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve).

Oyster harvesters have come to GTM Research Reserve in recent years with concerns of shrinking harvest areas and the long-term sustainability of local populations. One key area of the facility’s research focuses on these issues.

In addition to launching a Water Quality and Oyster task force, GTM Research Reserve is working on a grant-funded Oyster Condition Assessment Project. This project spans multiple counties in Northeast Florida: Nassau, Duval, Flagler and St. Johns, and extends up through Georgia. Data collected includes number of oysters on a reef, average oyster size, height and elevation of reef and animals associated with the reefs.

“We know there is an interest in answering questions like, ‘What is the health of oysters in our area?’ We are trying to determine where the gaps are and what we need to monitor to figure out answers,” said Andrea Noel, Northeast Florida aquatic preserve manager for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

oysters spawn and rebuild, but Usina considers support for a commercial industry being overlooked by the state. “It’s only recently the state’s shown an interest in Apalachicola,” he said. “There’s no real effort to maintain and extend the beds here.”

OPEN OR CLOSED FOR BUSINESS The bulk of the area open for harvest pales in comparison to the scope of our region’s waterways.

The two open areas are concentrated within Salt Run, the Matanzas River and pockets of the Tolomato River. All areas within Nassau and Duval counties are closed year-round for both commercial and recreational shellfish harvesting and anyone found harvesting is subject to fines.

Our creeks remain an untapped territory. “We have a tremendous amount of oysters in the creeks. To my knowledge, there’s not a single creek that’s open,” said Usina.

“There are some regions that are never going to be open. Some used to be open and are now restricted. And then there are some that have been open for decades,” affirmed Dix. “There are more oysters outside of the harvest area instead of inside, which is what you would expect.”

Salt Run is open and repeatedly harvested, yet never ceases to produce.

“Almost any decent low tide you’re going to find three or four commercial boats in there with two or three people from each boat who probably want to get four, five or six bushels a piece,” Usina said. “I don’t have any idea of how many thousands of bushels come out of that small area every year. I’ve been very surprised Salt Run has held up with the level of oystering for the past few years.”

Meanwhile, up on the Tolomato River, gazing from the dock of Aunt Kate’s, Usina points to spots on the river packed with oysters.

Though portions of the river are open, these are not, despite being the same water.

The decision to open a bed is based on water quality and bacteria levels, all in relation to a human health threat, rather than a threat to the oyster itself. For most areas, it’s not an issue of poor water quality, but the absence of water testing.

“We have the same open and closed areas we’ve had for years. There won’t be any change in that unless there’s an ongoing monitoring effort to monitor the water,” Usina said.

Dix notes that the water is flush, with two inlets in the estuary.

“We don’t get low-oxygen events like in other areas, and we don’t get big phytoplankton blooms that harm the oyster reefs either.”

“Almost any decent low tide you’re going to find three or four commercial boats in there with two or three people from each boat who probably want to get four, five or six bushels a piece”

STRAIGHT FROM AN OYSTERER’S MOUTH One harvester has been spurring on this conversation and GTM Research Reserve’s work — Frank Usina, owner of Aunt Kate’s and The Reef. Usina has a rich history with oysters. His grandparents are known for being the first to serve oysters to Henry Flagler and his buddies in 1900 in St. Augustine.

“My oldest memories would be daddy walking down the river shore, taking an oyster knife out of his pocket, picking up an oyster, opening it and eating it,” said Usina.

During his own time of oystering and years spent growing up on North Beach, Usina has witnessed a great change to the landscape. For one, watercraft now can be more disruptive to oyster beds. “It was a different world back then. There were a whole lot fewer people and a whole lot greater availability,” he said.

“People aren’t always that concerned with the effect their wake has,” Usina said. “This increased power disrupts the oyster beds.”

States like Virginia are taking steps to work the beds and help

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Working and Rebuilding Sustainable harvesting is another component of the GTM Research Reserve’s work.

“We’ve gotten too good at harvesting everything,” said Usina, referring to the lack of interest in leaving the smaller oysters on the beds, or returning the shells to sea. “Oysters spawn in the spring. When the

Frank Usina, owner Aunt Kate’s and The Reef.

EdibleNEFlorida.com

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Nikki Dix and Andrea Noel of GTM Research Reserve.

seed sinks, it has to have something to attach to,” he said.

Returning the shells, which allows oyster larvae to settle and rebuild, is practiced elsewhere, but currently is not mandated here.

What is being done, and led by the GTM Research Reserve, is a shell recycle program called Bag and Build. This program retrieves shells from local restaurants, including Aunt Kate’s, and places them in areas absent of, but conducive to reefs, in an effort to rebuild. The program enables consumers to give back what was taken.

“We go to local restaurants and pick up oyster shells that people have eaten oysters off of,” Noel said. “We keep them here for a certain amount of time. Then we allow people to come in and fill bags with oyster shells. We take them out to sites and build artificial reefs with them.”

Since launching the program in 2012, Bag and Build has collected and recycled more than 200,000 pounds of shells. “This is part of our stewardship program too because we want the public to understand the importance of recycling and putting the shell back in the water to create a new habitat for oysters,” said Noel.

Beyond returning the shells to our waterways, Usina suggests manually working beds is needed for further growth and prosperity of the beds currently open for harvesting.

To achieve any change to the local oyster landscape, Usina says citizen advocacy is needed to drive state funding and interest in our region’s oyster industry.

“It would be nice to get interest in oystering at the state level,” he said. “If there’s not enough interest at the state level to put money into it then you’re spinning your wheels.”

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The next time you are enjoying oysters on the half-shell, consider the role these small bivalve mollusks play in the health of our local waters, and the importance of keeping the waterways healthy for the sake of their – and our – survival.

If you’re interested in partaking in oystering monitoring projects, the Bag and Build program or other conservation-focused opportunities led by GTM Research Reserve, visit www.gtmnerr.org/volunteer.

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EDIBLE DIY

SOCIALIZING

Over Seaweed Host Your Own DIY Sushi Party

WORDSSAVANNAH RUBINO AND LAUREN GILLIAM PHOTOS JENNA ALEXANDER

A

Ahh, seaweed! Not everyone is a fan upon first taste. We were in that group when we first tried it years ago. But it did grow on us, and we have become quite fond of many varieties since.

Not only can you use this beautiful superfood to make sushi, you can eat it as a crunchy snack, make it into a salad, sprinkle it over any dish and use it for soup stock. Hailing from the algae family, it is packed with antioxidants, calcium and iodine, a hard-to-find micronutrient. Before reaching for that “iodized” table salt, sprinkle a little seaweed on it.

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May/June 2016

For some hands-on experience with seaweed, consider hosting a sushi party. While you may not be an expert in rolling sushi, this can be a fun evening with friends and family.

Over the years, we’ve learned several key tricks to make this kind of gathering a success.

First, simplicity is always the way to go.

Delegate ingredients for each of your friends to bring, and you will easily have all-you-caneat sushi for around $10 a person. Also, keep it small. Big crowds tend to take the zen away from the sushi making process.

Next, use sushi-grade fish for safety and

edible NORTHEAST FLORIDA

taste. Get to know your local fish supplier, especially if you are nervous about working with raw fish. “Sushi” just means “with rice,” so you can assemble rolls that are vegetarian or vegan, too. Only use short-grain sushi rice.

Since it is starchy and absorbent, this kind of rice is naturally sticky.

Finally, and most importantly, have fun!

Experiment with different ingredients and get creative. Rice cauliflower in a blender and use it as the rice for gluten-free vegan friends. The only limit to sushi is your culinary imagination.

SUPPLIES FOR A PARTY OF 8–10 PEOPLE INGREDIENTS Sushi rice: 1 pound.

Rice vinegar mixture: For 3 cups of (uncooked) rice, use ½ cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons salt.

Rolling mat: One works fine but two mats make for faster rolling and team efforts. For faster cleanup, wrap the mats in plastic before rolling.

Sharp knife Nori/Seaweed: 2–3 packages with 10 pieces each.

Fish: 1½ to 2 pounds of any combination of fish. If it is raw make sure you get sushi grade from your local fish or Asian market. Suggestions: tuna, salmon, smoked salmon, escolar (white tuna), crab or imitation crab, shrimp, BBQ smoked eel, whatever is in season.

Vegetables/Fruit: 2–4 pounds, 4 pounds if you are making exclusively vegetarian rolls.

Suggestions: cucumbers, carrots, scallions, avocados, mangos, strawberries, sweet potatoes, whatever is in season.

Recommended extras: Wasabi, cream cheese, mayonnaise, eel sauce, hot sauce, sprouts, cilantro, basil, toasted sesame seeds, pickled ginger, roe (fish eggs).

PREPARATION Rice Rinse your rice well and drain. Stick with a 1:2 ratio for rice to water and cook at a low boil for about an hour. Stir occasionally. Once the water has been absorbed and you have fluffy sticky rice, add the rice vinegar mixture for flavor. Stir and fan until it is cool enough to touch. Cover with a warm wet cloth.

Prep while rice is cooking Wash and cut the fish, vegetables and any other ingredients into thin strips or slices and arrange them in bowls or plates for easy assembly.

Filling & Rolling Orient the mat so you can roll in a forward motion. Place the nori on the mat rough side up. Use a whole piece for larger rolls or tear it in half for smaller pieces. Have a bowl of

water to wet your hands so the rice doesn’t stick to you.

Wet your hands, grab a handful of rice and roll it into a ball. Place the rice ball on the front center of the nori and spread it all the way to the sides and then to the end in a smooth thin layer, leaving the last ½ to 1 inch of nori empty (very important!). Add whatever fillings you like.

To roll, take the end closest to you and fold it over all the fillings so all you see poking out at the end is the empty nori edge. If you can’t see the nori at the end, you may have overstuffed your roll. Hold the empty end of the mat flat on the table with one hand and pull your roll tight with your other hand. Now, get

your fingers slightly damp and wet the empty nori edge like you would to seal an envelope.

Fold the mat back from the sushi and roll it the rest of the way forward.

Cut your roll into bite-size pieces, grab your chopsticks, soy sauce (or liquid aminos) and wasabi. Wipe your knife off with a wet cloth often to keep the blade clean and sharp.

Suggestions for rolls to get started: • Salmon, cream cheese, mango, scallions, sesame seeds and cucumber • Tuna, spicy mayo (mayonnaise mixed with your favorite hot sauce), cucumber, sprouts, avocado and carrots • Avocado, cilantro, mayo, sesame seeds, scallions, carrots and sprouts

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Buy LOCAL GUIDE

From the farm to the table, we deliver fresh local produce and artisanal goods to customers’ homes. Customize each order to suit your taste buds with our simple online ordering.

386-753-4565 frontporchpickings.com

Florida natives selling farm fresh and boldly flavored ice pops from our vintage camper. We want to be a part of your bold story: weddings, employee appreciation, special events, tenant appreciation & more.

904-626-8101 boldcitypops.com

Eat. Drink. Shop. Local.

The benefits of buying local are numerous and range from fresh, flavorful foods and unique one-of-a-kind products, to an increased sense of community and stronger regional economy.

We would like to thank our advertising partners (listed here and throughout this

Complete garden center with everything you need to create a successful, sustainable home garden and landscape! Wide variety of Florida Native plants, flowers, fruit trees, vegetables and organic seeds. Family owned and operated since 1979!

1690 A1A South St. Augustine 904-471-0440 southernhorticultureflorida.com

Watts Juicery serves organic, cold-pressed juices to help you squeeze the most out of life, giving you a natural boost of electricious energy to carry you through the day and beyond.

1010B 3rd Street Jax Beach 904-372-0693 wattsjuicery.com

publication) whose support for Edible Northeast Florida helps make our work possible.

Please make a point of supporting these businesses and organizations.

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We are a 22-acre farm-to-fork market, open seven days a week, offering local and organic food at an affordable price. Bring the kids to meet our farm animals, or join us for cooking classes, farm feasts, and other special events.

A locally founded, owned and operated Aussie-American coffee shop with a penchant for expertly crafted direct trade espresso and single-origin coffee. Aussie pies and baked goods made from scratch daily by a dedicated culinary team.

5780 County Road 305 Elkton 904-429-3070 rypeandreadi.com

24 Cathedral Place 101 F Street 1835 US Hwy 1 South 904-209-9391 kookaburrashop.com

Grater Goods is located in the heart of Murray Hill and is Jacksonville’s only stand alone cheese and charcuterie shop. We specialize in American made cheeses and cured meats.

1080 Edgewood Ave. S. #9 Jacksonville 904-203-8533

Specialty coffee roaster with two cafés and roastery operation located in Jacksonville. Single origin, direct trade coffees and signature blends for retail and wholesale customers.

Located on the north side of Jacksonville, Congaree and Penn is a rice farm, a mayhaw orchard and home to a future cidery.

915-526-1409 congareeandpenn.com

2400 S. Third Street (Jax Beach) 869 Stockton Street 1179 Edgewood Avenue South 904-982-7603 boldbeancoffee.com

Trasca & Co Eatery is a one-of-akind vintage neighborhood eatery, specializing in hand-crafted Italianinspired sandwiches, craft beer and craft coffee!

155 Tourside Drive, Suite 1500 Ponte Vedra Beach 904-395-3989 trascaandco.com

GLUTEN FREE FRESH CORN TAMALES HANCRAFTED EMPANADAS FRESH GOURMET SALSAS

Old world recipes of our ancestors skillfully prepared for you to enjoy today. Vegan selections as well as satisfying options for meat lovers. Visit us at the Old City Farmers Market on Saturdays, the Wednesday Market at the Pier in St. Augustine, Sunday at the European Village Farmers Market in Palm Coast, and at Juniper Market.

585-943-3477 mayansummerfoods@gmail.com

Hand-makers of fine ceramics since 1981. The perfect gift for food enthusiasts! Come see us at the Old City Farmers Market at the St. Augustine Amphitheater on Saturday mornings from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, Space 68.

For over 29 years, CartWheel Ranch Meats has been raising cattle in Florida. We offer all natural grain & grass fed, pasture raised, USDA beef, pork and chicken, pet products & homemade healthy broths! Food you can trust!

We grow microgreens, petit greens and specialty produce using sustainable farming methods that combine traditional aquaculture with hydroponics. All produce is grown without the use of pesticides. Visit us!

We hand-craft loose leaf teas and culinary spice blends using only the finest organic ingredients. Our blends are locally produced in small batches by passionate artisans. Come see us at the Old City Farmers Market every Saturday.

Sanderson 904-874-5968 cartwheelranch@gmail.com

147 Canal Boulevard Ponte Vedra Beach 203-240-7309 gyogreens.com

904-495- 8948 cultivateteaandspice.com

Locally owned bake shop specializing in classic pastries, artisan breads, savory pies, signature soups, sandwiches and seasonal salads.

Organic Café serving creative juices, smoothies, acai bowls and healthy bites all made fresh to order. Vegan and gluten free options. Healthy. Fresh. You.

1173 Edgewood Avenue South Jacksonville 904-634-7617 facebook.com/kneadabakeshop

1510 King Street Jacksonville 904-574-3557

Fermented and probiotic pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi and more.

Premium olives from around the globe. Six varieties of scratch-made hummus. Find us at local area farmers’ markets.

904-576-3718 olivemypickle.com

St. Augustine 904-824-1317 westsidestudio@bellsouth.net

EdibleNEFlorida.com

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How Much Water Does It Take?

Here’s another good reason to think twice before throwing away uneaten food: not only does it contribute to the 40% of food waste we generate in the US each year, it’s also wasteful of the water required to produce and transport it.

The amount of direct and indirect water needed to make our food can take as much as 95% of our total water footprint. In general, meat and other animal products have larger water footprints than grains, vegetables or beans because animals eat large quantities of feed, which also require water to grow.

Want to minimize your water footprint? Choose wisely and source food locally. It takes 97 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of gasoline, so transporting your food shorter distances means less fuel, which helps reduce the indirect amount of water used to produce it.

AN ICON RESTORED. DOWNTOWN DINING DEFINED.

Coming Fall 2016 101 EAST BAY STREET,

Here are examples of approximately how many gallons of water it takes to produce 1 pound of some common foods: Almonds = 1929 Beef = 1847 Pork = 718 Lentils = 704 Butter = 655 Chicken = 518 Chickpeas = 501 Cheese = 381 Tofu = 302 Rice = 299

Raisins = 292 Oats = 290 Dates = 273 Plums = 261 Asparagus = 258 Soybeans = 257 Pasta = 222 Apricots = 154 Corn = 146 Avocados = 141

Peaches = 109 Lemons = 77 Oranges = 67 Grapefruit = 61 Sweet potatoes = 46 Eggplant = 43 Broccoli = 34 Potatoes = 34 Tomatoes = 26 Lettuce = 23 Photo by Christina Karst

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JACKSONVILLE, FL 32202 COWFORD CHOPHOUSE .COM

Just Add Water

There’s more of it in your cup of coffee than you think WORDS ZACK BURNETT PHOTOS STEFANIE KEELER AND ZACK BURNETT

Mist moves through the valleys and envelops the steep hills full of bushy, green coffee shrubs. Standing here, it feels as if the earth is breathing. Semi-distant thunder echoes off the mountainsides around us and the incessant call of tropical birds, reptiles and insects fills the silence between the rumbling. As we walk carefully down a steep path of mud, the humidity weighs heavy on us, accumulating as water droplets in our hair and on our skin. Suddenly, rain starts to pour and washes away any remaining dust of our travels.

EdibleNEFlorida.com

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M

More than anything else, great coffee depends on water. Most coffee drinkers know water makes up at least 98% of a cup of coffee but less known is the role water plays in the production of coffee on a farm.

Water is essential to the growth and processing of coffee and it serves a critical function in development of flavor in the coffee seed. To understand more about the importance of water before those beans get to your local coffee shop, it is necessary to travel outside our region, to the source of the beans.

In our quest to source the best beans for Northeast Florida coffee shops, we are on Finca La Merced, six hectares in the western range of the Ecuadorian Andes a couple hours northwest of Quito. It’s the rainy season, and we are here meeting with Fernando Alarcon to learn about his methods, see his soil and plants and discuss his plans for the future of his coffee and his farm.

The microclimate surrounding the farm is humid and misty with nearly 70 inches of rain annually, warm-ish days and cool nights. The dark green leaves on the bushy, head-high coffee shrubs are waxy and lush and the green but maturing coffee bean cherries are plump and evenly ripening in the wet environment.

Fernando’s trees are healthy because he maintains them well and they grow in a balanced ecosystem. Much of this balance is tied directly to water, mainly in the form of rain. Rain dictates the growth cycle of plants and crops in the tropics. The success of coffee growing is directly tied not only to the amount of rain the farms receive each season but also to the timing of the rain.

Irrigation is not something the vast majority of coffee farmers install, so most farmers are completely dependent on weather patterns and they have developed techniques to help their coffee stay healthy even during dry seasons or years. Terracing is a practice found on many coffee farms because shaping the land into terraces helps keep the water, soil nutrients and fertilizers at the root bed of the shrubs.

Also, most coffee farms are on steep mountainsides so shrubs grown on un-terraced land don’t get the chance to absorb nutrients during heavy rains. The soil simply washes away from the plant. Farmers have to be wise when terracing their land. Shaping a terrace incorrectly can allow too much water to pool at the plant, increasing the chances of disease, pests and root rot.

Around us, the first rain of the wet season beats down on the rich volcanic soils of the coffee lands, and the surrounding hills spring to life. Buds form on the coffee shrubs and soon bloom. The delicate white flowers appear almost as an explosion. The jasmine-like scent of coffee blossoms permeates the farms and moves with the wind into small towns that support these coffee regions. The coffee bloom is an important time of year for producers because the strength of the bloom will indicate the yield of the harvest. Every flower, if left undisturbed, should turn into a cherry.

As quickly as the flowers appear, they’re gone. The rain continues, the plants grow and the coffee cherries swell. During this time, the root systems of the plants are absorbing water from the soil and driving any nutrients, acids and enzymes through the plants and into the

fruit. As in wine, the unique soil composition on a farm is a determining factor in the flavor you taste in a cup of coffee. This is commonly referred to as terroir, the way in which a particular region’s climate, soil and terrain affect the flavor of an organic product. Since the seasonal rains in the tropics dictate climate and help shape terrain, and since water is responsible for moving components of the soil throughout the plant and into the fruit, water plays a huge role in defining terroir characteristics in coffee.

As the months pass, the rains finally cease and temperatures rise.

During this time, coffee shrubs drive much of their stored energy and nutrients to the cherries. Nine months after the bloom, coffee cherries are beautifully ripe, juicy and sweet, ready to be harvested. This whole cycle is dictated by the seasonal rains. Thanks to the role that water

More than anything else, great coffee depends on water. Most coffee drinkers know water makes up at least 98% of a cup of coffee but less known is the role water plays in the production of coffee on a farm.

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plays in transporting nutrients, acids and enzymes throughout the plants, we get a truly great cup of coffee. But it’s not just in the growing of coffee that water is important.

Water also plays a significant role in processing the sweet cherries into the seeds that we roast.

Proper processing of coffee has an enormous effect on the flavor of coffee in the cup. And this brings us next to Guatemala.

We are at the wet mill of one of our producer partners Alberto Reyes Aguliar (“Don Beto”) to see the day’s harvest. Finca San Patricio el Limón sits 5,000 feet above sea level just outside the tiny agricultural town of Palencia, Guatemala. It’s dark outside and the temperature is dropping. Slowly, well-worn pickup trucks, with bumping cumbia music on small speakers and hundred-pound repurposed corn and rice sacks full of sticky, shimmering, ripe coffee cherries, begin arriving one after another.

As the trucks pull up to the mill,

Zack Burnett prepares coffee for customers at Bold Bean.

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Don Beto’s water supply comes from a spring on the farm. He is passionate about the environment that surrounds his farm and understands that with the changes in climate the weather is becoming more unstable, making farming harder every year. the sacks are unloaded by hand, one by one, and weighed. The bags are untied and the red and yellow cherries are emptied into a tile-lined cement tank at the top of the mill.

Big as a small swimming pool, the tank is filled two-thirds of the way with coffee cherries before the water spout is opened. The sweet smell of coffee pulp fills the air. The engine for the depulper fires and the chatter of farmers, nighttime birds, reptiles and insects is replaced by the drone of combustion. The cherries begin to flow out of the tank and into the processing system.

From the loading tank, water directs the cherries into a floating tank where the ripe coffee will sink and go to the depulper. Under- or overripe coffee will float, to be separated and sold on the domestic market while the best is exported. The depulper delicately squeezes the coffee seed from the cherry. Water then directs these slimy, depulped seeds through gravity separators to sort defects and finally to the fermentation tanks. It takes a lot of water to process coffee and Don Beto has installed a water recycling system allowing him to use recycled water to move his coffee around. Once in the tanks this enzyme-rich water will jump-start the fermentation process that removes the sticky, sweet mucilage from the coffee seed. During this step, yeasts and bacteria eat all the sugar off the seeds, allowing the coffee, once washed, to dry on the patios without fruit and sugars rotting the seeds.

In this region, after an eight- to 12-hour fermentation, depending on weather, the old water is pumped to a water treatment plant on the farm and then to a settling lake, where fresh water is pumped into the fermentation tanks to wash the coffee. The coffee will be scrubbed and then directed to the patios with the washing water. The washing water will be saved to move the next batch through the channels and also used to ferment tomorrow’s coffee.

Don Beto’s water supply comes from a spring on the farm. He is

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passionate about the environment that surrounds his farm and understands that with the changes in climate the weather is becoming more unstable, making farming harder every year. To mitigate his risk he has taken extra measures with his water system by building treatment and recycling plants that allow him to keep his environment clean and cut his water usage at the mill by half. His approach helps ease the strain of farming on the environment. Don Beto has seen that the happier he keeps the environment around his coffee shrubs, the healthier the coffee and his production will be.

In the end it’s not just the water used to brew the cup of coffee that is responsible for the cup. Water plays a much larger role. It enables the coffee shrub to grow and produce cherries and it influences the terroir of every coffee bean. It enables us to wet-process coffee and finally allows us to brew a cup. Without sufficient water there is no coffee and without coffee life just wouldn’t be as sweet.

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FROM THE OVEN

Chickpea Socca with Easter Egg R adish Salad and Carrot Top Mint Pesto Also called farinata, torta di ceci or cecina, socca is a type of unleavened pancake or crêpe made from chickpea flour.

Serves 4 | Recipe by Katie Riehm INGREDIENTS Socca: 1½ cups chickpea flour 2 cups warm water 2 teaspoons sea salt 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided ¾ cup shredded carrots ¼ cup chopped parsley ¼ teaspoon black pepper Easter Egg Radish Salad: 6 radishes, thinly sliced 2 Belgian endive, leaves peeled and roughly chopped 1 shallot, finely diced ¼ cup olive oil 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon coconut nectar or maple syrup 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste Microgreens to garnish

Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for 28–30 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve with the radish salad and pesto.

To Prepare Pesto: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

To Prepare Salad: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, coconut nectar, salt and pepper until emulsified. Combine radishes, endive and shallot in a small bowl and toss with the dressing. Top with microgreens upon serving.

Carrot Top Mint Pesto: ½ cup pine nuts, toasted 2 cups carrot tops, roughly chopped ½ cup mint 2 cloves garlic ½ cup olive oil Juice of 3 lemons 1 teaspoon white miso ½ teaspoon sea salt To Prepare Socca: In a medium bowl, slowly whisk warm water into chickpea flour until smooth.

Cover bowl and allow to sit for 2 hours, skimming off any foam that may rise to the top. Whisk in salt, pepper, 4 tablespoons olive oil, carrots and parsley.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Place a 10-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat until smoking hot. Carefully pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the skillet.

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Photo by Amanda Lenhardt

FROM THE OVEN

Cornbread Pudding with Salted Bourbon Caramel Here’s a tasty dessert idea to use up any leftover cornbread.

Serves 4 | Recipe by Jasmin Wooden INGREDIENTS 4-5 cups cooked cornbread (leftovers are fine) ¼ cup butter 1 cup organic milk or half & half ¼ cup sugar ½ tablespoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon cinnamon Dash nutmeg 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large eggs PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 4 (8-ounce) ramekins. Cut cornbread into 2- to 3-inch pieces, and place in a large nonreactive bowl.

Heat butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat, and whisk in milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk together until sugar melts. Allow to cool slightly, then whisk in eggs. Spoon mixture into ramekins. Let stand 10–15 minutes while cornbread absorbs egg mixture.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes, or until light brown and set. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with Salted Bourbon Caramel.

Salted Bourbon Caramel INGREDIENTS 1 cup raw sugar ¼ cup water ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup butter, cubed ¼ cup bourbon ½ teaspoon kosher salt PREPARATION Stir together sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook over mediumhigh heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until sugar melts.

Let simmer without stirring for about 10 minutes, or until medium amber in color. Remove from heat and stir in cream, butter, bourbon and salt. Continue stirring for approximately 2 minutes until well incorporated and smooth. Let sit a few minutes before serving.

Photo by Amanda Lenhardt

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[

Alvaro Sarrias

]

{Finca El Higuron • Huila, Colombia}

THE FACES OF BOLD BEAN

At Bold Bean Coffee Roasters, there’s a story – and a face – behind every cup of our selectively sourced, farmer direct, specialty coffees. Faces such as that of fleet-footed Alvaro Sarrias, one of our growing community of Bold Bean producer partners.

At an average altitude of 5,575 feet, and on mountainsides with vertical grades as steep as 60 degrees, Alvaro leaves us breathless as he scampers up the slopes of his Finca El Higuron, eager to not only impress us with the quality of his highest-grown plantings, but to impart in us an even greater appreciation of what it takes to produce his family’s exceptional crop.

Truly, to us, a demonstration that great coffee doesn’t just happen.

Real Coffee Since 2007 Riverside • Jax Beach • Murray Hill

RETAIL • WHOLESALE • ONLINE www.boldbeancoffee.com 46

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Featuring CONGAREE AND PENN RISOTTO Ramp Butter, Charred Asparagus, Favas

HERBED RICOTTA

Grilled Bread, Georgia Olive Oil, Micro Radish

FRIED CHICKEN

Charred Spring Onions, Alabama BBQ Sauce

CHARRED CAULIFLOWER

Datil Pepper Curry, Georgia Peanuts, Basil Mint Chutney

POACHED CHICKEN

Spring Succotash, Morels, Ramp Pistou

WHOLE ROASTED MARKET FISH

Butter Braised Asparagus, Petite Radish, Pea Shoots

KITCHENONSANMARCO.COM P: 904.396.2344 1402 SAN MARCO BLVD • JACKSONVILLE

Kitchen on San Marco supports Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College.

CO N S E RV I N G WAT E R I N YO U R E D I B L E G A R D E N

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LAST BITE

Water is the driving force of all nature – Leonardo Da Vinci

Aside from our daily water usage, in Northeast Florida, we have constant visual reminders of the role this natural resource plays in our lives. Most of us cross at least one bridge over water during our daily travel, we enjoy recreational activities at the beach and catch views of local waterways from our windows. What we don’t always see, however, is how truly critical water is to the success and sustainability of our entire food system. Without it, we’d have no means of growing and harvesting the food we eat or producing the things we drink.

Next time you’re out and about enjoying something grown from fresh water or harvested from the sea, we’d love to hear about it. Tag us at #edibleneflorida and we’ll share our favorites.

Photo by Christina Karst

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