Guide - 542

The banh mi sandwich is the best kind of culinary mash-up, combining Vietnamese flavors with French finesse, incorporating savory spiciness, freshness, tartness and saltiness. There is, generally, meat – pâté, cold cuts, head cheese, Vietnamese meatballs or grilled meat. There could be tofu. You will find mayo; pickled vegetables, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeño, plus Maggi seasoning. This is a mélange of texture: the baguette, crusty on the outside but soft inside, creamy pâté and mayo; chewy bits of head cheese, crunchy shreds of carrot and daikon, soft cilantro leaves.

545 Degrees is located in a suburban Broward strip mall of Asian cafes, anchored by the always entertaining Food Town. Their bread, made fresh every day, uses rice flour in addition to wheat flour, a recipe the family-owned business came up with after visiting villages in Vietnam. They make their fillings in-house, too: head cheese, itself a textural coup, where pig parts (snout, jowls, head meat) simmer for a long time before being chilled in their broth. Silky pate is made with chicken livers. The quick-pickled veggies are crisp and colorful.

Let’s throw a local contender into the ring in the chicken sandwich “battle” between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A: the chicken sandwich at this tiny restaurant in a strip mall right off the Palmetto in Miami Gardens. Before the PR frenzy, Shuckin & Jivin’s menu did feature chicken – breast, thighs, wings, bites and a po’boy – but not a sandwich like the chains offered. So founder Ernisha Randolph decided to create one.

Randolph believes most restaurants confuse flavor for salt, so she went for flavor into her version. The result is a perfectly juicy (and not salty) chicken breast with a thin, crunchy coat of breading that is light and nongreasy. There’s a dollop of smoky sauce and a crispy lettuce blend, all on a soft bun, with a couple of sweet pickles and a hint of peppery heat for balance. Their chicken sandwich makes it well worth a visit, to say nothing of desserts like peach cobbler and banana pudding, truly wonderful wall decor of old album covers (Rebbie Jackson! Nina Simone!) and eclectic memorabilia, and a soundtrack that makes you smile.  

The food: Usagi authentic Japanese ramen; Gold Marquess Chinese cuisine; Jeepney Filipino dishes; Sili Southeast Asian creations; B-Side Japanese and Peruvian flavors; and Yip dum sum.

The scene: Indoors and outdoors, it's an Asian marketplace: loud and steamy in the summer, with live music, DJs and karaoke late into the night. There's a fun little market selling vinyl and other bodega-y items.

What else? Pet-friendly. Park on the street using pay-by-phone. No reservations needed for dining. Open daily til 2am, til 3am on weekends.

The food: Dumpling King, Jugo Boss, Stoned Soup, Moonbowls, Poke House, Nude Pita, Sashiro, Shimuja, Don Pan, Pollo Campero, Los Quesudos, Tacos & Tattoos, Golden Burgers, Miami’s Very Own, Fatto Bene as well as national champions including Wingstop.

The scene: Modern, minimalist decor and their focal bar, Airmail, inspired by the historic rum-based cocktail and Cuba’s first international flight-based postal service. ems.

What else? Open for delivery, takeout and dine-in with inside and outside terrace seating.

Melanie and Jason Schoendorfer make plenty of great sandwiches – a bacon banh mi, an Italian roast pork, a BLT with their own bacon – but it’s their house-cured Canadian-style Wagyu beef pastrami that draws upon Mel’s Canadian background. A variation of Eastern European pastrami, Montreal smoked meat starts with brisket that’s dry-cured rather than brined, then rubbed with 12 herbs and spices before smoking. Their rub is French Canadian with a South Florida vibe, explains Jason. In addition to typical pepper, they add clove, allspice and curry leaf – “more interesting than bay leaf” – and other spices to make a flavorful, complex blend. The sliced smoked meat is heaped on rye bread lathered in hot yellow mustard, also made in-house, that cuts through the fatty meat.    

You can Reubenize your smoked meat sandwich, with local sauerkraut made with farmer Margie’s cabbage, Swiss cheese and a house Thousand Island dressing. Accompany it with a deli soda or, in true South-Florida-vibe fashion, a Jupiña.

There’s more than one way to make an egg sandwich. For their version, Antonio Bachour and the team spent two weeks figuring it out. “Should the egg be scrambled? Fried? What about cheese: cheddar? Goat?” says co-owner Javier Ramirez. It’s not surprising that this restaurant, known for their Instagram-perfect mirror-glazed pastries and viennoiseries, would go through multiple iterations before settling on their vision of perfection.  

Bachour’s egg sandwich starts with a buttery toast brioche roll spread thinly with tart shallot marmalade. Fat strips of crispy pork belly come next, followed by layers of thin omelet, piled up high. Then comes aged cheddar, a bit of watercress for a gentle peppery bite and its fluffy brioche top. This substantial sandwich combines all the best elements of a good breakfast in a pretty, puffy package.

Oceanfront, Seafood, Cuban • $$ • 305.361.0080

Peruvian, Rotisserie • $$ • 786.615.2399

Born in Milan and raised in the Marche region of Italy, Stefano Versace was hungry for a good pizza in Fort Lauderdale: “I love pizza!” So he started his own pizzeria. Versace, founder of a chain of gelaterias in malls, including Miami International and the Galleria, brought in Italian pizzaioli and staff to make Neapolitan pizzas with housemade buffalo mozzarella, pasta and salads.

Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly • $$$ • 305.365.4500

From the longtime Miami seafood family who brings you fresh-caught fish at Garcia’s Seafood Grille & Fish Market on the Miami River and succulent fried shrimp on a bun at La Camaronera comes the resurrected Captain Jim’s Seafood Market and Restaurant. The North Miami restaurant, opened in 1996, was respected for its fresh seafood. After changes over the years, it was bought by David Garcia, who kept the same name but turned the space into a spotless market and restaurant with a tidy blue-and-white nautical motif and freshly caught seafood on the menu.

Among the specials is Captain’s Tail sandwich, a gussied-up version of their popular Pan con Minuta at La Camaronera, made with tail-on fried snapper topped with ketchup and raw onions on a puffy Cuban roll. Perfectly fried yellowtail snapper filet sits on a buttery brioche bun filled with a remoulade-style sauce and crunchy house-made coleslaw. Like the version at their Flagler Street counterpart, the tail pokes out gracefully, reminding you it was swimming in the sea not long ago.

One of those farmers is Southern Cross Sea Farms. They spawn clams in their hatchery, send them to the nursery and finally to their submerged leases. Finally, clams are harvested, processed and shipped, a process that takes about two years from seed to plate. Like oysters, clams are filter feeders that improve the water where they’re growing. They also grow oysters.

The farmers – Marilyn Evans, 80; daughter Jane Evans Davis, 61; and granddaughter Lauren Davis, 33 – raise some cattle, but it’s their fish farm that gets most of their attention. “There’s a healthy market for our live tilapia and hybrid striped bass,” says Jane. “But two-thirds of our operation is sturgeon,” and their caviar business, Anastasia Gold Caviar.   

When her parents originally started the farm in the late 70s, they made sure aquaculture was part of their plans. Jane got her degree in aquaculture and landed a job at Epcot Center, eventually landing at the Living Seas, a 5.7-million gallon seawater tank, now called The Seas with Nemo & Friends. “It was a dream job,” she says. “We built good programs, like one for manatee rehabilitation.” After 37 years working at Walt Disney World, Jane says it was time to come back to the farm.

In fish farming, the time from egg to harvest varies depending on the species. Tilapia take 6-8 months to get to market size. Hybrid striped bass take 18 months. Sturgeon become mature in 8 to 10 years. Their farm has three species, Ossetra, Siberian and Sevruga, all originating from other farms in Europe.

Getting eggs for caviar is very labor intensive, she says. They spawn their fish themselves, called assisted spawning, raise them for six years. She uses an ultrasound to check the size of the eggs and determine whether the fish is a caviar fish to be harvested for eggs, or a spawner that will be used to repopulate their tanks. “Once they have eggs, they go inside the cold tank for three months,” says Jane. Eggs are removed in a biopsy to determine whether they’re firm and “pop.” The fish is cut open and cleaned in a processing room, where the eggs are removed, strained to remove any membrane, lightly salted, packed in polyethylene so it doesn’t pick up a tinny flavor, sealed and kept at 30 degrees for up to two years.

Some caviar producers pasteurize their product, but at Anastasia Gold Caviar, they prefer the Old World technique of keeping it fresh. “It’s like butter. I press the eggs on the roof of my mouth. I get a little salt,” she says. They are working with researchers to see how sturgeon diet influences the flavor in an effort to find a feed that’s more sustainable. Most of their caviar is sold directly to customers, chefs and restaurants. They sell sturgeon meat, too, a particular favorite with Ukrainian customers. “They eat every part of the first, and bake it for special occasions,” Jane says. Whatever they don’t sell, they use to make smoked fish dip.  

Caviar is a luxury product – 30 grams of their Imperial Siberian caviar goes for $75, Ossetra is $90 and Sevruga is $135 – but you won’t find such freshness elsewhere, she says. “Fresh is better! Seek out local farms. We believe everyone should know where their food comes from.”

Atlantic Sapphire opened their facility to bring this popular fish closer to the U.S. market, where 90 percent of the salmon is imported. Their salmon grow from egg to full-grown in tanks, are harvested and processed onsite and are shipped to U.S. customers, arriving more quickly than salmon raised or caught in Chile, Norway or the North Atlantic. Bluehouse Salmon is available at Publix.

Harvested on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, these dark green crabs are harvested when their skeletons are hard – where they are eaten steamed – and soft-shell, which can be eaten shell and all. Their sweet, creamy meat is high in protein and low in fat.

While chef Ken Sejour’s Haitian food includes staples like oxtail and griot, it’s the seafood that hits home, especially eaten under the chickee with a cold beer. Fish and sauce is whole fish served with a Creole tomato-based sauce; whole fish is served fried with rice and plantains; and conch can be ordered fried, grilled or stewed. In season, Crab Creole and crab buckets are on the menu. There’s also a drive-through. In addition to their Little Haiti locations, Chef Creole is also at 13105 W. Dixie Highway, 20356 NW 2 Ave., 1392 NW 119 St., Miami International Airport and 7624 NE 2 Ave.

The offerings: Spice blends Bumbu Kuning, Merah, Putih and Samawa ($13 except for Merah, which is $15)
The story: “Most of my seasonings are the story of my life and all the tastes are memories of when I was a kid,” says Abe Moiz, co-founder of 17000 Flavors of Indonesia, a name inspired by the number of islands in Indonesia. “When I was a child in Indonesia, I sold yellow rice that included the Bumbu Kuning seasonings.” These include citrusy kaffir lime, nutty candlenut, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass and turmeric. Abe and co-founder John Anthony also own Krakatoa Indonesian Restaurant in Hollywood.
How to use: Bumbu Kuning is good with chicken, fish, rice with coconut milk, and vegetables like eggplant and zucchini while Bumbu Merah is ideal for red meats, lamb or grilled seafood with tofu and tempeh.
Where to buy: At Krakatoa Indonesian Restaurant in Hollywood and Mima Market in Miami Shores, on Etsy and Amazon.

Day and time: Saturdays noon-3pm

Hours and season: Saturdays and Sundays during mall hours, year-round. For hours of operation, please visit aventuramall.com or call 305-935-1110.

Days and hours: Saturdays and Sundays 10am-6pm

Hours and season:
9am-2pm

2024/25 Schedule

Sat., Nov. 2
Sat., Dec. 7
Sat., Dec. 21
Sat., Jan. 4
Sat., Jan. 18
Sat., Feb. 1
Sat., Feb. 15
Sat., March 1
Sat., Mar. 15

Date and time: Sundays 1pm-6pm

Hours and season: Saturdays 10am-7pm, year-round

Andre's Gourmet Hot Sauce

Florida’s only certified organic sauce company, Andre Lewis uses local peppers from Delray Beach when he can for his sauces, which range in heat from his mild Equalizer Maple BBQ Sauce to his fiery Code Red. The family-owned business was “founded on raising the status quo,” says Andre Lewis, who says their next step is getting non-GMO verified. They’ve grown from selling at farmers markets to big retailers like Whole Foods Markets starting in May, Lucky’s and by request at the Firehouse Subs sauce bar.

Terrific kombucha and ferments – kraut, pikliz, kimchi, sriracha, curtido, fermented mango chutney – made from local produce are available by preorder in her Palmetto Bay shop and at the drive-through farmers market. When COVID-19 restrictions ease up, you'll find Cristina at other markets in South Florida.

Blackie's Best Hot Sauce

In the 1990s, Ron “Blackie” Blackburn wondered why hot sauces didn’t taste like the chile peppers he was growing in his garden, so he developed his own recipe. Today, nearly all of the peppers used in his sauces come from South Florida farms, including V&B and Pine Island Tomato Farms. “There are more chile peppers in each bottle of Blackie’s than in any other sauce on the market,” Blackburn says, including the Long Hot cayenne chiles he uses in the red ripe form. Find them at Robert Is Here, Norman Brothers Produce, Golden Rule, Delaware Chicken Farm and Seafood Market and Captain’s Tavern and other businesses, or buy online.

Bone Lee's Hot Sauce

Ten years ago, Bone Lee started experimenting with making hot sauce with peppers he grew. Over the years, he perfected his cayenne-based recipe, found a facility to make it commercially and a distributor, and today, his hot sauce is found all over the world – as well as at farmers markets in Islamorada, Tavernier and Key West, and various festivals in the Keys. His sauce also adds heat to Uncle Russ’ Gourmet Bloody Mary Mix, and finds its way into key lime pies he sells at markets. “It’s a traditional key lime pie recipe, and we infuse the hot sauce in the sweetened condensed milk,” he says. “It catches people off guard!” His hot sauce has fans near and far – J. Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats listed it as a pantry staple for vegans, and you can watch its review by members of the Clifton Chilli Club in UK on YouTube. 

A simple desire for traditional Italian cookies made by Mulino Bianco inspired Franco Di Blasi and Joan Bovaresco to open their market in a little strip center on LeJeune Road in 2011.

Today, Bottega La Dolce Vita is the go-to for everything from classics like prosciutto, olive oils, double-zero flour, anchovies and mozzarella di bufala, to nostalgic favorites like Nutella from Italy (glass jar, more hazelnutty, fans claim) and Rossana hard candies – “the kind my grandpa used to have in his pocket,” says Di Blasi, who is from Sicily. For holidays, the little shop does a brisk business in traditional cakes like La Colomba di Pasqua for Easter, panettone and panforte for Christmas.  

At BrucesGhostPepperZ.com, lovers of all things hot and spicy can find hot sauces, spiced jellies, spicy rubs and mixes and other hot chili pepper condiments. The Palm Beach growers also sell chili pepper plants and seeds, including ghost peppers, Trinidad Scorpion and Carolina Reaper. Their two most popular products, Bruce's Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce and Bruce's Key Lime Ghost-Habanero Hot Sauce, are locally made with Fresh from Florida peppers, and are available at a number of South Florida locations, including the Southermost Gift Shop, Blue Macaw Island Eats & Bar and BO's Fishwagon in Key West, and at summer events in the Keys:

• Key West Caribbean Street Fair, during Hemingway Days, on Duval Street, Key West (Sat. July 22, 10a-10p)
• Key West Lobsterfest Street Fair, on Duval Street, Key West (Sat. August 12, noon-11p)

The offerings: Guava Sriracha Ketchup and Honey Mustard Curry ($8 each)
The story: Comfort food connoisseur Sef Gonzalez first created Guava Sriracha Ketchup as a topping for his Burger Beast burger at Cuban Guys restaurants, then started bottling it to sell. It’s sweet, aromatic, and not too spicy. “For those of you who are afraid of a little heat in their sauces, I got you,” says Gonzalez.
How to use: On burgers, as a dipping sauce, on grilled ribs and wings, in meatloaf or as a glaze. Marinate peeled shrimp in it, then roll in panko and fry. Martin’s Potato Rolls likes it so much it’s part of their Ultimate BBQ Brisket Sandwich recipe.
Where to buy: South Florida retailers: Graziano’s Market, Downstairs Market, Mendez Fuel, CAO Bakery, Henry’s Sandwich Station, BreadMan Bakery, Cuban Guys, Chefs on the Run, Latin House, Norman Brothers, Frita’s Cuban Burger Cafe, Babe’s Meat and Counter, El Rey de Las Fritas, Happy Wine, Arbetter Hot Dogs, Magic City Pizza, Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill, Los Bobos, Killer Melts

The food: Twelve different stations make up this compact space, including pasta, salads, baked goods, pastries and charcuterie, plus a full bar that offers 48 wines by the glass.
The scene: Always busy, with shoppers and Brickell office workers at the communal tables, especially during the lunch hour. 
What else? Open daily 9am-11pm. Parking is easy in the Brickell City Centre Garage, or take the free Metromover stop. 

One of two Italian marketplaces at the sprawling new Brickell City Centre, Casa Tua Cucina is a bustling market and communal dining space with 10 dining stations. The concept is an offspring of Casa Tua, a longtime Italian restaurant and boutique hotel inside of a Mediterranean villa in Miami Beach known for its authentic Italian food and warm hospitality. It was launched in 2001 by Miky Grendene, an Italian from Padova, who teamed up with Saks Fifth Avenue last year to open Casa Tua Cucina.

“We’ve been able to keep the same standard of quality and translate it to a larger audience,” he says. The different stations – for pasta, charcuterie, desserts and so on, help people feel like they are in their own kitchen. “Guests can watch while our chefs prepare their pasta from scratch, how we season their steak and bake their pizza.” They can come in, buy handmade pasta and all of the ingredients used to make the sauce, then take it home to cook for their family.

“Italian homes are known for great food and warm welcomes,” he adds. “Casa Tua creates that same unique experience.”

This food hall debuts with a happy hour and live DJs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with karaoke- and ladies-themed nights to follow. Open 11:30am–midnight every day. Fri. + Sat .Bar open til 2am.

This family business operates as a food truck selling island specialties like griot/fried pork, curry chicken, shrim,. jerk chicken, fried fish and plantains, at locations in North Dade and Broward.

FRUIT TREES
Family business selling tropical fruit trees on their five-acre avocado grove.
WHAT THEY CARRY:  Complete line of tropical fruit trees in pot sizes ranging from 7-gallon to very large and heavy 45-gallon pots.
WHERE TO BUY: At their West Kendall nursery
SHIPPING/DELIVERY: No
MORE INFO: Mon.-Fri., 8am–4:30pm. 786-351-1521

Aloha Redland at a Glance

Farmers: Martina Gonzalez and Alicia del Aguila
Where they’re located: Homestead
Website: aloharedland.com Instagram: @aloharedland
What they grow: Salad greens, lettuce heads, turmeric, squash, tomatoes, kale, collards, broccoli, Asian cabbages, beets, radishes, turnips, eggplants, peppers, edible flowers, herbs, and ashwagandha root.
Where they sell: Palmetto Bay Farmers Market, wholesale via The Garden Network
CSA: Yes

Relative newcomers to the South Florida farming scene, Martina Gonzalez and Alicia del Aguila are part of Aloha Redland, a “woman-led healing farm project focused on providing a safe space for people to tune into themselves and the natural world through holistic and sustainable lifestyle practices.” Now in their second year, they sell their produce at the Palmetto Bay Farmers Market and via CSA, with drop-off points in South Beach, Palmetto Bay and at their farm. They’ve also organized events, including a farm-to-table dinner, a concert, volunteer days, a school field trip and a theatrical performance. During the growing season they grow kale, collards, Asian and other greens; tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, onions, turnips, beets, radishes, fennel, bush beans, edible flowers, celery, turmeric and herbs. Their growing season is over, but they plan to return to the Palmetto Bay Farmers Market once a month during the summer to sell fruits from the farm, perennial plants and other items. They’re planning to open up CSA registration in June for the 2019-2020 season.

Their philosophy: We believe that the current paradigm of society exhausts people from experiencing life in a simple, yet more profound way. And now with Aloha Shakti Redland LLC., we cater to events that gather the community and provide experiences for people to disconnect from their normal patterns and tune into themselves in a creative way; expressed with nature, or a fun interactive workshop. In our hopes that the experiences felt at the farm will stay with people for a long time, we aim to host wholesome gatherings that harvest a “Mother Energy.”

The five acres of farm space is becoming more biodiverse. The fruit grove has established and mature avocado trees, lychee, mamey, coconut palms, starfruit and bananas. We have added new trees like neem, moringa, custard apple, loquat, kumquat, kaffir lime, barbados cherry, elderberry and papayas. We have also added more bananas, yuca, sugarcane, pigeon peas, and geared our landscape towards a permaculture-inspired design, and of course an edible landscape mixed with natives and beneficial plants that bring pollinators to the garden. Next year we plan to double our size in order to provide more variety and increase our CSA members. We will plant several varieties of squashes, potatoes, yuca, and enough cucumbers for everyone.

What their experience has taught them: Martina – One is that farming is a service that I am very much honored to be a part of. Serving people nutritious and consciously farmed vegetables and fruits, being a part of that foundational level of health in people’s lives, is really an honor for me, and we do it with a lot of love! Two is soil health. If your soil is not healthy, your plants are not healthy, which means that the total nutritional potential is missing from what we eat. We are committed to growing food in healthy soil, which for me is yet another honor! I love the way we farm!
Alicia – Every place is different, and at Aloha Redland our events planning and organizing is the most engaging for me. I also found that I feel a connection to teaching. It makes me feel great to be able to teach others about plants. When South Miami K-8 came to the farm for their field trip, what a joyous occasion! Shout out to the students eager to get their hands dirty, too. 

Bee Heaven Farm at a Glance

Farmers: Margie and Nick Pikarsky
Where they’re located: Redland
Website:  Bee Heaven Farm; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: BeeHeavenFarm
What they grow: Certified organic heirloom vegetables, herbs and spices, edible flowers, tropical fruit, eggs, honey (not certified organic)
Where they sell: Wholesale–local restaurants, selected resellers and market vendors; Retail–Online webstore
CSA: They run a multi-farm CSA

Margie Pikarsky, who runs the five-acre organic Bee Heaven Farm with husband Nick, daughter Rachel and permanent and seasonal employees, was recently honored by state, county and local leaders at the Dade Farm Bureau’s annual Women in Agriculture luncheon. In 2002, Pikarsky formed a coalition of local farmers and launched a CSA program when no one in South Florida even heard of community-supported agriculture. She was named Florida Innovative Farmer at the 2013 Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference; honored by Slow Food Miami in 2015 as a local food pioneer of the farm-to-table movement; and was recognized at Vizcaya’s and edible South Florida’s Dinner for Farmers in 2016 and 2017 for innovative and sustainable farming practices.

What she believes: My philosophy towards farming in South Florida (and really, anywhere): Work WITH your environment and climate – choose to grow things you don’t have to coddle because of incompatibilities with climate, soil pH, diseases and pests.
About her farm: We are USDA-certified organic, and farm according to the USDA organic standard requirements. This means we treat the entire farm as a single system, a living organism to be nurtured as a whole. We grow a lot of greens – salad mixes, arugula, herbs, heirloom kales, chard, beans, tomatoes and lesser-known tropical veggies. I like to search out forgotten heirloom and unusual herbs, vegetables, fruits and spices, to grow out and evaluate for our area.
Outlook on farming: “Traditional” farming in South Florida is dying out. Large farms dedicated to one or a few crops have declined to just a handful. In its place there is a movement towards more diversity, with many smaller landholdings, more nurseries and some urban farming ventures. In the face of ever-increasing land values and development pressure, and unbridled foreign competition, high-value and high-density cropping systems and value-added operations will allow growers to survive and thrive here.
Where to find her: At Sam Accursio's farmstand on Saturdays during growing season. In October, find them at the annual Redland GrowFest! celebration of all local things edible, green and growing.

Although they are sensitive to the cold, cacao trees are being successfully cultivated by some growers in South Florida. One chocolate maker has even started making tree-to-bar chocolate bars with Florida-grown cacao. At the USDA’s Subtropical Horticulture Research Station off Old Cutler Road near Palmetto Bay, researchers grow and study cacao plants year-round.

In the Redland, the Patch of Heaven Sanctuary – 20 lush acres of exotic gardens, a tropical hammock forest and pine rockland – is growing cacao. Their horticulturists have successfully grown the trees. They have harvested the pods, fermented the beans and dried them, the first step toward making chocolate. Miami chocolatier Ricardo “Cao” Trillos of Cao Chocolates has made chocolates from the cacao, roasting the fermented beans, cracking them and removing the husks, leaving bits called nibs. They are ground to form a chunky cacao paste that is melted and mixed with sugar, heated and placed in a motorized melanger, where the paste is ground for hours between granite slabs and rollers until it becomes shiny and smooth. This chocolate is the base for bars, bonbons and other chocolate treats sold in his shop.

Find cacao: You may spot colorful cacao pods at fruit vendors at farmers markets, including Southwest Community Farmers Market. The juicy flesh surrounding the beans is sweet and tasty, but don’t expect a chocolatey flavor.

Find canistel: The season runs from November through March. Somewhat uncommon, canistel turns up in hyperlocal farmers markets from Bee Heaven Farm, Robert Is Here and LNB Groves.

FRUITS
Established in 1996, this family grove sells mangos by the basket.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Mangos and products like jam and
WHERE TO BUY: At their grove in SouthWest Ranches
SHIPPING/DELIVERY: No
MORE INFO: Follow on Instagram

OPEN: Seasonally
U-PICK: Tomatoes, strawberries, sunflowers, bell peppers, snapdragons, herbs, lettuce
THE STORY: For more than 60 years, this farm has been the friendly face of all things strawberry. Charles Raymond Burr, part of the pioneer Burr family, planted his first crop of strawberries in 1960. Visitors flocked to his berry stand, where he also sold strawberry ice cream and milkshakes. Burr died in 2001, but his stand – selling berries, local produce, homemade jellies and jams – continues to draw visitors during the winter growing season. Recent innovations include festivals – a Strawberry Festival, a Harvest Festival in the fall, a Christmas festival over the holidays, all combining agricultural family activities with Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, especially in the sunflower fields. The stand also sells milkshakes, hot dogs, juices, baked goods and fresh produce.

Changes are in the works for the fall 2020 harvest season. Karl Wiegandt, who has operated Burr's for the past seven years, is moving to a 30-acre site just southwest of the present farm, at SW 218 St. and 137 Ave. “Same operators, but more things to do, a new facility, more parking,” says Wiegandt, who also operates Strawberry Friends of Kendall. They’ll offer field trips, seasonal hay and corn mazes and pumpkin patches, and lots and lots of sunflowers.  

CSA Info

Farm location: Redland
Dropoff points: Homestead, Cutler Bay, Olympia Heights, Coral Gables. Looking for pickup location in Miami Beach and Upper East Side.
Delivery: Yes, search online for your ZIP code.
SNAP/EBT: Yes, email for instructions
CSA season: Starts Dec. 3 through May, about 22 weeks. 10% discount for early sign-up.
When to sign up: Now
Sign up here: Aloha Redland
Contact information: aloharedland@gmail.com

CSA Info

Neighborhood/County/City: Broward
Region for CSA dropoff/pickup: Pompano Beach
Location of farms: Redland, Broward
CSA Open Season/months: Oct. through May
Open hours: Various
Contact information: Bean's Fresh Greens

CSA Info

Farm location: Liberty City, 1613-1625 NW 54th St.
Dropoff points: At their farm and through delivery ($10) Offerings: Their locally grown produce is packed up in three sizes – small ($23 box), regular ($32) and large ($45), available weekly or every two weeks.  There are add-ons like local honey and eggs.
CSA season: Year-round
When to sign up: Any time
Sign up here: Cerasee Farm
Contact information: Email libertyroots305@urbangreenworks.org

Ordering Info

Check here for updates to see if Bee Heaven will offer a CSA for the 2024-25 season.
Farm location: Redland
Delivery: No
Online ordering: Bee Heaven Farm through October and for Thanksgiving week pre-orders.
SNAP/EBT: Yes, with Fresh Access Bucks match
CSA season: December through April
Contact information: office@beeheavenfarm.com

For the past three growing seasons, Laura and Brendan Sutton were growing produce exclusively for chef Nivel Patel’s Ghee Indian Kitchen. Then came the pandemic.

Before they met, Laura and Brendan were already deeply engaged in organic farming. Laura was canvassing for Greenpeace, where she learned about the detrimental effect of industrial agriculture and decided to become an organic farmer. She moved to an organic farming community on Kauai in Hawaii. She learned to grow vegetables biointensively, using a sustainable system that focuses on getting maximum yields in minimum space, and sell produce directly to consumers at the farmers markets. There, she met her now-husband, Brendan, who had apprenticed on a 10-acre organic vegetable farm in Oregon. They moved to various states in the U.S., Costa Rica and India, always dreaming of becoming farmers and living sustainably, and ended up in the Redland in 2011. Laura is a fermented foods and beverages artisan who makes sauerkraut as her German grandfather did, pounding cabbage and spices in a ceramic crock. She also homebrews other fermented foods and is a team member of Counter Culture Kombucha, the longest running kombucha company in South Florida. Other items she sells to consumers are value-added farm products, such as dried fruit, dried butterfly pea flowers and homemade comfrey salve.

Their philosophy: Brendan –  I approach farming as a quest for sustainability. I’m working to create a model that is not reliant on fossil-fuel inputs and ultimately bringing off farm inputs as close to zero as possible. I’m influenced by the bio-intensive method as espoused by John Jeavons.

What they’re growing: Brendan –This year we are planting a variety of vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers along with the tropical fruit orchard we’re establishing.  

On the state of farming here: Laura – I worked for a few different farmers market vendors. I noticed that at the south Florida markets, it seemed like most of the produce vendors were primarily produce distributors, not the actual farmers.  If more people seek out locally grown produce, there would be so many great benefits: higher nutrient content, eating seasonally, better flavor, improved food safety (not so many possibly contaminated hands touching your produce), preservation of small farmland (small organic farmland provides animals, insects and birds a place to live), decrease in carbon emissions, decreased dependence on fossil fuels, reduced air pollution, increased demand for more diverse varieties of produce. Buying produce directly from your local farmer provides a sense of belonging and builds relationships, and knowing that you’re contributing to your local economy leads to an improved sense of wellbeing.

Where you can find them: To buy directly from the farm, email babahini@yahoo.com to get on the mailing list. Find them at the Palmetto Bay Farmers Market on Saturdays. Follow @earthlingfarmer11 on Instagram for updates.

Brewing Life, a local kombucha maker, adds 20mg of full-spectrum CBD to its popular Goji-n-Berries flavor to enhance anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They’re at the farmers markets in Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne (Saturdays); Palmetto Bay and Miami Shores (Sundays).

Among Farmers Market Honey's wide variety of local honey products is CBD-infused honey to help alleviate anxiety, stress, trouble sleeping and other health issues. In addition to honey sticks infused with 10mg of CBD oil ($15/package and up), you can find drops, gel capsules and other CBD products. Find at the farmers markets in Plantation (Saturdays), Tamarac (Sundays), Broward Health Imperial Point (Thursdays) and Lauderdale by-the-Sea (Sundays, seasonal).

Homemade glass candy, once a popular sweet sold in the Bahama Village community after church on Sundays, was a tradition in danger of disappearing. Adriene Leggett Casamayor, youth director of Trinity Wesleyan Methodist Church, decided to bring it back with the help of some of the church youth. Casamayor, whose great-great grandmother came from the Bahamas to settle in the Keys, came up with recipes for glass candy (similar to a Jolly Rancher), pulled peppermint and old-fashioned fudge, with guidance from cousin Pat, 94. “Back in the day it was common for homes in Bahama Village to have a stainless steel hooks on their kitchen walls for candy pulling. I was not putting any hooks in my walls!” she says. Her husband made a device to help the girls pull the hot candy. “We’re extremely proud that we’ve brought back a tradition that was once lost,” she says. Their candy is sold online, and a portion of all sales go toward scholarships. The Candy Girls are Valerie Thene, Rosa Nafrere, Yahaira Williams, Dazmine Jenkins, Madona Pierre, Emily Tran and DeShawn Fisher.

To register for tastings, sign up online or call

Find Cao Chocolates at these markets:
• Bagel Express, Aventura
• SaladOz, downtown Miami
• The Village Stand, Miami Shores
• Thousand Pound Egg, Fort Lauderdale
• Pinecrest and Coral Gables farmers markets

Michelle Collins created these all-vegan, Japanese sweet potato pies by accident. When she was making a sweet potato casserole, she realized she had bought a white sweet potato instead of the traditional orange variety. The result was so good, it inspired her to come up with an assortment of plant-based pies that are also gluten-free. She sells her Cutie Pies at the Coconut Grove organic farmers market and the seasonal Coral Gables farmers market.

Bakery, Bistro + Catering • $$ • 786.803.8536

University of Miami CommUnity Garden

Miamicommunitygarden@gmail.com

Rotary Community Garden and Food Forest of Coral Springs

See also their Facebook group page.

754-200-1788

The PATCH Community Garden provides plots for lease within a fully fenced and secured area which includes irrigation, free workshops and plenty of neighborly interactions both within the Garden and as part of special events in conjunction with the Market. The PATCH Community Garden plots shall be “organically” grown in accordance with PATCH policies. Training will be provided at the beginning of each growing season. The PATCH Community Garden uses Jackpot Grow Bags; each garden plot contains twelve (12) - 15 gallons grow bags. All plots with grow bags on platforms and ADA accessible.
Garden Permits
There are three grow waves or “seasons” within the year. Garden permits may be purchased either seasonally or annually based on the below grow season schedule:
Fall/Spring: September – April
Summer: May-August
Large Plot Permit (12 bags): $30.00
Refundable Deposit
$25.00

PATCH Community Garden

Marando Farms

954-945-5744

Town of Davie Community Garden

954-797-1153

HIghland Gardens Community Garden
954-624-2121

Glee Key West Community Garden

Community Garden Club of Lauderdale Lakes

954-850-8242

Pine Tree Park Community Garden

305-673-7000, ext. 6311 

Miramar Community Garden

954-602-3268

North Beach Community Garden

North Beach Community Garden was created in Fall 2007 by the City of Miami Beach as the 2nd community garden. It is all organic and run by the gardeners.

nobegarden@gmail.com

North Lauderdale Community Garden

954-722-0900

$20-30/yr