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Derek's was just one stop for Mathews that day. He had a truck full of local produce, including pork, from area farmers on its way to area chefs. And on the surface, that is the concept of the Suncoast Food Alliance: farmer to chef to table with the help of a facilitator. "Farm to fork," according to the Web site. Simple enough.
But it is at least as much about people: Farmers, good at what they do and proud of it, but not easily able to get to a venue to market their products, and chefs hungry for new and different products to spark their already creative minds, but not able to shop the fields and farms and be in the kitchen, too.
Mathews' enthusiasm could hardly be contained as he talked about Susannah Keyser, who was growing microgreens in her home to sell at the Farmers Market, and barely making ends meet. She now sells to several chefs, who buy purple basil, radish shoots and other microgreens still growing in flats, uncut until minutes before they are served.
And then there was the chef who spent time in the fields to win the respect of the farmer whose produce he wanted to buy.
Besides providing the way for farmers and chefs to communicate, Mathews goes the extra distance. When a grower offered him a crop of canistels, also known as egg fruit or yellow sapote, he found that chefs were not familiar with it. So he headed for the kitchen to see how it might be used and came up with a pie recipe.
But it is at least as much about people: Farmers, good at what they do and proud of it, but not easily able to get to a venue to market their products, and chefs hungry for new and different products to spark their already creative minds, but not able to shop the fields and farms and be in the kitchen, too.
Mathews' enthusiasm could hardly be contained as he talked about Susannah Keyser, who was growing microgreens in her home to sell at the Farmers Market, and barely making ends meet. She now sells to several chefs, who buy purple basil, radish shoots and other microgreens still growing in flats, uncut until minutes before they are served.
And then there was the chef who spent time in the fields to win the respect of the farmer whose produce he wanted to buy.
Besides providing the way for farmers and chefs to communicate, Mathews goes the extra distance. When a grower offered him a crop of canistels, also known as egg fruit or yellow sapote, he found that chefs were not familiar with it. So he headed for the kitchen to see how it might be used and came up with a pie recipe.
Local food for local markets
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Among the farms and products you can expect to find on area menus: King Farm (blueberries, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, cantaloupe, rainbow carrots, hearts of palm, broccoli and cauliflower). Hi-Hat Ranch (tangerines and grapefruit). Flatford Swamp Farms (heirloom radishes, Swiss chard, Florida sweet onions). Hunsader Farms (corn, tomatoes, green beans, squash). Jones Potato Farm (potatoes and green beans).
I can hardly wait to see black and yellow carrots, beets the color of candy canes, tomatoes of purple, red, green, yellow and orange and Russian fingerling potatoes on local menus. The number of chefs and restaurants who are interested in participating is increasing almost daily, according to Mathews, so keep checking menus. So far, these restaurants are regular customers of the alliance: Canvas Cafe, Michael's on East, Big Sugar, Lan's, Polo Grill and Bar, Pattigeorge's, Mattison's (all locations), Linger Lodge, Pink Elephant (Boca Grande), 5One6 Burns, Morton's Gourmet Market and Derek's.
I can hardly wait to see black and yellow carrots, beets the color of candy canes, tomatoes of purple, red, green, yellow and orange and Russian fingerling potatoes on local menus. The number of chefs and restaurants who are interested in participating is increasing almost daily, according to Mathews, so keep checking menus. So far, these restaurants are regular customers of the alliance: Canvas Cafe, Michael's on East, Big Sugar, Lan's, Polo Grill and Bar, Pattigeorge's, Mattison's (all locations), Linger Lodge, Pink Elephant (Boca Grande), 5One6 Burns, Morton's Gourmet Market and Derek's.
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