Seasonal News for Slow Food Miami Chefs & Members
ISSUE 52, November '23
Happy National Farmers Month!
Giving thanks throughout the month to you, our Snail of Approval Chefs, farmers and purveyors who share the gift of our mission, supporting all things Slow Food!
It's time to Fall Back into the season of growing, giving, and going all out for Slow Food events for '23/'24 and we have lots of events and news to share.
Just around the corner on November 9th, 7-10 pm, we will celebrate our first Hidden Kitchen. Limited to 30 guests and just about a sold out event, this private event held at a Slow Food members home will give you a birds eye view, an evening with renowned Snail of Approval Chef Kunj Owner and Executive Chef of Daavat Catering & Events in an intimate setting. Chef Kunj embodies the Slow Food ethos, and we are thrilled to partner with her to raise awareness and funds for our Edible School Garden program. Chef Kunj is a veteran chef with a gift for creating unforgettable fine dining experiences. Her approach to food is both wholesome and holistic. Chef Kunj focuses on the lost and forgotten recipes of the world, preparing her dishes in a more traditional way. She prides herself on partnering with local farms to serve her clients farm-to-table dishes with minimalist processing in between. For tickets and additional information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hidden-kitchen-series-tickets-738065994257?aff=oddtdtcreator
While we are on the topic of great chefs, we want to share a warm welcome to our newest Board Member, Community Events Chairperson Chef Andrea Griffith featured in this issue along with a fabulous recipe. Chef Griffith is Executive Chef at The Residence Club at Ocean Reef. In her spare time she is the President of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Miami Dade Chapter. It is an honor to have her on board and donate her time and expertise to sharing her passion for Slow Food with our community. Read here interview below.
Speaking of donating, it's that time of year again. Save the Date and Help us GROW on Give Miami Day 11.16.23
One of the nation's biggest 24-hour annual giving events, Give Miami Day, is an online campaign where all locals can be philanthropists.
Slow Food Miami focuses on education through our Edible School Garden grant program. Your donation on Give Miami Day will directly grow our school garden program. Our aim is to expand the garden program to as many grade-levels as possible, in as many schools as possible. To date we have grown 800 gardens in Miami-Dade and plan on planting dozens more for the ‘23/’24 school year.
Save this link to make your donation, TIA!
https://www.givemiamiday.org/organization/slowfoodmiami
We Want You.....to be on the lookout for 2024 nominees for our Snail of Approval Award. Visit our website for applications or email our President, Michele Baker Benesch when you have someone in mind. Link to applications: https://www.slowfoodmiami.org/snail-of-approval-nominations We also want you to join our core of volunteers in any way you feel inspired whether that's assisting with Community Events, Snail Socials, PR/Marketing or getting dirty in our school gardens. Send an email to our amazing backbone of the Board, secretary Marilyn Perret-Gentil http://martyperret@yahoo.com Have a safe, delicious and nourishing Thanksgiving Holiday filled with love, joy and peace.
Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, LMHC, Chef Alliance Director--Slow Food Miami
Meet our newest Board Member,
Chef Andrea Griffith, Community Events Chairperson
Executive Chef Residence Club at Ocean Reef
How you became interested in the Culinary Field? Did you go to school for culinary, come through hospitality, or life school?
I starting cooking at a young age as my father was the cook at the fire department. I would help him cook and then decided to go to culinary school. I received a full scholarship for the Art Institute of Philadelphia and the rest is history.
What is a typical day look like for you?
Right now with the opening of season we are open for a quick service breakfast, moving into lunch and 5 nights a week dinner. I am also the President of the American Culinary Federation Miami-Dade chapter and very involved with activities and events for local chefs.
What made you interested in joining Slow Food Board? Your interest and passion for slow food movement? Why is it important for chefs to support local farmers, purveyors and other chefs?
I am interested in the Slow Foods movement because to me it is the most important way to cook! I feel that supporting and cooking what is cultivated right in your neighborhood is important for the sustainability of your community. It helps keep locals in jobs and we need to keep our chefs and kitchen staffs employed.
What are your plans as Director of Community events? Do you want to build a team of volunteers?
As director of community events, I would like to recruit as many additional hands as possible. I wish to get deep into the community and connect all the dots from chefs to farmers and vice versa, help all the small farmers get noticed for their hard work and educate the community about the Slow Food Mission, to help build a healthier, more conscious next generation of edible food gardeners through our School garden program.
Contact Andrea to join her Community Event Team:
http://agriffith4980@gmail.com Let the Garden Games Begin!
Photo: Slow Food Miami Vice President and Director of our School Gardens Initiative, Sean Reichert at University of Miami, World Food Day
Thanks to Sean, we are excited to also announce our 1st College Garden at FIU School of Medicine. Just think, these are our future MDs!
" We are so excited and grateful to be in partnership with you and look forward to many more collaborations, ideas, and memories!" - Megan Messina, student
Photos from our 1st College Garden at FIU School Medicine!
Photos from University of Miami World Food Day
Recipe of The Month
Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Salad, Chef Andrea Griffith Featuring local Miami burrata, Boreck farms tomatoes, house made brioche, local micros Ingredients: 10 ear Zellwood corn 1oz butter 1 garlic clove 1 medium onion, diced. 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 tsp chili flakes 1 tbsp kosher salt Chicken stock 1 tbsp Paprika 1/2 tbsp Oregano Method:
Using a box grater, grate the corn kernels into a large bowl.
Run the back of a knife down each cob to release the rest of the milky liquid from the kernels into the bowl.
Melt the butter with the olive oil in pot over medium-low heat.
Add the onions, garlic and sauté, stirring, until translucent and softened but not browned.
Add the corn with all its liquid, and cook, stirring until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.
Stir in 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the milk.
Once the milk is absorbed, gradually stir in the remaining 1/4 cup (60 mL) milk in 2 additions to ensure even absorption.
Add Salt, paprika, oregano, chili flakes Adjust the heat, so it stays at a simmer.
Cook, stirring, until the corn is creamy, about 4 minutes, depending on the size and freshness of the corn. add the basil chopped.
*You can use chicken stock to make the mix a little lighter.
Slow Fish Miami embodies good, clean, and fair food. It is part of a global, grassroots movement with thousands of chefs, which links the pleasure of food with a commitment to the community and the environment.
We encourage our local chefs to engage with farmers, fish farmers, and fishermen in the South Florida community, introducing them to new local seafood options.
For more information about Slow Fish Miami visit https://www.slowfoodmiami.org/slow-fish and @slowfoodmiami for details.
Photos from or Recent Fish Farmer Event
Thanks to a sold out crowd it was a huge success. Thank you for supporting our fish farmers!
Supporting Our Farmers!
Upcoming Events, Swank Farms
Photos from Fruit and Spice Park Tropical Harvest and Heritage Festival,
Hats off to Margie Pikarsky, Bee Heaven Farms
The heart and soul of organic farming in SoFlo and event organizer
Calling on all of you to keep us posted!
Let us know how we can use our wonderful Slow Food Miami platform to promote your restaurant, farm, business or someone who helps to keep your delicious local treats available for our members and community to enjoy!
Simply, reply to this email.
Florida Farms and Foragers and Local Resources
Aloha Redland
Martina Or Alicia
(786) 316-2461
Bee Heaven Farm
Margie Pikarsky
office@beeheavenfarm.com
Blue Horizon Farm
Laura Sutton (786)510-1587
Empower Farms
Nick Miller
phone : 305-496-8190
website: www.empowerfarms.com
Florida Pure Sea Salt
Maureen Cacioppo
(727) 350-1827
French Farms
Chris French
Chris@thefrenchfamily.org
Fresh Gardens
Robert Petrucci
freshgardens@bellsouth.net
Going Bananas Tropical Plant Nursery
Don & Kate Chafin
305-247-0397
Goingbananas@bellsouth.net
www.going-bananas.com
Hammock Greens
Aaron Dreilinger
Info@hammockgreens.com
www.hammockgreens.com
Harpke Farms
Tamer & Claire
harpkefamilyfarm@gmail.com
Little River Cooperative
Muriel Olivares & Tiffany Noe
mail@littlerivercsa.com
littlerivercooperative.com
LNB Groves
Walter (305) 222-7676
Local Roots- Forager
Emily Rankin
Emily@localrootsdistribution.com
PG Tropicals - Guavonia Guava Grove 305-349-3035 Redland@PGTropicals.com http://PGTropicals.com
Sunshine Organic Farms
Matt Snow MD
www.sunshineorganicfarms.org
MattinMiami@hotmail.com
Teena's Pride
Order online, pickup curbside at farm.
Farmers market every Sat &Sun (12-4pm)
Swank Farms
Jodi and Darren Swank
Prores1@aol.com
Mr Green Dean's
Dean Richardson
troptree@bellsouth.net
LNB Groves
Adena Ellenby
adenajoy1@gmail.com
Seasons Farm Fresh- Forager
Gabe & Nick Bernal
info@seasonsfarmfresh.com
Urban Oasis
Art Friedrich
urbanoasisproject.org
Art@urbanoasisproject.org
Chef Alliance Director contact:
Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, CCMS, LMHC, FAND
CHANGE THE MENU. CHANGE THE WORLD.
Don't underestimate the power you hold in the culinary industry. Whether you are a cook, a chef, a farmer, a forager, an artisan, a caterer, or other industry member or leader... you have the power to impact positive change through food. Be an active participant for change! Join Slow Food to change the menu and change the world.
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