Florida

Rorabeck’s Plants and Produce, Lake Worth, FL

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Love this place. It’s an indoor/outdoor farmer’s market and produce stand but they also sells plants, trees and pottery at very reasonable prices.

I love making my produce rounds and Rorabeck’s is often on my list because I can get my veggie/fruit/plant fix all in one place. Especially, if I have time to dilly dally a little bit… I will roam the acre of landscaping plants just to get inspiration and often I find something unique hiding or tucked away inconspicuously. Like the tiny chiltepin bird chile I discovered or the 3 gallon bucket of fennel or the myriad of brightly colored coleus that can grow to enormous sizes here in our beautiful tropical Florida weather.

As for produce, Rorabeck’s is an outdoor covered market that has a plethora of local, in season fruits and veggies as well as other ethnic staples that may be harder to come by at a typical American grocery store. In fact, I used to miss the diversity of the produce we could get when we lived in the Bay Area in California. But over the last couple of years, I’ve discovered so many hidden jewels on my own and with the enthusiastic support of my Florida born sidekick, that I’m hard pressed to miss anything at all. I’ve also taken some of my Minnesota friends here and they’ve just been fascinated at how much beautiful produce we can bring home for under $20.

Small baskets of jalapeños, local beefsteak tomatoes, avocados, mangos, cucumbers, plums, peaches, shallots, summer squash, cabbage, onions… you name it. Its easier to go overboard than it is to not find something you just have to have. The baskets all contain goodies from anywhere to $1-$3 on average and most of it is very ripe, intended to be used or processed within the week. Ideal for juicing, canning or just planning weekly family meals.

Rorabeck’s Plants & Produce
Address: 5539 S Military Trail, Lake Worth, FL 33463
Phone:(561) 642-3382

Florida

Solace Farms, Lake Worth, Florida

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This is a lovely little farm right next door. How idealic… Like Alice in Wonderland, I’ve often wondered what was tucked away on the little driveway where I used to only see a few greenhouses.

I thought it had been bought when the greenhouses disappeared and it looked like the land was tilled up. I mistakenly believed it had been bought by a developer as much of the land around my neighborhood is quickly being developed. And then one morning on my way to get milk at the grocery store, I saw a little sign for Solace Farms by the gate along with signs for Fresh Eggs. Are you serious?!  Ok, I had to check it out…

I met Ayup the crazy Afghani. That is how he introduced himself to me, so of course, it’s hard not to remember that. And something in my enthusiasm for the farm and the questions I was asking made him start to wander around, showing me fun stuff, completely interrupted from his farm tasks. But oh how fun. I couldn’t contain myself as he introduced me to a leafy green they were growing that tasted spicy and pungent like wasabi or horseradish. Like a crazy foodie, I rolled up the rest of the leaf and tucked it into my purse to share with my someone when I got home.

Having come for fresh eggs, Ayup proceeded to go get me a dozen eggs retrieved by the beautiful free range chickens roaming the property. How wonderful. I knew they would be good and I just giggled at the luck of having discovered such a perfect find literally in my own backyard. The posts in this blog will attest to my search for just such a wonderful local ingredient and to get it steps from my own door was almost too much for one morning. Ayup didn’t have change to cash my $20 so he just gave me the eggs and told me to come back soon. Pleased as punch, I took my gift and headed out for milk as I had intended.

Solace Farms… something so perfect about that name. My recent visit proved just as fruitful as the first and I took home a bounty of local produce fit for a gentle garden bee like myself. Orange beets, purple carrots, crimini mushrooms, sweet corn and my beautiful organic, free range eggs. A Saturday morning visit also provided an opportunity to meet Missy and Ashley, the family who owns this farm. Of course, Ayup came over to say hello. He happily discussed this morning’s produce knowing that I was just as appreciative of it as they were and was a little bit tickled that I remembered his name. But who could not? Can’t wait to go back and see their friendly faces next weekend.

Florida, Food Finds

Excalibur Fruit Tree Farm, Lake Worth, Florida

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Love. Love this place. I mean love. This is what I live for. After making my rounds at Aaldmon’s Organic Farm, I head around the corner, literally, to Excalibur. My first experience with this farm took me and my hubby on a 2 hour tour via golf cart to experience this 17 acre rare and native tropical fruit tree farm just a few miles from my current haunt.

Molina’s expertise and enthusiasm captured our attention as she drove us around, jumped out of the cart and picked fruit right off the trees they offer for sale. She educated us about medicinal uses, grafting techniques and general advice on growing tropical fruit here in Florida. They are a tropical fruit farm, true, but their primary focus is on providing these awesome and rare tropical trees for sale for commercial or residential use. However, I am now “in the know” and I swing by every Friday just before they close to see what has ripened on their property as a bi-product of these gorgeous trees. Like a kid in a candy store, but better.

It was here that I fell in love with egg fruit (yellow sapote) and black sapote, aka chocolate pudding fruit. Oh yes, I can attest that it really does make superb (stunning!) chocolate desserts.  Imagine my total delight when last week, they had both for sale! Extremely rare to find this selection of fruit in any grocery store, even in Florida. What a delight, walking away with 3 lbs of apple bananas, 6 lbs of yellow sapote, 5 black sapotes and 2 gargantuan avocados. All for less than $25. A crate of oranges at Costco is about $12… a dozen apples anywhere from $6-10! I mean, I will do it, but it’s so nice to have this as an option, too. Grown here. Locally. In my figurative “backyard”. It really doesn’t get better than this.

Check out Excalibur Fruit Trees’ website to learn more.

Florida, Food Finds

Aaldmon Organic Farm, Lake Worth, Florida

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What a gem. I found Aaldmon Farm, a family run certified organic farm, when I was looking to participate in a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Imagine my delight to find a certified organic farm CSA with seasonal participation that runs from October to April. They will deliver for an extra $5 if you are in their delivery area but I enjoy going out to the farm each week to pick up my large box of organic produce, which very often contains fruit also grown on the farm.

The large box runs $40/week and contains more than enough produce for a family of 4-6. This keeps me on my culinary toes and I enjoy weekly meal planning all the more knowing not only where my food comes from, but knowing it is grown well, cared for by a local family of farmers who practice organic farming within a short drive from my own home. Talk about local. This means that I can reserve my small yard space for other yummy or beautiful things while they do all the home-farming for me. I found this farm on Google before I even moved and I was convinced that I would love Florida all the more for it.

Check out Aaldmon Farm’s website to learn more.

Florida

Home Sweet Home

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Divine inspiration comes from things that are simply, divine.  I find inspiration in natural beauty and natural bounty.  Here in the United States, we are blessed with an abundance of both. And I’m not talking about superficial skin-deep beauty but in the beauty that we are blessed with.  What makes Americans beautiful, on a deeper level? Why, it’s what we produce, of course!

This site is devoted to all of the beauty and bounty that surrounds us, from sea to shore, valleys and plain: It’s what feeds us, nourishes us and makes us happy.

Florida

Heritage Hen Farm, Boynton Beach, Florida

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Cute little farm, not so cute pricing but for a once-in-awhile foray into all things luxurious, it’s worth a try. Actually, I didn’t get to see the farm so much as the adorable little shed with it’s chalkboard-rendered list of goods which, at the time of my visit, was a lovely selection of raw milk, heavy cream, unprocessed honey and the prettiest fresh eggs I have seen for a long while.

If I was independently wealthy, this is where I’d buy all of my dairy. Alas, I am not so I will wait for my Cinderella pumpkin to arrive and hope that it also transports a golden goose while we’re at it…

Check out Heritage Hen’s website to learn more.