Category Archives: South Beach Wine & Food

Field Report: Farmer Dale Volkert’s Green Eggs & Lamb at Lake Meadow Naturals

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Spring is in the air at Lake Meadow Naturals in Ocoee, FL. Since 2010, farmer Dale Volkert has been our main source for eggs at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami.  Since then, like us, the farm has grown from a small operation raising foul like feisty Rhode Island Reds, geese, ducks, and turkeys exclusively for egg production, with a few pastured cows, to a diversified, efficient operation serving restaurants like ours across South Florida with not only ample eggs but humanely raised and processed meat, including birds of all kinds like poisson and broilers, as well as lamb, goat and goose.

“Things are hopping here at Lake Meadows,” says farmer Dale Volkert. ”All the animals are springing to life and in the reproductive mode for sure. The warm weather has made the turkeys and geese both start to lay early and we have a few turkey and goose eggs for sale before we start to incubate them for growing for Thanksgiving. We also got permission to harvest the livers from our Cornish hens, and these livers are hand harvested not machine harvested so they are beautiful lobes of chicken livers for appetizers and salads, pate and mousse…”

One thing new from Dale that we’ve been sinking our teeth into lately at Genuine HQ in Miami is lamb.  Specifically whole lamb. And Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink executive chef Bradley Herron is having a field day. Continue reading

Hedy for Da Kidz: Stamping Pop T’s Out Loud, Two Hands Brilliant Disguise & More at the 2013 South Beach Wine & Food Festival

photo-157 Just returned from treating San Diegans to Strawberry Basil Panna Cotta at her second of five Buick Discovery Tour appearances this year, our executive pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith is hot to trot on her new cookbook, Baking Out Loud: Fun Desserts with Big Flavors (especially with Valentine’s Day stories this week!) And she’s not stopping any time soon, which is great news for everyone. Here are the official events where you can find Hedy, as well as what she’s baking at the country’s largest food and wine festival right smack dab in our quaint backyard beach the weekend after next, February 21-24.  And don’t forget to follow her ever-prolific posts as guest blogger for Food Network’s FN Dish.

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4 Minute Egg

The incredible, edible egg, here a farm-fresh mixed basket of quail, chicken, pullet (young chicken,) goose and guinea fowl on display at last Sunday's #SoBeWFF farm-to-table brunch from Dale Volkert at Lake Meadow Naturals in Ocoee, FL.

Happy Sunday everyone.  It’s brunch time @MGFD_MIA right now, but if you’re at home like me, maybe sipping an espresso and catching up on some reading, or planning your escape — this time next week, I’ll be on vacation in Italy! — you may have a growl in your gut for some breakfast.  I remembered some photos from Michael’s last visit to Grand Cayman that I hadn’t posted and it’s exactly what I have a yen for right now.  I’m missing the ingredient in my refrigerator at the moment, but if you have some good eggs lying around, the best way to enjoy them Schwartz-style is soft boiled.

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