These beekeepers demonstrate just one step in the process of making famed Tupelo Honey.
As a child of the city, when I was growing up the closest I got to seeing where
my food came from originally was when we visited Mathis Dairy and saw Rosebud
the Cow. Our brownie troops' visit was documented in a photo in a local newspaper
with the headline, "City Girls See Cow." Then there was the time I planted lollipop
sticks in a mound of dirt waiting for the luscious treats to spring out of the
ground. I'm still waiting.
But recently I had the pleasure of going on a culinary tour of the panhandle
of Florida, in a trip called "Foraging The Forgotten Coast," where I learned
so much more about where food really comes from. For me the word forage conjures
up unflattering images of myself rooting around in the refrigerator for the
leftover chicken enchiladas. But after going on this four-day tour, those images
have been replaced by more picturesque ones - crabbing in streams, tonging
for oysters and watching Tupelo honey dripping from a hive.
Chris Hastings, the culinary advisor of the St. Joe Company and the chef/owner of the acclaimed Hot & Hot Fish Club of Birmingham, Alabama, was our enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide through the adventure, which took us from the white sands of Santa Rosa Beach to the famed oyster beds of Apalachicola Bay and the charming town of Apalachicola.
Here are a few of the sights and people we met along the way. If you're ready
for an unforgettable culinary trip of your own, these are the dates for his
next tours:
Oct 18-21, 2007
March 6-9, 2008
May 8-11, 2008
Oct 16-19, 2008
For information, visit
www.joe.com/web/TownsAndHomes/WaterColor/Foraging.htm
.
A delicious cheese plate at Larder
After a day of crabbing and eating, we were greeted with this scene for
our next mea l- our fresh-caught seafood prepared ocean-side and eaten right
on the beach.
A room at the charming Watercolor Inn in Santa Rosa Beach, where the sand
is as white as snow.
The Coombs House Inn in Apalachicola
Catching our dinner at WaterSound Beach.
Seagulls are happy to share your meal on the patio of Boss Oyster, which is right on the banks of the Apalachicola River..
Chris Hastings shows us the difference between boy crabs and girl crabs. (A male has a long narrow t-shaped apron on its abdomen)
Stephanie and Adam Caperton, owners of Larder, a hip wine bar in Seagrove Beach. Stephanie previously worked with Alton Brown on his TV show. "We want to cater to people who are food-, wine-, and cheese-oriented," said Adam.
Chris cooks our dinner while instructing us on the preparation of seafood. Most of our meal had been swimming in the ocean earlier that day.
Executive Chef David Carrier at Avenue Sea in Apalachicola formerly worked for
the French Laundry. His wife, Ryanne, is the pastry chef.
You can't get fresher oysters than the ones straight out of the bay at Buddy
Ward's 13-Mile Oyster Company, a family-run operation that supplies restaurants
nationwide with oysters from the Apalachicola Bay.
