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DINNER IN PARADISE, SEASON 3
Paradise Farms Organic
1980 SW 320 Street
Homestead, Florida
305/248-4184
www.paradisefarms.net

Reviewed by: BeBe King

Food: Service:

Preparing the Outside Grill for the Feast

For the third year, South Florida celebrity chefs have joined with Paradise Farms of Homestead to host a series of dinners at the farm. Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink in Miami’s Design District is a founder
of the series, together with Gabriele Marewski and Christopher Siragusa of the beautiful Paradise Farms. This year’s series began last December and
will continue until the end of April. Participating chefs have included Allen Susser
of Chef Allen’s, Alex Asteinza of Canyon Ranch, Sandee Birdsong of Tantra
and many others.

We were fortunate enough to attend the March 9th Dinner in Paradise, which was for the benefit of the Slow Food/Miami organization. It was arranged by Chef/owner Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink,
a member of the Slow Food board. He was joined by Chef Giancarla Bodoni
of Escopazzo and Chef Mark Zeitouni of The Lido @ The Standard.

When we arrived at the farm, we were served two sparkling wines, one white and one rosé, from Schnebly Winery of Homestead. The winery boasts that it has “crafted the only wines produced in the U.S. that are made with absolutely
no grapes”; their wine is made from tropical fruits. The two varietals we sampled were only very slightly sweet and were an excellent aperitif and would have been equally good as a dessert wine. Fresh squeezed juices such as beet, coconut, kale-cilantro and green bean were also offered as was Fiji Water. With our drinks, delicious hors d’oeuvres were passed, which included: deep-fried squash
blossoms stuffed with goat cheese, lobster wrapped in heirloom tomato, tiny filo cups with shrimp and vegetables and china spoons filled with seviche and vegetables.

R - L: Chefs Bodoni, Zeitouni and Schwartz Supervising the Roasting of the Fish

We were then given a tour of the farm by Gabriele and Christopher. No machinery is used on the farm except for a lawn mower and a small earthmover. All cultivation, planting, weeding and fertilizing is done by hand according to organic principles. “The dinners are a great way to showcase the fresh, organic products that are grown right here in south Florida” according to Garbiele, who has teamed with Whole Foods for the series. Other contributors for the evening included Loews Miami Beach Hotel and Southern Wine and Spirits.

Dinner was served at tables under an arbor which also covered an outdoor kitchen. It was fascinating to watch the chefs and their assistants creating our meal in this rustic setting. Our first course was marinated raw eggplant slices wrapped around dehydrated tomatoes, vegan cheese and basil pesto, served on yellow tomato coulis. The main course was local whole fish, which was roasted over an open fire. It was accompanied by risotto with smoked Scamorza cheese, almonds and purple basil. Another great side dish was Heirloom tomatoes stuffed with spring vegetables and goat cheese, green beans with walnuts, baby brassica (a vegetable we’d not seen before which resembles broccoli) and tomato Panzanella salad. A variety of excellent breads and delicious butter were also served.

The assorted desserts were all amazing. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, 24 months old, and aged Chevre were served with paper-thin melba toasts made from pecan bread. Two delicious vegan cupcakes, one chocolate and one spice, passion fruit and raspberry jellies, Florida orange wedges and huge chunks of exquisite
Valhrona chocolate completed a memorable meal.

What a lovely setting for dining...truly a "Dinner in Paradise"

A number of wines were passed during dinner. Three white wines included Conte della Vipera 2003 from Umbria, Italy, Lemelson Dry Riesling 2006 from Willamette Valley and "J" by Jordon of California. A red Heller Estate, Dancers, Meritage 2003 was also served, and with dessert we had Piemonte Dolce Brachetto from Italy.

Our evening in Paradise was a delight. We enjoyed the company of other food enthusiasts and the opportunity to hobnob with some of our favorite chefs, while at the same time supporting a cause we believe in. Slow Food/Miami will utilize the funds from this event for the Gardens in Schools program they sponsor.

All the chefs enjoying a moment of levity after a hard day's work

If you wish to attend a Dinner in Paradise, the schedule for the remainder of the season is:

March 23rd: Chef Sean Brasel of Touch Restaurant and Meat Market, Chef Govind Armstrong of Table 8, South Beach, Sergio Sigala of Casa Tua, Chef Tim Andriola of Timo Restaurant and Bar.

April 13th: Chef Michael Bloise of Wish at The Hotel, Chef Clay Conley of Azul at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami and Chef Thomas Azar of Emeril’s Miami Beach.

April 27th: Chef Larry LaValley of Mark’s South Beach, Chef Jeff McInnis of The DiLido Beach Club at Ritz-Carlton South Beach and Chef Kira Volz of Creek 28.

Advance reservations are required and the inclusive cost for dinner and wines is $150 per person.

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