The importance of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs:

The importance of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs: Where farmers and chefs are working hand in hand within the their communities ~ Miami....

The View From The Front Porch~ Written and  posted by Chef A Todd Webster ~ Reposted by Steve Levine / Steady70  (http://theviewfromthefrontporchblog.wordpress.com/)

Chef Todd Webster Speaking to guests about the importance of using fresh local ingredients; Chef Laura Lafata leaving after purchasing some fresh herbs and plants, Freshly picked Peppers, A child sampling a tomato! @Teena’s Pride Farms 
Chef Todd Webster and everyone at the Front Porch Cafe would like to welcome you to our new blog, The View From The Front Porch! We will feature events going on at The Front Porch Cafe, pieces about our dishes, and the local organic produce we love so much. Chef Todd Webster is proud to launch the blog with a post about a recent event with our great friends atTeena’s Pride Farms. But first, a little bit about what we do at The Front Porch Cafe.The Front Porch Cafe has been an institution on the South Beach Scene for 23 years. We’re known for being the most popular neighborhood breakfast spot in town, with a great local following. With the addition of Chef Todd Webster to our team, The Front Porch Cafe is making a move to incorporate organic and local produce into the fold, starting with a re-vamped dinner menu highlighting fresh, local food and celebrating Miami’s herritage. Were not just for breakfast any more.

Florida native Todd Webster learned to love and appreciate environmentally responsible food while working as the Sous Chef at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink. His background at Michaels Genuine and Le Cordon Bleu grew his love for cooking into a passion for local farming. Around this time he was introduced to Michael Borek of Teena’s Pride. Michael and Todd’s love of local produce led to a fantastic friendship that continues today with weekly visits to Teena’s to pick out amazing produce for weekly specials at The Front Porch Cafe.

Todd Webster and Michael Borek

Each month, Teena’s Pride hosts a guest chef cooking demo to educate visitors about their Comunity Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. On March third, our own Chef Todd was the guest chef, and he was fired up at the chance to cook with Teena’s organic vegetables for his friends, family, and over 200 guests to the farm. While walking the farm to pick produce for his demonstration Chef stopped in a row of heirloom tomatoes and laughed, ”you know, I’m like a kid in a candy store here, I’ve got more vegetables than I can carry!”. For his demonstration Chef Todd Webster created a salad using spelt, an ancient grain with a mellow nutty flavor, and featuring the Teena’s Farms produce he picked that morning. Along for the ride were his, wife Yoanna, daughter Hannah, and two local culinary students, Melissa and Jasmine, who helped him create the well recieved salad. Luckily our friend Steve Leveine was on hand to capture some great shots of the event.

Chef Todd Webster and his Daughter, Hannah

Chef Todd Webster, his wife Yoanna, and sous chef Hannah

Chef Todd and his fresh spelt salad were a hit, people came back for seconds and were amazed at how great a dish can be when made with local produce. The event was a great way to showcase the CSA program, for which the Front Porch Cafe is a pickup site. To learn more about getting monthly shares of Teena’s Pride Farms produce and to join in on the action you can go here. Our menu features several products from the farm, including their spectacular heirloom tomatoes, rainbow chard and romanesca. Once again, we would like to welcome you to our blog and remind you, it all starts at the farm.

Todd Webster, Jasmine, Teena Borek, Melissa, and the students Chef Instructor

Thank  you Chef.....


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