Our friend, Eleanor, invited us to attend a cooking competition at The Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead. It was exciting to watch the Chefs in action. The chickens and I had a blast!

This local cook-off was part of GrowFest!, a festival that takes place annually and encourages and teaches people to grow some of their own produce.
The Chefs
Samantha Narvaez – Pastel and Guayaba Bakery

Sean Brasel– Executive Chef, Meat Market

Michael Reidt , Chef and Consultant, Pilgrim

Simon Stojanovik, Swank Farms

Pablo Zitzmann, Chef de Cuisine- Trust and Company

The Judges
Galena Mosovich – Miami Herald and Ocean Drive
Sarah Liss – Writer/Saffron Supper Club
Eleanor Hoh – Wok Star cooking teacher, Blogger



The Ingredients
A mystery box of locally grown seasonal food
A limited pantry with locally grown ingredients
Basic staples
3 ingredients of their choosing


The Result
The winning dish was Grouper Cheeks with Freekeh Salad by Chef Michael Reidt!

GrowFest! is about connecting the dots between the farm or garden and the dinner table. It’s about providing the knowledge and materials to grow, forage, buy, prepare, and eat good, local, seasonal food. Engaging the public, encouraging and giving them the tools to grow some of their own will enable them to gain a better appreciation of what it takes for farmers to produce the food we all eat, and whet folks’ appetites for the best, healthiest, and freshest produce. Excerpt from the website







I am putting this event on my calendar for next year for sure.


Sounds like a great time! 🙂 🙂
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It was indeed 🙂
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Wonderful post and gorgeous photography on Chefs’ Challenge, thanks for this! Always good to see you and the chickens. I’d better be careful about my smiles!
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