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Time to bake the doughnuts, and turn them into a new twist on a classic summertime treat. Photo by Wesley Parsons Makes 6-12 Sandwiches, depending on doughnut pan size Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1 cup blueberries 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 egg 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons lemon juice Zest of one one lemon 2 to 3 cups vanilla ice cream Additional lemon zest or sprinkles, optional Instructions Preheat oven to 350°. Grease doughnut pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk dry ingredients with 1/2 cup sugar. Purée blueberries and water with hand mixer or blender. In a medium bowl, mix together butter, egg, heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice and blueberries. Fold wet ingredients into dry until combined, then add zest of 1 lemon (reserving some for garnishing). Spoon batter into doughnut pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Carefully remove the doughnuts from the pan, toss them in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and place on a baking rack to cool. Once completely cooled, place a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream between two doughnuts and press together lightly. Repeat with remaining doughnuts. If desired, roll the sides of each ice cream sandwich in a little fresh lemon zest or sprinkles. Securely wrap with aluminum foil, wax paper or beeswax wrap and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Mint adds a refreshing layer to this drink featuring St. Augustine Distillery Florida Cane Vodka. Photo by Amy Robb. Makes 1 cocktail Ingredients 1-1/2 ounces St. Augustine Distillery Florida Cane Vodka 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice 3/4 ounce simple syrup 6 blueberries 5-6 mint sprig s Instructions Shake all ingredients and strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with mint and blueberries.

Always be prepared to head out on your next excursion by having some grab-and-go goodies on your checklist. These hand pies are perfect travel companions, as a fruit-filled breakfast on the go or a tasty snack to keep you energized to your next destination. Photo by Stefanie Keeler. Makes 12 pies Ingredients For dough 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter 1/2 cup ice water For filling 4 cups fresh blueberries 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon vanilla 3 tablespoons dried lavender 1 egg, beaten For glaze 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar 4 tablespoons milk Instructions To make dough: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add cold, cubed butter and work into the flour with your hands. Gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. Chill dough for at least one hour. While dough is chilling, prepare filling. Mix all ingredients except lavender and beaten egg in a bowl. Preheat oven to 375°F. When dough has chilled, roll out and cut into 24 (3- by 4-inch) rectangles. To assemble, spoon filling onto half of the rectangles, leaving a little room around all edges. Sprinkle lavender over the berries and brush egg wash around edges of dough. Place remaining rectangles over filling and crease all edges with a fork. Brush remaining egg wash on top of pop tarts and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes. Immediately place blueberry lavender pop tarts on a cooling rack. While pop tarts are cooling, make glaze. Sift powdered sugar in a medium bowl and whisk in milk until it is pouring consistency. When pop tarts are completely cooled, cover each with glaze.

These muffins are a perfect grab and go snack. Photo by Miya Kusumoto. Makes 12 INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup light brown sugar Zest of 1 lemon 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 large egg 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries Instructions Preheat oven to 400°. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly oil each cup. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In bowl of stand mixer, beat brown sugar, lemon zest and butter together until fluffy. Add the ricotta cheese and beat on low speed until combined. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add dry ingredients andmix until uniform. Add blueberries and mix by hand. Spoon batter into each baking cup, about ¾ full. Cook the muffins until they are starting to rise, about 5 minutes, and decrease the heat to 350°. Cookfor 10 to 15 more minutes, until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 more minutes.

The Man in Overalls helps neighbors grow their own food. Nathan Ballentine, also known as Man in Overalls, works in the first neighborhood garden he started in Springfield. Photos by Cole LoCurto. You may have heard about the movement to grow food, not lawns, which seeks to empower us to plant our own gardens to feed our households. How ideal would it be to live in a world where we have freshly grown produce and herbs at our fingertips without having to go to the supermarket? It would be great to live next door to your farmer, too! That's exactly the utopia Man in Overalls founder Nathan Ballentine has worked to create for the Springfield neighborhood in Jacksonville. Ballentine has built a business empowering and helping people grow their own food. From that experience he has launched a project to create what he calls a"viable community-based agriculture system” built “by neighbors, for neighbors.” As a farmer, he ran into similar issues that plague many small-scale, local farms, such as labor costs, waste and uncertain market days. He thought about ways he could remove those hurdles and landed on a new concept that’s taken root within Springfield. The idea is deceptively simple. It’s community-supported agriculture (commonly called the CSA model) on a micro level. Ballentine and his crew build the garden, plant the seeds, weed the beds and cultivate the produce. As a subscriber, all you have to do is harvest what you need at any given time. This service-based neighborhood farming model provides access to homegrown food without the commitment of individual time, energy and knowledge of tending to a garden full-time. Dubbed by Ballentine as a "neighborhood farm," you must be a resident of the community to join. Ballentine has observed that the closer a person is to the farm, the more likely they are to use it daily. The original and smallest neighborhood farm is in Ballentine's own backyard and supports about 35 families today. It was an iterative process to determine how many families the original 1/9 of an acre could feed; the project launched with five families, expanding each season as it became clear the yield could support more people. Now that Ballentine has expanded to a second farm within Springfield, the results are undeniable. “We’ve seen this community agriculture method increase the effect of our gardening model by five times," he says. Each farm grows about 20 different crops at a time with an aim to offer "a lot of different things to appeal to different household taste preferences." Ballentine says “the focus is on leafy greens" and produce that is "high-dollar value at the grocery store." A laminated sign in a garden patch alerts subscribers when a crop is ready to be harvested and includes information about the plant, how to harvest so it can continue to produce (for example, with kale, harvest individual leaves, don't pull from the root) and a recipe recommendation. A visit to the farm may find members picking fresh herbs for an evening meal or collecting greens for their daily salad, neighbors meeting neighbors who are invested in the same ideas about local food.The farm has a built-in community space with picnic tables amongst the raised beds available for group events. Everyone in the family can participate, allowing for opportunities to engage with the source of their food and perhaps expand their palates. Parents observe that kids eat peppers straight off the vine when they once wouldn't have dreamed of taking a bite. Ballentine said he knew he made it when he overheard a wandering pack of neighborhood kids saying, "let's go pick something!" as they slipped onto the farm. While Springfield residents are the first to have access to a neighborhood farm, other areas are in the works, with the waitlist getting longer. Ballentine has been in conversations with JEA and the Jacksonville Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services to develop satellite neighborhood farms, possibly around Mayport Road near Atlantic Beach, in Arlington or in Murray Hill. His ultimate vision? “To build quality of life for members and shift the consumption of the community,” says Ballentine. Learn more about Nathan's project and services here .

The secret to Chef Scotty Schwartz’s soul-warming “Jewish penicillin” is a double chicken stock. Photo by Dennis Ho. Serves 8 Ingredients For soup Double Chicken Stock recipe Reserved chicken breast meat 2 cups (¼ -inch-diced) carrots 2 cups ¼ -inch-diced celery 1/8 cup minced fresh dill 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced Matzo Balls (recipe below) Dill, for serving For matzo balls 1/2 cup matzo meal 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons reserved chicken fat or vegetable oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1½ quarts chicken stock Instructions To make soup : Put double dhicken stock in a large pot and heat, adding the diced carrots, celery, dill and parsley. Shred the reserved chicken breast meat into large pieces and add to the stock. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to cook the vegetables and reheat the chicken. Season to taste and serve as is, or ladle each serving over two warm matzo balls and garnish with a couple snips of dill. To make matzo balls : Mix matzo meal, eggs, chicken fat, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons chicken stock in a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Bring the rest of the chicken stock to a brisk boil in a medium pot. Reduce the flame. Run your hands under water so they are thoroughly wet. Form matzo balls by dropping spoonfuls of matzo ball batter approximately 1-inch in diameter into the palm of your wet hands and rolling them loosely into balls. Drop them into the simmering stock 1 at a time. Cover the pot and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.

This fresh and healthy take on a “rita” comes from the innovative team at Berry Good Farms, part of North Florida School of Special Education. Photo by Nick Hogan. Serves 2 Ingredients 6 ounces fresh carrot juice 1 ounce fresh lime juice plus lime wedge for garnish Juice of one orange 1 ounce simple syrup 4 ounces tequila 1 ounce Cointreau 2 peeled carrots with stem 2 pinches red pepper flakes Sea salt for rim Ice Instructions Wet rim of glasses with a little bit of lime juice and press rim into salt. Chill glasses. Combine juices, simple syrup and liquors in cocktail shaker. Add a small amount of ice. Shake until well chilled. Fill prepared glasses with ice and pour shaker contents over. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and garnish with carrot and lime.

This delicious dessert shows you how easy making a soufflé really is — we promise. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a scoop of ice cream such as vanilla bean or salted caramel. Photo by Amanda Lenhardt. Makes 6-8 Ingredients 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup freshly grated carrots 6 eggs, separated Instructions In a medium bowl, mix the flour and butter together using your hands to form a smooth paste. Reserve. In a medium-large pot, bring milk, sugar, spices, vanilla, salt and grated carrots to a boil over medium-high heat. Once mixture begins to boil, add the flour and butter paste and whisk over medium-low heat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot as it is being whisked. Turn off heat. Place mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix over low speed for about 15 minutes, or until bowl is no longer hot to the touch. Add egg yolks 1 at a time to incorporate. Move soufflé base mixture to a large bowl. Clean and dry stand mixer bowl. Add egg whites to mixer bowl and whisk to form stiff peaks. Using a spatula, gently fold egg whites into soufflé base in 3 additions. Preheat oven to 400°. Brush ramekins with butter and dust with sugar. Fill ramekins with soufflé base and bake for about 18 minutes.

Take advantage of carrot season and make this creamy vegan soup for an easy mid-week dinner. Photo by Amy Robb. Serves 4-6 Ingredients 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 teaspoon grated ginger 1 tablespoon red curry paste 1 tablespoon salt 1 cup red lentils, washed 4 cups water or vegetable stock 1-1/2 cups carrots, grated 1 cup red pepper, chopped 1 cup coconut milk 2 cups chopped spinach, or other leafy greens 1/4 cup chopped cilantro Instructions In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic, celery and ginger in coconut oil for about 5 minutes. Add curry paste and salt. Sauté for 2 minutes, until curry starts to become fragrant. Add lentils and water/vegetable stock, then simmer for 30 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Remove soup from pot and blend with 1 cup shredded carrot and red pepper. Return blended mix to the pot. Add coconut milk, spinach or other greens and remaining 1/2 cup shredded carrots. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Garnish with cilantro, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Don’t throw away those carrot top greens! Instead, make pesto and open faced sandwiches called tartines. Photo by Amy Robb. Makes 4-6 Serving Ingredients 1/2 cup pecans, toasted 2 cups carrot tops, chopped 1/2 cup cilantro or basil, chopped 3 cloves garlic 1/2 cup olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Instructions Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. To make sandwiches, spread pesto on toasted bread and add your favorite toppings: grated carrots, cauliflower slices, red pepper slices, cheese, etc.

New trends show an increase in the demand for locally grown flowers. Look for locally grown flowers at farmers' markets. Photo by Sara Schober. As consumer interest in local food becomes more widespread, so too does the desire for local sources of cut flowers. Here's a list of area farmers and growers who offer flowers throughout the year. Check farmers' markets and other shops specializing in local products for seasonal availability. Social media is a good way to keep up with what's blooming and pop-up opportunities to gather seasonal bouquets and materials for flower arrangements. Bacon Farms, Jacksonville | @bacon_farms_jax Bee Hill Blooms, Elkton | @beehillblooms Down to Earth, Jacksonville | @downtoearthjax Isolabella Farm, Jacksonville | @isolabellafarm Madelaine LeDew, Jacksonville | @madelaineledew Shady Spring Gardens, Elkton | @shadyspringgardens Swallowtail Farm, Gainesville | @swallowtailcsa The Heirloom Yard, Fernandina Beach | @theheirloomyard Wesley Wells Farm, St. Augustine | @wesleywellsfarm Parker Flower Farms, Elkton | @parkerflowerfarms

Chef Chris Cohen and his wife Julie, owners of Brine Restaurant in Jacksonville. Photos by Jordan Mixson. When a champagne, caviar and oyster bar as chic as Brine opens in town, you can bet that it’s worth dressing the part. Nestled intimately in San Marco, this gem delivers an ambiance of refined luxury without an ounce of pretension — making it the perfect spot to showcase Florida’s version of “dressy casual.” Channel a balance of breezy and polished with a cabana linen shirt, easy cotton dress slacks, and kilim loafers. It’s a look that says “effortlessly stylish,” setting the right tone for Brine's refined yet relaxed vibe. Ladies and gentlemen alike, consider semi-formal touches like lightweight blazers or elegant dresses paired with understated accessories. Brine deserves your sartorial A-game, but in true Florida fashion: keep it cool. Act I: A Seafood Overture   Let the adventure begin with oysters presented with an array of artisanal flavor spray bottles—no crackers, no fuss, just an innovative twist on this classic delight. The crudo features dry-aged monkfish, kissed with citrus and olive oil for a tantalizing start, while the self-proclaimed “best mussels in Jax” live up to their title. The mussels, served with chorizo, cured lemon, capers, and herbs over toasted sourdough, are a standout that bridges tradition and bold new flavors. Act II: Hearty Indulgence   Next, sink your teeth into the Lobster Roll, which is elevated by being served on toasted African sweet bread with a luscious remoulade. Add on the caviar bumps for a bit of indulgent fun—you simply must. It’s the kind of decadence that makes dining here an event to remember. Act III: Showstoppers from the Sea   For the final savory act, the Scallop & Potato dish is non-negotiable. Bathed in smoked fennel cream, the scallops are impossibly tender, practically dissolving on your tongue. Pair every course with Brine’s carefully curated wines or one of their light, refreshing cocktails. The team at Brine knows exactly how to highlight the menu’s nuanced flavors. Encore: Sweet Endings   Dessert at Brine is the grand finale you didn’t know you needed. The Yuzu Crème Brûlée, accompanied by raspberries and a dusting of matcha, is a stunning interplay of tart, creamy and sweet. If you’re ever lucky enough to be offered the enigmatic lobster ice cream cones, just say yes—no questions asked. Trust me, they’re worth it. Brine isn’t just a dining experience; it’s a celebration of craftsmanship, creativity, and coastal elegance. So, dress the part, savor the moments, and get ready to be swept away by a menu that will have you planning your next visit before you’ve even left your seat. Cheers! 🥂 Brine Restaurant , 1435 Naldo St., Jacksonville, FL 32207