Cooking with Chef Jamie Gregorich | 'Fresh from Florida' has chef's seal of approval

I am just coming back from spring break refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the school year. I returned with a new outlook on our restaurant industry.

I visited Savannah for the week, and it was soon very apparent that the majority of the restaurants used local produce, proteins and starches. All the menus we ordered from had the local farms listed and referenced from many of their dishes. With that vacation in mind, as well as the recent field trip I went on with our culinary class, my creativity has shifted from extravagant to simple. Thanks to the University of Florida extension office, my students and I now understand the importance of using local produce.

Despite having lived here my entire life and being in this industry for almost 10 years, I was never aware of the resources we had in our back yard. We visited O'Brien Family Farm, Big Red Cattle Company and Jones Potato Farm. At each stop we learned how a local farm is run, how important support is from restaurants and how much pride they take in what they are growing. All three farms had one thing in common: educating the community. These farmers all live and breathe their crops. For lunch, not only were we fed an amazing meal consisting of vegetables, potatoes and beef from all three farms, but we were also given an opportunity to talk with some of the farmers from around the area.

After listening to the farmers speak I had one question: Is buying organic worth the investment? I quickly learned from the farmers that I should look for a "Fresh from Florida" seal when buying my groceries. They didn't discourage anyone from con

tinuing to buy organic, but to rather reconsider the reasons. The truth is that farms began to produce organically due to the lack of regulations put on produce farmers. Over the years, the regulations have been greatly increased. This gives farmers better assurance that they can grow the products they love and keep us safe by using fewer chemicals, while simultaneously saving themselves and their consumers money.

Florida farmers take great pride in the things they send to supermarkets, restaurants and around the country. I now search for the "Fresh from Florida" seal. It keeps my mind at ease while I cook and eat those products, while also giving back to the very community where my roots grow deep. So next time you are shopping, look for that seal and put the money back into your neighbors' pockets.

Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Ground Beef and Kale

1/2 pound ground beef

2 sweet potatoes, baked

1 cup kale, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste

1 ripe avocado

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

While sweet potatoes are baking, in a large skillet brown the ground beef. Add the bell peppers, onions, and coconut oil and sauté until the onions and peppers are tender. Add all of the spices and mix well. Add the kale and sauté until the kale is wilted and tender (about 3 minutes).

To assemble, slice the sweet potatoes open lengthwise and mash the insides. Scoop the beef/kale mixture into the middle of each sweet potato. Squeeze fresh lime juice over beef/kale mixture. Serve with slices of avocado.

Jamie Gregorich, Manatee County schools culinary instructor and department chair, can be contacted at gregorichj@manateeschools.net.

This story was originally published April 22, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Cooking with Chef Jamie Gregorich | 'Fresh from Florida' has chef's seal of approval."