Congratulations. You saw the title of this episode. You know it’s all about how to eat more vegetables. And you’re still here! We promise, it’s worth it. 

Today we'll hear from two experts from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, better known as UF/IFAS. IFAS has county extension offices across the state, and they’re a great resource for growing and cooking healthy foods. Carol Leffler and Anne Yasalonis share meal-prep tips and even gardening hacks to help you eat—and actually enjoy—more vegetables. We’ll also talk about how to get kids on board with eating veggies and how to never throw away another bag of soggy salad greens.

For details on the hacks discussed in this episode, check out these conversations:

Dalia chats with Donnie Gallagher, founder of Florida Craft Beer Day and co-host of the podcast Craft Brews and Geek News. Donnie explains what makes Florida’s craft beer scene unique, offers advice for aspiring home brewers and shares why he believes the craft beer craze is just getting started. Then Dalia quizzes Donnie on ridiculous craft beer names to see if he can guess which ones are fake.

Thirsty for more? Check out these other beer-related episodes:

There’s no shortage of key lime pie joints in Key West—but we're pretty sure only Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe has been name-checked on Jeopardy! Dalia chats with the owner, Kermit Carpenter, about how he got into the business, what distinguishes his pies from the rest of the pack, what’s so special about key limes and his celebrity customers.

If you liked our conversation with Kermit Carpenter, then check out these other sweet interviews:

So, a guy walks into a wine bar. Actually, for a good chunk of 2020, no guys or gals were walking into any wine bars in Florida—unless it was to pick up a to-go order for drinking at home. Today, Judith Smelser will explain why this matters. 

Judith is the founder of Orlando Wine Blog and the wine columnist for Edible Orlando. She also holds a Level 2 Certification from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought Florida’s hospitality industry to a screeching halt, she started the podcast UnWineding to chronicle the effects on Florida’s wine-based businesses. She shares how wine bars got creative to survive, explains why Disney World is good for Orlando’s wine scene and offers suggestions for discovering your new favorite bottle of wine. 

We recorded our conversation in November 2020, but we think you'll find that it ages well—kinda like a fine wine.

If you enjoyed this conversation with Judith Smelser, then check out these other interviews:

Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1891 near Montgomery, Alabama. But her name is practically synonymous with Eatonville, the African-American enclave in Central Florida that she considered home. Hurston wrote extensively about Southern Black life, both as an anthropologist and in her short stories, plays and novels like “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” One subject that appears in Hurston’s work again and again... is food—so much so, that my guest wrote a whole book about that.

Dr. Fred Opie is a professor of history and foodways at Babson College outside of Boston, Massachusetts. He also hosts a podcast, “The Fred Opie Show,” and he’s written a bunch of books—including Zora Neale Hurston on Florida Food: Recipes, Remedies & Simple Pleasures. It details the role food played in Hurston’s life and work. And it’s a lens into Southern African-American foodways of the first half of the 20th century, complete with archival photos and recipes. Dr. Opie chatted with me about food customs during Hurston’s time, and lessons for today.

If you enjoyed this conversation about Zora Neale Hurston, then check out these related episodes:

If you want to eat healthier in the new year, you’ve gotta eat more home-cooked meals. So says Wendy Wesley. She’s a registered and licensed dietitian and nutritionist in St. Petersburg. Wendy says the more efficient you are in the kitchen, the more likely you are to actually cook. She shares her list of 14 tips to help us do just that.

If you enjoyed this conversation, then check out our previous interview with Wendy Wesley about how to eliminate barriers that keep us from cooking at home.

If you love The Zest, please take a moment to rate and review it in your podcast app. This will help other listeners discover us. You can also keep up with us on Facebook and Instagram.

Earlier this year, the pandemic forced Walt Disney World to shut down for nearly four months. Since it reopened, many fans have been eager to return to the theme park—but not just for the rides and character photo ops. Wilma Norton has been visiting—and eating at Disney World regularly for more than 25 years. She also serves on planDisney—formerly the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Just before the shutdown, Wilma spoke with The Zest’s producer, Dalia Colón, about how Disney became a foodie's paradise. We've been holding the interview until now. In this conversation, Wilma offers advice for eating and drinking your way through Disney without sticker shock.

St. Petersburg Distillery is launching a new product, Sunset Gin—which they say is a gin that’s very specific to Florida, and that’s completely natural. Sales are soaring at the distillery, and expansion plans are underway. In the upstairs tasting room, Robin met up with Skip Ragan, Senior Vice President for Sales, Marketing and Public Relations; Master Distiller Warren Gardner; and Assistant Distiller Clara Robbins.

Zest contributor Janet Keeler talks with author Tamara Lush about how her love of intrigue and her coffee obsession-inspired Grounds for Murder. It's the first book in her Coffee Lover's Mystery Series and will debut on Dec. 8, 2020.