Z-Coffee has been roasting global coffee beans in Central Florida for six years. Their philosophy is that coffee is like fine wine. They accentuate the distinctive flavors and characteristics of each kind by creating a select roasting profile for each coffee bean.  The different regions of the world that the coffee beans come from affect not only the flavor but the aroma, color and size of the bean and even how it’s harvested.

Coffee’s true form is a cherry like fruit that grows on trees. The bean is actually the dried pit of the fruit. In the coffee room of Z-Coffee hundreds of pounds of coffee beans come unprocessed in various shades of green and blue. It’s during the roasting process that coffee receives it identifiable shade of rich brown. Depending on how long the beans are roasted is where in lies the true artistry of the craft.

Each bean retains distinctive flavors, so individual roasting profiles are created to enhance the deep rich flavors of each bean.  A medium roast retains a warm brown color with a lighter flavor but more acidity. Beans that are dark roasted are distinguished by a richer dark color but are slightly less acidic and caffeinated. The difference in roasting methods is mere minutes.

The origins of the first coffee crops are traced back to Ethiopia, not Columbia like often mistaken. Today, coffee is grown in every corner of the globe. Z-Coffee’s most popular individual coffees come from Malawi and East Timor.

Z-Coffee’s organic coffees, referred to as their “Herbal Line”, have a refined flavor from their natural growth giving them a subtle herbal characteristic. Z-Coffee also customizes coffee blends for consumers. Flavors like the Chili Coffee, with a hint of hot red chili for spice, the Rocket Fuel Coffee, with twice the caffeine as a regular coffee blend, or the Harmoni Blend, a blended coffee which contains an organic coffee giving it a mellow dandelion flavor, are uniquely blended.

Z-Coffee can be exclusively found in Harmoni Market, Z-Cafés around Central Florida and at www.Z-Coffee.com. The makers of Z-Coffee are Artisan Roasters with a passion for their art.
“Being a chef is like being an artist, food is your palette,” David Kahan, founder and creator of Z-Coffee.

Café Latte Granita:

2 cups brewed Z-Coffee espresso or coffee
1/2 cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
Accompaniment: lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preparation
Stir together espresso or coffee, cream and sugar in a bowl until sugar is dissolved, then stir in vanilla. Pour into an 8-inch metal baking pan (1-quart capacity) and freeze for one hour, then scrape with a fork. Scrape every 30 minutes for light ice flakes, over all 3-4 hours.
Divide granita among serving dishes and top with whipped cream.

Why is this so important?
This commitment extends far beyond just the ‘feel good’ aspect of knowing about your food sources. The option of buying your food locally benefits both your personal health as well as the health of the environment. Lets start with your personal health which includes eating foods that are picked fresh, that are not only delicious, but also contain the highest amount of nutrients. Don’t forget that plants were once living organisms, and once they are picked, they literally begin to die while losing their nutrient value within the first day after harvest. In terms of the health of the environment, you now lower your carbon footprint because less fossil-fuels are used in order to transport your food.

What about the economic benefits of buying your food locally?
According to BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies), roughly $0.45 out of every dollar stays in your local community. The ongoing support of local farmers creates demand for more food, allowing the farmers to keep their land and stay in business. Without the support for farmers, they go out of business, and that once arable land now becomes a new subdivision or business development.

How do you find local food?
Harmoni Market is a great advocate for buying locally sourced foods. Check out their new Local and Slow section within their market. When making a visit to your area farmer’s markets, be sure to ask the vendors if they are, in fact, farmers and what methods they use to grow their food. There are many distributors at our area markets who are buying product shipped from all over the place. Defining ‘local’ is very much a challenge because of the types of growing seasons and the varying climates throughout Florida. Slow Food Orlando has defined ‘local’ as the entire state, but we have a preference of purchasing food at a distance of roughly 50 miles from home.

We hope you will take the time to connect with your local farmers and artisans, and enjoy your bounty around the table with family and friends.

I have a little thank you card for you that I was going to drop by this week!!  The food was excellent - I heard so many comments about the sauces and the Greek tapenade!! People loved it!! I myself got to sit down for all of 5 seconds haha, but in that time I had some flatbread and it was great J!

I want to really thank both you and the chef for making my son’s birthday party so special. The food was EXCELLENT! I am more than 100% satisfied. I know we did not have the biggest order, but you treated me like I was your top priority. That meant a lot to me.

It was such a relief to not have to worry about the food and how it would be after being prepared or what it would look like - two problems I have had before with catered foods for parties I have thrown.  I had complete faith in Harmoni, honestly because you made me feel like I mattered and that you were going to take care of everything. I have eaten there a lot so I know how good the food always is!

Thank you again, J!

-Erika Cooper

The Olde Hearth Bread Company established its reputation for baking the healthiest and delicious bread from the start. David Talty and son, Shannon, started the bakery on the foundation of creating all natural European breads. With Janice Brahm the Olde Hearth Bread Company produces hand made, gourmet breads and pastries without preservatives, added fat, sugar or dairy.

Bread making is a passion, art form, and science. Shannon incorporates methods he acquired from his days at the Acme Bread Company in San Francisco, one of America’s premier artisan bakeries, into each loaf. Olde Hearth’s infamous sour dough bread begins with grapes from Napa Valley, flour and water.

“Anything you can ferment, you can use to make bread,” Shannon Talty explained describing the starter base for the breads. Almost all of Olde Hearth’s breads are made without yeast.

Touring the bakery, I got to experience the evolution of each loaf of bread. Beginning with the first room filled with over 20,000 pounds of flour. On an average, Olde Hearth uses 45,000 pounds of flour every ten days. The flow of the bakery leads from the flour to the “scientist”.

This baker creates the natural starters that make the bread unique. Though the breads are baked daily, the process takes three days from starter to oven. After two days of development, the starter is ready to go to the next level.

A little time in the industrial size mixer (which is the size of a Jacuzzi!) with the appropriate ingredients and the mixture moves on to be hand shaped. It’s here where all the products come to life in a beautiful form. With final touches and time to rest, the bread is ready to bake beginning at six o’clock. The end result of this process is the soft, delicate bread delivered daily. The bakery is a 24 hour, 365 days a year operation committed to delivering the fresh, natural bread.

“It’s not the recipes that are magical. It’s what you do with them that make you different from the other guy down the street,” Shannon expressed holding a fresh baked ciabatta. As you imagine, the bakery is filled with amazing aromas which inspired me to immediately run to a grill and create the following recipe. I hope you enjoy.

Order Bread.

Mushroom and Manchego Roll
2 slices Olde Hearth ciabatta or 1 baguette (available for sale at Harmoni Market)
1 portobello mushroom cap
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz sliced manchego
Hand full of arugula
Garlic Aioli

Clean and gill portobellos. For the marinade, mix oil, garlic, pepper and salt. Brush mushrooms caps with oil mix and grill top side down 5 minutes. Turn and brush with more marinade, grill 5 more minutes. Slice mushroom cap in thick slices.

For panini, assemble sandwich on ciabatta and press till cheese melts. Or toast baguette and manchego, assemble sandwich.

Garlic Aioli:
4 cloves roasted garlic
¼ cup mayonnaise

Smash roasted garlic with a fork. Stir garlic in to mayo.

When I first began to cook, I was intimidated by sharp knives and complicated techniques. I would look for inspiration in early morning strolls through a local farmers’ market. An array of sun warmed vegetables and aromas tantalizing memories of my mami’s kitchen, sparked my creativity. 

Now I have the privilege of working as a sauté chef at Harmoni Market. I have developed an appreciation for food; preparing, savoring, and sharing it. I reflect on the words Jefe (Chef David Nuss) uttered to me in passing, “This is your peace. Your space from the world,” referring to our six burner gas stove top and double lined open kitchen.  

From that I took, find sinful pleasure in the first bite of a summer strawberry, enjoy the sweet juices from a ripe tomato running down your chin, and savor the perfect combination of a simple meal and the ones you want to share it with. 

Perhaps at any given moment you might not find this passion or appreciation for food so poetically executed in our open forum. Often it’s chaotic food flipping and plate juggling. However, at a closer glance you’ll witness a carefully choreographed balance of skill, timing, and camaraderie. 

I’m continuously grateful for the opportunity I take part in everyday. I am challenged, constantly learning practical and creative skills, and surrounded by people who share my desire. I’m very fortunate to have found a place that holds my perspective on food, and life for that matter, as the foundation for its success. Take the time to enjoy delicious, fresh food with friends and family. In other words “Viva Bene!”

These articles you’ll begin to receive are a reflection and celebration of the artistry and dedication involved in the Harmoni Market concept. Perhaps it’s not so much a concept as it is an ideal? My hope is that as you follow my curiosity as I explore my “space from the world” and develop an understanding and passion as well.   

It would be cliché for me to say “If I can do this, anyone can”, because that’s just not the case. Not many people can find a sudden burst of adrenaline entering their eleventh hour on a shift when 20 tickets come flying in at once, let alone joke, sing and (as Peffers has been known to do) dance. I will simply say that I love what I do and look forward to showing you why.

When I first began to cook, I was intimidated by sharp knives and complicated techniques. I would look for inspiration in early morning strolls through a local farmers’ market. An array of sun warmed vegetables and aromas tantalizing memories of my mami’s kitchen, sparked my creativity.

Now I have the privilege of working as a sauté chef at Harmoni Market. I have developed an appreciation for food; preparing, savoring, and sharing it. I reflect on the words Jefe (Chef David Nuss) uttered to me in passing, “This is your peace. Your space from the world,” referring to our six burner gas stove top and double lined open kitchen. 

From that I took, find sinful pleasure in the first bite of a summer strawberry, enjoy the sweet juices from a ripe tomato running down your chin, and savor the perfect combination of a simple meal and the ones you want to share it with.

Perhaps at any given moment you might not find this passion or appreciation for food so poetically executed in our open forum. Often it’s chaotic food flipping and plate juggling. However, at a closer glance you’ll witness a carefully choreographed balance of skill, timing, and camaraderie.

I’m continuously grateful for the opportunity I take part in everyday. I am challenged, constantly learning practical and creative skills, and surrounded by people who share my desire. I’m very fortunate to have found a place that holds my perspective on food, and life for that matter, as the foundation for its success. Take the time to enjoy delicious, fresh food with friends and family. In other words “Viva Bene!”

These articles you’ll begin to receive are a reflection and celebration of the artistry and dedication involved in the Harmoni Market concept. Perhaps it’s not so much a concept as it is an ideal? My hope is that as you follow my curiosity as I explore my “space from the world” and develop an understanding and passion as well.  

It would be cliché for me to say “If I can do this, anyone can”, because that’s just not the case. Not many people can find a sudden burst of adrenaline entering their eleventh hour on a shift when 20 tickets come flying in at once, let alone joke, sing and (as Peffers has been known to do) dance. I will simply say that I love what I do and look forward to showing you why.

On the Friday before the funeral, our family gathered at my cousin’s house in the bucolic suburbs of Philadelphia to make Grandma’s most famous dish – potato gnocchi.  It’s an amazingly simple dish to make and no manufactured / processed gnocchi comes close to the hand-made version.  The dinner prep started with my brother and I peeling the potatoes.  Well, wait a minute.  The dinner actually started when I popped the cork on a delicious Italian white . . . then, we set out to peel the potatoes.  (We always cook with wine!)  While we waited for the potatoes to boil, we departed to an outdoor patio to sit outside under a gracious blue ski and a perfect 72-degree / low-humidity afternoon – it was ideal.  My brother and I watched Grandma’s 10 great-grandchildren running around the back yard while the family adults continued to migrate to our table with more open bottles of Italian wine.  We all recalled our kitchen stories where Grandma taught us all how to make potato gnocchi. Sadly, we all agreed how silly it is that we  Americans have lost so many of our home-kitchen food traditions and pondered what will happen when each family’s “grandma” passes on and takes her famous dish with her.

After a glass of wine, we all returned inside and huddled around the kitchen table to make our Grandmother’s famous potato gnocchi.  My brother Mark (the family chef) kept us all in line.  After ricing potatoes and allowing them to cool, we added two eggs to about two pounds of potatoes and an equal volume of flour.  After kneading the dough about three minutes, we simply rolled out “logs” of dough about the width of our index finger.  We rolled out about 12 pounds of gnocchi dough in total – we had a lot of Italians to feed that night!  Then, we cut the logs in one-inch widths and, with the tip of our index finger we rolled the dough toward us, which adds more surface area to the potato dumpling and helps the gnocchi boil properly.  We had family members ages 6 to 76 around the table cutting and rolling the tender gnocchi and recalling stories of how our grandmother always made us laugh.  It was almost a bit uncomfortable that a tragic event like a death was resulting in on of our most memorable family get-togethers.  But, I don’t think my grandmother would mind – she was the glue that brought us all together anyway.

The Novello family normally serves its gnocchi with traditional spaghetti sauce, but this time, my brother created an amazing brown-butter sage sauce this time, too.  The family could not get enough of it.  After it was all over, there wasn’t one gnocchi left in the kitchen.

It’s truly a shame that family food traditions are being lost and forgotten due to our continuous quest for speed and productivity.  I’m not sure when we’ll make hand-made gnocchi again, but I know that my Grandma, Erma Novello, was smiling down upon her entire family that Friday evening.  And in true Italian fashion, she was probably most proud that all of the plates were clean as they came back to the kitchen.  Mangia! Mangia!

Greetings from the subterranean wine world of Orlando!  My name is Carter and I have the enviable job of working for Stacole Fine Wines, one of the best wine distributors in the state.  And what a fun job it is: meeting with interesting clients, presenting and tasting wines, helping customers with wine list development and food/ wine pairings, and doing staff trainings to help retail and restaurant staff members learn more about the wines they are offering. 

But today, I’m taking a break from my normal grueling work, to write a few thoughts for Harmoni’s Blog page.  I hope my blog entries will not be just something you read once in a while, but instead will be a spring board for a discussion among wine lovers and friends of Harmoni Market.  I think I will frame these blog entries in the form of questions, and hopefully we can have some interesting conversations as we share our different viewpoints.  I encourage anyone who has an interest in wine to participate, regardless of your level of knowledge – don’t be shy! 

            I think the first question I’d like to ask is… how do you decide what wine to buy?  Are you more influenced by publications like the Wine Spectator, sales staff at wine shops, or recommendations from friends?  Perhaps you buy wines simply by their labels, or specifically because you don’t know anything about them and you enjoy the mystery… Maybe you’re the type who finds what you like and sticks with it; or are you always searching for something new?   Finally, if you do like to try new and different wines and wineries, by all means, let’s hear about some of your recent discoveries! 

I’ll start with my current obsession:  Grenache.  This grape, which is most commonly found in wines from Spain and the South of France, is really becoming popular, and now we are seeing it in Aussie blends and more recently, from California – especially from the area around Paso Robles.  Grenache can range in style from big “fruit bomb” to spicy, peppery and earthy, depending on where it is grown.  If you have ever drunk Chateauneuf du Pape or even Cotes du Rhone, you’ve had Grenache.  One great thing about this grape is that you can find some truly great examples at very reasonable prices.  Perfect example:  Borsao, from Spain.  This wine is 80% Grenache and 20% Tempranillo, and sells for under $10/ bottle.   This wine packs so much flavor into such an inexpensive bottle, it’s just incredible.  Featuring  black pepper, cherry, strawberry, and raspberry fruit, medium body, smooth tannins, and good ripeness, it’s a perfect wine for the price.  Now it’s your turn: let’s hear about your latest discoveries!

Carter Nixon

Your dollar is something to be valued and equally important, your time.  Let’s talk, share our stories and enjoy “the good, the bad and the ugly” experiences together!