We’ve driven over 2,000 miles around Florida this month. We’ve been passing the time with an audiobook, A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith, a story with close ties to my family that’s perfect for Florida road trips. Here are some stories and photos I’ve collected along the way:
I tried barbecued jackfruit and I liked it! The fruit is similar to artichoke hearts when it’s not fully ripe. They grow so big they hardly fit in a grocery cart. I see them at this fruit stand sold in pieces by the pound, and you can also find it canned or vacuum-sealed in stores, so you don’t have to tackle a 70-pound fruit all by yourself. Recipes coming your way soon.
Another man-eater invades the Everglades: Nile crocodiles. They’re more aggressive than the American crocodiles. We saw one on Alligator Alley recently, but I don’t know which it was and I wasn’t about to stop and find out.
A woman got stuck inside a banyan tree. She thought it would be fun. Only in Key West.
Season 2 of Bloodline releases May 27. I was haunted by this show. It’s a dramatic thriller set in Islamorada, and Sissy Spacek’s kitchen is beautiful.
This definitive guide to Cuban-American sandwiches takes you beyond the medianoche. Hola, pan con minuta.
Watch this heron gulp down a giant fish. No swimming for the next 30 minutes, heron.
Key deer
A tiger shark stalking a bonito, with a shrimp boat on the horizon. 
My brother took these with his phone. Thanks, bt!
…and one more of that beast.
Exploring No Name Key.
Shrimps.
Great Egret, waiting for fish scraps.
Royal Poincianas ignite with blooms in May.
Pretty snapper, grumpy grouper.
This is ikan bakar, an Indonesian recipe for whole fish over fire. I’ll share the recipe for it soon.
Enjoy the best month of the year!
In Bloom is a monthly roundup of Florida news and other things I’ve stumbled upon around the Web, along with photos I’ve taken. Have something you’d like to share? Email me: [email protected]
