Page 42 - CFANnov13

8 TIPS FOR

BUYING Photos courtesy
of FDACS
RURAL PROPERTY,
PART I
Recipe Spotlight

INVESTING IN RURAL recreational

and investment property is more popular
than ever, but it’s important to approach the

process mindfully. Don’t just latch on to any- Mixing it Up with the Culinary

thing because it sounds good. Here are the
first three tips to help you make informed de-
Wealth of Florida
cisions along the way to owning rural prop-
erty:

1. Do your research: Research the market by TRENT ROWE, Food Editor
to make sure the property is not over-
We live in a culinary smoothie.
priced. Listed prices do not always reflect
what properties are truly selling at. To be

sure you’re getting a fair deal, get a local Florida food is a bit of this a bit of that
and all smooshed together
realtor involved in the process.
from many countries, as immigrants settled here and
2.Know the infrastructure ins and the bounty enjoyed by Native Americans.
they shared
outs: Purchasing rural land can present
challenges. Oftentimes, these properties

are without access to city water and sewer use of it— fresh, dried, ground, breads, soups, and des-
services and may have limited or no access
And as Floridians, we have added our own serts. A Florida fish fry wouldn’t be the same without
to electric, phone, cable television, and touches to dishes. The one that comes to mind Hush Puppies.
high-speed Internet services. Be sure to
is Greek Salad with potato salad in the center. Spanish bean soup, Conch chowder, Hoppin’ John,
look into all of these details, including road The story goes that Pappas restaurant in Tarpon Greek salad, sweet potato biscuits, Key Lime pie, kum-
maintenance, trash pickup, and school bus
Springs made the hearty addition because sponge quat marmalade, guava turnovers and Boliche all start-
routes.
divers and dock workers needed more than just ed somewhere else.

3. Find room for improvement. Are there vegetables and feta cheese for energy.
And simple dishes that we think of as American get
existing structures on the property that a new outlook on life with foreign flavors. Take good ol’

could be restored economically rather than Sloppy Joes, for example. The sauce even comes in a can.
building new, costly structures? Do you need Make it like you always do but add a few sliced stuffed IT’S FUN, IN SEASON,
TO LISTEN TO TOURISTS
to install septic systems and wells? Connect green olives, a few raisins, some chopped tomato, a
with a local contractor and approach your when they get it first, trying to
pinch of allspice or nutmeg, and a splash of hot sauce.
neighbors to determine standard well depth You have Picadillo. Sort of a Sloppy Jose. Instead of figure out 1.) what it is and 2)
and septic system requirements for the why it is. Spread some Florida
burger buns, you can serve it on Cuban bread.
specific soil conditions.
Florida has its own avocados, but we didn’t always hospitality and tell them what
and why.
have them. They came north from Mexico and South
In my next column, we’ll consider code America. They have less fat and fewer calories than the

restrictions, property details, insurance California varieties. They are even smooth and pretty. Things we take for granted were not always here.
rates and more.
But they are bigger, so if you eat a whole one you probably
Pigs were brought by Spanish explorers and prolifer-
get more calories. Share. Try cutting one in half, whack ated in our climate . . . the pigs, not the explorers.

the seed with a big knife and twist it out, sprinkle with How could we have cook-outs without ribs and
lemon or lime juice, and fill the cavity with crab, tuna or pork shoulders?

chicken salad.
Africans added their touches— spices and ingredi-
The big star of the Florida food show is citrus. Our ents— from home. Cubans kicked in their share, too.

state would not be a shadow of what it is without citrus Lunch in Central Florida is often Cuban sandwiches,
from somewhere else— and air conditioning. Now is the thick with marinated meats and pickles, mustard and

by LEIGH ANN WYNN
time to try some new dishes with citrus. Make a salad of mayo squeezing out the sides of the crispy bread. Mi-
bright grapefruit sections cut in half, diced cucumber and norcans and Jews added a pinch of this and dash of that to

This column is sponsored by Bankers South Lending & Finance. celery for crunch, mayo for smoothness, boiled Florida their own dishes, adapted to use what they found.
BIO: Leigh Ann Wynn is the director of marketing and business
shrimp (cut in pieces if large) for taste. Garnish with herbs Caribbean cuisine is a mixture of many origins, and
development for Bankers South. Adding mortgage loan originator from your garden. Thank goodness people shared their it got Florida’s food even more mixed up when it came
to her title, Leigh Ann is actively working with the AgAmerica
Lending Program by Bankers South, offering low interest ag loans. culinary wealth. ag
north with tropical ingredients and spices.
As an active member of the ag community and a seventh generation Look at Florida cookbooks and you see what we had
Floridian, Leigh Ann understands your ag needs and is here to answer
your questions. She can be reached at leighann@bankerssouth.com to start with, and how much has been imported into the
or (863) 607-9500.
mix. The natives gave us corn and we have made great

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