May is one of the most exciting months for cooking with Fresh From Florida produce, as farms across the state are bursting with vibrant, peak-season fruits and vegetables. From juicy tomatoes and sweet corn to refreshing watermelon, blueberries, and crisp cucumbers, this time of year offers endless inspiration for light, flavorful recipes that celebrate local ingredients. It’s also a great opportunity to incorporate Florida-raised beef into your meals—perfect for grilling season and pairing beautifully with fresh, in-season sides. Think grilled steak with sweet corn salad, beef sliders topped with farm-fresh tomatoes, or hearty bowls loaded with local veggies and protein. Whether you’re tossing together fresh salads, firing up the grill, blending smoothies, or baking berry-filled treats, using Fresh From Florida produce and beef ensures incredible flavor, supports local farmers and ranchers, and brings the true taste of Florida straight to your table.
Florida Blueberry Biscuit Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup Florida blueberries
1 cup Florida pecans, chopped
½ cup Florida honey, divided
2 tablespoons low-fat milk
2 cups biscuit mix
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine biscuit mix, blueberries, pecans and milk. Mix well and add enough of the honey to make the mixture stiff like cookie dough. Place dough by tablespoonful onto a greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle remaining honey on each cookie. Bake an additional 5 minutes and serve immediately.
Florida Beef and Vegetable Meatballs
Ingredients
1 pound Florida lean ground beef
1 cup Florida yellow squash, grated fine
1 cup Florida zucchini, grated fine
1 cup Florida mushroom, chopped fine
1 cup Florida carrot, shredded fine
1 cup panko
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning (your favorite)
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil for cooking
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, seasoning blend and panko. Stir until well combined. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir mixture again. Add the ground beef and vegetables to the bread crumb mixture. Continue to mix the beef with all the ingredients, until everything is uniformly incorporated.
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Roll the beef mixture into golf ball sized or smaller meatballs. Working in batches and making sure not to overcrowd the pan, cook the meatballs in a small amount of vegetable oil. The meatballs need to reach an internal temperature of 165 to be completely done. Continue to cook meatballs in sauté pan until they are browned all over. Place meatballs on a sheet pan and put into oven until completely done. Serve meatballs warm with extra grated parmesan cheese.
Fresh Tip: Double the recipe to use the already cooked meatballs to easily make other yummy dishes!
Florida Squash and Zucchini Ricotta Rollups
Ingredients
2 large Florida zucchini or yellow squash, sliced thin lengthwise
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 cups marinara sauce (your favorite)
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
â…“ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup fresh basil, hand torn
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
Lay out all the zucchini and yellow squash slices on paper towels. Lightly sprinkle each side of the sliced zucchini and squash with sea salt. Let the salted slices sit for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes use another paper towel to soak up any liquid from the vegetables. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and Italian seasoning. Season cheese mixture lightly with salt and pepper. Spread a thin layer of the cheese mixture on one side of each vegetable slice. Roll each slice up carefully and place seam side down in a baking dish. Evenly add marinara sauce to the top of the vegetable rollups. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Top with hand torn basil, serve warm.
Florida Tropical Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
4-5 pounds Florida beef short ribs
2 Florida mangoes, diced small
1 Florida papaya, diced small
¼ cup Florida orange blossom honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
â…“ cup low-sodium soy sauce
â…“ cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons oil, for cooking
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Preheat large ovenproof sauté pan to medium-high. Season short ribs with salt and pepper, add oil to pan and sear both sides until golden brown. Push ribs to outside of pan and add garlic, ginger and diced fruit. sauté until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, honey, and mix to combine. Cover with lid, place in oven and cook for 2 hours or until tender. Remove from oven and garnish with scallions and cilantro if desired. Serve over rice.
Fresh tip: this recipe can be prepared in a pressure cooker. Follow same instructions, but reduce cook time to 30 minutes, and allow a natural pressure release.
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