Flower and Garden Fest 2013: Round Four

Ah, yes. The final round. The smattering of dishes I haven't yet tried that  are all over the board and a little difficult to plan "in meal order," so I just eat them as I come to them on my circle around the lagoon. I had some company for this trip. T was along for the day, to enjoy some Epcot and some time together (and to renew his Annual Pass).

First stop ahead!

HANAMI

Frushi (fresh strawberries, pineapple and cantaloupe, rolled with coconut rice, atop raspberry sauce, sprinkled with toasted coconut and garnished with whipped cream).

I had a pretty good idea of how this was going to be and I was right on target: light, fresh, sweet fruit. Nice and cool. Coconut rice was interesting. Nothing all that adventurous, but very tasty.


Definitely still plenty hungry. Lucky thing, the next stop is close by!

THE SMOKEHOUSE: BARBECUE AND BREWS

Rocky Road Brownie Mousse.

Don't allow the word 'mousse' to fool you. This was some serious dessert. Rich and dense and not for the casual chocolate fan. The chocolate had the intensity and semi-bitterness of dark chocolate, which was a pleasant surprise for me. All the different textures and contrasts in color made this one a lot of fun to photograph.


After all that sweetness, it was time for some real food.

PRIMAVERA KITCHEN

Lasagna Primavera (spinach lasagna, green peas, zucchini, mushrooms, broccolini, bechamel and fresh tomatoes with garlic and basil leaves).

Lots of bright colors and flavors from all the veggies. The tomatoes were my favorite part though. They weren't hot (in temperature), like a tomato sauce would be, but were just warm and spooned over the top, not baked on there with the rest of the dish. It was a pleasant riff on the classic lasagna, which felt just right for spring!


I was starting to get a little full (the brownie and the lasagna were both larger portions than their photos might lead you to believe), so off we went again, this time with a beverage in mind.

FRUITS BY THE GLASS

Mango Mama, Mango Wine from Florida Orange Groves.

This was an interesting contradiction in flavor. It was sweet and peachy (often the taste that comes most quickly to mind, for me, with mango), but it had that tart aftertaste, similar to that of grapefruit. We found a shady spot and I sipped until it was gone and we were ready to move on.


Final destination, contemplated during aforementioned sipping. I knew I had room for only one more taste, so this had to be given careful consideration.

THE COTTAGE: SAVORIES, TRIFLES AND TEAS

Chocolate Trifle.

Thank goodness this little treat was just a few mouthfuls. It was rich and decadent. Lots of chocolate flavor. The best part: the little round "crunchies" on top! The most delightful part: that triangle of chocolate with themed printing on it!


Whew. Mission accomplished! Only a couple of menu possibilities that I just couldn't squeeze in (the Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Pineapple Promenade and the Tacos de Carnitas from Jarin de Fiestas). I thought this was a fun addition to Flower and Garden Fest, with fresh, festival-appropriate menus, and I really hope they give it an encore in 2014!