Early maps and the first censuses of this area generally refer to the area as Diego or Diego Plains. Tanner’s 1823 map of Florida shows Diego Plains running north along the coast all the way from Guana to Mayport. In 1908, the name was changed to Palm Valley.
Other early maps identify certain places merely as swamps. The 1823 map shows a large area to the west of us as “12-mile swamp.” That name endured and covers part of what is now Nocatee. Further west is an area called Durbin Swamp. That area includes what is now called Durbin Crossing and was once a favorite locale for moonshiners.
The area immediately on either side of the Intracoastal is shown in a 1918 topographical map as Cabbage Swamp. Cabbage is a reference to the sabal palm or palmetto. It is the official state tree of both Florida and South Carolina. The sabal palm features large, fan-shaped leaves. The plant can reach 40 feet tall.
Because the sabal palm is the state tree, it is now illegal to harvest on public land. But, in the old days the “heart” of the sabal palm was the main ingredient in a “Florida Cracker” delicacy called swamp cabbage or swamp cabbage stew.
The primary ingredient is “heart of palm,” the center of the sabal palm taken from just below the fronds. Because harvesting this heart kills the tree, the dish is today a rare delicacy. Heart of palm has a slightly nutty and creamy flavor and is often compared to artichoke hearts, white asparagus and water chestnuts. The other ingredients in swamp cabbage stew include thick-cut bacon and/or sausage and “the holy trinity” of green bell peppers, yellow onions and celery.
Ernie Mickler, a local author and musician and member of the Mickler clan, lived on the far side of the Intracoastal down near the bridge. In 1986, he wrote a book called “White Trash Cooking.” The book was a huge success on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. It featured homey wisdom, old-timey recipes and humorous anecdotes. The very first recipe in the book is for “Uncle Willie’s Swamp Cabbage Stew.” His recipe leaves out the celery and bell peppers, but he adds tomatoes, hot peppers, sugar and thyme.
Ernie advises that “if you don’t live along the Carolina, Georgia, North Florida coast, hearts of palm in a can will work. But don’t cook them too long.” A quick check on the internet says that you can still buy “hearts of palm” today in a can or in a glass jar. Mickler used to like to tell people that he grew up in a swamp. I guess he was right.
The city of LaBelle, Florida, hosts an annual Swamp Cabbage Festival. LaBelle is east of Fort Myers, about halfway to Lake Okeechobee. If you want to go and try swamp cabbage, you will have to wait a year. The event was last weekend.
A few years ago, we organized a history festival here in Palm Valley. Maybe someone should resurrect it as a “Swamp Cabbage” festival. If you would like to learn more about this and other fascinating local history, join us April 16 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the First Coast Cultural Center for a talk on “The History of Ponte Vedra, Palm Valley and Nocatee.” Wine will be served, which I think would have pleased Ernie.
