I Need Your Help, Please

I have created a quick poll to see what YOU are interested in - in regards to foods and farmers markets. So, if you are reading this through your RSS Feed or through some sort of Reader, please take time to click over to this blog and answer the poll (2 questions) on the side of the blog.

I am interested in your reasons for shopping at farmers markets (in hopes that you do shop at farmers markets). If you have never shopped a farmers market, please answer the poll anyway. I would like to know which reasons are most important to you and what would help you shop at a market.

Thanks for taking time to answer the question.

(I have a killer spelt recipe coming soon - I just made it and have pictures to share!)

Lactose Intolerance Shouldn't Exclude Dairy From Diet?

So we were reading an article on lactose intolerance and I wanted to share it to see what your views are:

NIH panel concludes lactose intolerant shouldn't avoid dairy

People may avoid milk and other dairy products due to concerns about lactose intolerance, but eliminating these nutrient-rich foods may be unnecessary to manage the condition and could impact diet and health, a panel of experts assembled by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has concluded.


The NIH Consensus Development Conference on Lactose Intolerance & Health was convened to examine the latest research on lactose intolerance, strategies to manage the condition and the health outcomes of diets that exclude dairy foods. Lactose is the natural sugar in milk and some people lack sufficient amounts of an enzyme that is needed to comfortably digest lactose.


After a thorough review of the scientific evidence, the panel completed a draft consensus statement that is intended to correct some of the common misperceptions about lactose intolerance, including the belief that dairy foods need to be excluded from the diet.

Read more here on their website

So, what do you think about this?

Type O Blood - is this you?

So, I had a person telling me about a book called Live Right for Your Type, meaning blood type. I was told that type O blood will be allergic to wheat/gluten and milk - it has to do with an antigen or an antibody reaction in their body. This person eats spelt because it is an "approved" grain to eat as listed in this book.

What do you think? Have you read this book? Have you heard of this type of diet?

Do any of you have type O blood and can verify that this is indeed you? Mostly, I'm just curious... what do you think?

Here is a picture of the book - or in case you need to purchase it... here is it for your convenience.

Basic Differences in Spelt, Triticale, Kamut

Have you ever wondered what the differences really are in different types of grains and how they compare to wheat? Do you know what some of your grain options are if you find out you have gluten allergies? You don't have to completely eliminate grains and bread from your diet - you just have to be a little more creative in your baking.

Oh - you don't have to have gluten allergies to enjoy these grains - they actually have a nice flavor to them.

Well, here is a quick summary of a few grains for your grain reference.

SPELT

• Spelt has a lower, more fragile gluten content. This means that SOMETIMES, people with gluten allergies can actually eat spelt (but it is a good idea to check with your doctor first)
  
• Spelt has higher fiber than wheat
• Spelt contains 15-21% protein (which is higher than regular wheat)
• Spelt is higher than wheat in complex carbohydrates, iron, potassium, and B vitamins
• It contains nutrients that aid in blood clotting and stimulates the immune system
• Spelt is similar to cooking with wheat flour, but you might find you need a little less water (start with 3/4 of what the recipe calls for), or a little more flour and because of the lower gluten content, don't let your dough rise as high as when using regular wheat flour
• Spelt has a bit of a "nutty" taste to it
  

TRITICALE

• Triticale has a lower gluten content than wheat
• Triticale has a higher protein per gram than wheat
• Triticale has more amino acids and lysine
• Triticale flour is more similar to wheat in taste and can be easily substituted for wheat flour. However, if using leavened breads, you must add at least 50% wheat flour because of the very low gluten content of triticale.
• Be careful when kneading triticale. Do not over-knead the dough as this can damage the delicate gluten.
• Triticale is a cross between durum wheat and rye.
  

KAMUT

• Kamut also has a lower gluten content like spelt, so many people turn to kamut when they have gluten allergies (still a good idea to consult with your doctor first before eating this when you have gluten allergies)
• Kamut contains 17-19% protein - higher than wheat.
• Kamut has less fiber than wheat
• Kamut is higher in vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, pantothentic acid, copper and complex carbohydrates.
• Kamut is considered a "high energy grain"
• Kamut is similar to cooking with durum wheat, so you will have a heavier loaf of bread if you only use kamut. You can add wheat gluten for a lighter loaf - providing your allergies allow it.
• Kamut works great in cakes and pastas.

This summary is based on research done by The Preparedness Store in Idaho Falls, Idaho

Best Ever Muffins

So, I'm still on the frozen fruit thing - and how to use some of that frozen fruit. This is the BEST muffin recipe (from scratch) I've ever made. The picture is compliment of my sister and her blog. Thanks.... (now go check out her blog for more excellent recipes: http://tastethejoy.blogspot.com/)




Recipe:
1 3/4 c sifted flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 c. milk
1/3 c. oil (use half oil and half applesauce. Makes it more moist!)

Stir dry ingredients together. Combine egg, milk, and oil. Add all
at once to dry and stir quickly just until moistened. Add 1 c.
berries (raspberry or blueberry) and fold together gently. Fill greased
muffin tins, top with struesel topping, then bake at 375 for 20-25
minutes.

Struesel topping:
4 T. flour
4 T. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. butter or margarine
Cut together until crumbly, sprinkle on top of muffins.

Enjoy - and now go check out my sister's blog... http://tastethejoy.blogspot.com/

Frozen fruit Smoothies

Last fall, I froze some fruit for my storage and also purchased some frozen fruit in "large" (14 lb) quantities. I bought blueberries, marion berries (like blackberries), and whole strawberries. I froze my own cherries and peaches.

Since I have so much fruit in my freezer, I needed to find something to do with it, so we have been experimenting with making fruit drinks - smoothies included. I confess I haven't been very confident in my smoothie making skills - I always felt like I needed a recipe. Well, now that we've been experimenting, I've learned a few things I would like to share.

1. Use a base for your smoothie - I prefer sherbet, and ice cream, but I know people who enjoy using vanilla or plain yogurt.
   
   
2. Fruit juice adds flavor - you don't have to just use water or milk. Though, I usually use 1 part fruit juice and 1 part water or milk.
   
   
3. Any fruit goes - your imagination is the limit. Add whatever you have - fresh or frozen.
   
   
4. Adding Flaxseed to your smoothie is a great way to get that extra fiber your body needs.
   
   
5. Ice adds thickness and can be easily added to your base.

So, here is one "recipe" we tried last night in our smothie adventures. It was really good... just the right sweetness and a little tangy twist to add some "spice."

Let me know if you try it - and what you think.


RECIPE:
1 cup orange juice (not concentrate)
1/2 cup milk
4 large scoops pineapple sherbet
3-4 large strawberries
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon ground golden flaxseed

Blend in a blender. (We blend in stages - we don't just throw EVERYTHING in and then mix... put in a few things and then mix, add a few more and blend... get it?)

Enjoy!

p.s. I use my blender on my Bosch Universal mixer and LOVE it - it mixes everything up so it is very smooth. Very rarely do I find "chunks" in my drink - unless I really try to create chunks.

p.p.s. I am also bringing this up because we have the opportunity to place an order for frozen berries - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. Orders need to be placed by Feb. 20, 2010 and delivery to my house will be close to the first week in April. You have to pick up your own berries... at my house. Let me know if you would like more information.

p.s. Important note on Canning butter

Once upon a time on this blog, a friend posted about canning butter. Well, I have since learned the following and think you should be aware of it:

IMPORTANT NOTE: The canning of butter is extremely dangerous and should NEVER be done for home consumption. The National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia-Atlanta says that it is not an acceptable way to preserve butter. You aren't "processing" the butter to kills the bacteria...you are only heating the jars to form a seal. This still allows botulism to grow and flourish in the butter....and because botulism is odorless, tasteless and colorless, it can be toxic to your family!

Check out their website www.uga.edu/nchfp for more information. (The link will take you to a specific question about canning of butter.)

Until next time...
-Jamie

Where does food come from? Do you know?

A few interesting statistics that I read about today from a farmer in Illinois who was at a CCA meeting:
-70% of Americans at 4:30 P.M. will not know what they are eating for dinner.
-Most Americans say that food comes from the grocery store.
-These Americans don't care if your farm or my farm stays in business as long as there is food at that grocery store.

I find these statements rather ALARMING. I have a sister who taught school in Utah for ten years, she made the same comments regarding the students that she taught. So I guess this means the adults are failing to teach their children where their food comes from. My sister had a small lesson that she prepared to help them understand the link between her hometown farm and how the grains, potatoes, and beef were raised and then sent to the store. It is my hope that as the year progresses my family will keep you updated on what stages our crops are in from planting through harvest and finally shipping them to the store or farmers market as the case may be.

Take for instance today: I had an order for potatoes to deliver to a local store. I gathered up 17 boxes that would each hold 50 lbs and drove the 2.5 miles to our storage unit (spud cellar). It is here that we can control the temperature which we keep as close to 38 degress Farenheit using a system of fans and tunnels laid beneath the pile of potatoes. The temp outside today was -15 degrees, but inside it was 40. My brother helped me as we sorted out potatoes into a couple of piles: 1-nice smooth 8-10 ounce potatoes, 2-large knobby or unshapely potatoes, 3- small (under 8 ounce), 4 - frozen, badly damaged, way too small, way to rough, or spoiled potatoes. We had a very bad frost that occurred in the middle of our harvest so roughly 10% of our crop was frozen. These potatoes as time goes by start to go very soft and mushy so mushy your finger can go right through the potato. If you have enough of these bad spuds (approx 20%)in a pile you can't bring the temperature down and the whole pile will soon be rotten.

So I now have 1o boxes of large knobbies as I call them, and 7 nice boxes of bakers ready to go. Saturday a friend will help me wash them up and double check for blemishes hidden by the dirt and Monday we will deliver them to the store ready for people to buy. I also sell them from my home so if you're nearby and need a fresh supply let me know.

(Nathan) Subbing in for J since she is taking a needed break.

Soup Base Recipe

I know, you thought I'd never get around to posting the recipe for the soup base. Well, here I am and here it is...

(btw, I got the recipe from my neighbor, so thank you to her. And I called the extension office to check on the "safety" of canned soup. The only thing they said was to NOT add any rice, tapioca or barley (thickening agents). They didn't give a real reason, just said it made your soup NOT SAFE.)

Canned Soup Base

Fill each jar with:
1/2 tsp. salt
dash garlic
1 TBS. heaping bouillon
1 TBS. parsley
1/4 cup onion
1/3 cup celery
1/3 cup carrots
Fill the remainder of the jar with potatoes and water.
Leave one inch headspace.
Put lids on the cleaned rims of the jar.
Pressure at 13 lbs for 40 minutes (or whatever your pressure cooker altitude cooking is for potatoes, since they cook the longest when canning.)

Enjoy... you can make this into a potato cheese soup, clam chowder or beef stew.



A few tips and notes that I would do differently: I would make chunkier carrots and celery. I used my food slicer/shredder and they turned out thinner than I would like.
And I used a soup base bouillon type seasoning. I think I'll try the actual cubes next time. I think the soup base is now overcooked.

Otherwise, we tasted it the other day and really enjoyed it as a cheesy potato chicken soup.

Potatoes - fresh and canning

Need some good, fresh, Idaho potatoes for your Thanksgiving dinner? (or any other meal, for that matter?)

Well, we are making them available in 50 lb boxes or bags. Prices range from $5.00 for very large spuds, $10.00 for a variety of sizes to $15.00 for consistently sized potatoes. Those are the prices for now, anyway... (fall of 2009)

Let me know if you are interested in getting any. We have a cellar full.

They are Russet potatoes - aren't they pretty (as far as potatoes go)?



Last week, I got ambitious and even made bottled soup base with some of my potatoes. I'll get the recipe to you soon. I am way excited to use this bottle to quickly make soup someday.

Oh - and for those serious canners out there... I talked to the ag extension office about making soup base and they said it is usually okay (safe) - as long as you don't put any thickeners in - like rice or barley!

This jar has a few seasonings and is mostly filled with veggies... more on that coming soon.

Until then...