Lloyd Craft Farms Fresh Produce, Locally Grown

I thought it was Adelle Davis that said, “You are what you eat!”  She may have said it but she wasn’t the first!  

In the 1860’s Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are” and Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach said “man is what he eats”.

In 1942, Lindlahr published You Are What You Eat: how to win and keep health with diet.   (That was when every book had a subtitle to give you a clue as to what it was about.)  Twenty years prior Lindlahr had said, “Ninety per cent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat.”  According to Lindlahr, “food is medicine,” an idea that is still extant and relative 80 years later! 

Food  is Your Best Medicine was the name of a book written by Dr. Bieler in the 1970’s.  AND it was a book that influenced me almost as much as my great-grandmother’s enthusiasm for Adelle Davis, whose books about healthy eating lined Grandma’s kitchen bookshelf.

Fast forward to the last day of 2018.  Ty Bollinger, producer of The Truth About Cancer–A Global Quest, published an article today on the Truth About Cancer website called “Dietary Supplements May Contain Dangerous, Unlabeled Drugs.”  He’s targeting  diet supplements mass marketed to “make” you lose weight, build amazing Thor-like muscles, or enhance male performance.  But, let’s be real!  People are taking supplements for their brains, to avoid diseases, have more energy, lower their blood sugar, reduce their cholesterol, and a whole host of other reasons.  It’s that search for beauty and perfection to an artificial standard, an extension of the quest for peace and happiness…for many it is just trying to feel good and whole again–

Let me share with you the last three paragraphs of Ty’s article:

“There are a plethora of God-given, natural, organic herbs and minerals that keep our bodies healthy without all the nasty side effects. For example, apple cider vinegar can help with weight loss, immune support, and stabilization of blood sugar. Black pepper essential oil supports the muscles in numerous ways, and cholesterol is the primary building block of testosterone, which is essential for men’s health and libido.

Nutrition is the most important, and absolute best way to keep your body healthy and vibrant. Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables are so depleted of nutritional value, that even the right diet may not be enough to keep your body healthy. The truth is, you likely have no idea what’s in your food. From GMOs to soil depletion, healthy, whole foods simply don’t pack the same punch they once did.

Synthesized dietary supplements aren’t as beneficial as supplements based on whole foods. To protect your body from dangerous, potentially harmful, hidden pharmaceuticals, be sure to stick to organic, natural, whole foods.”

These last two paragraphs sum up our mission here on The Farm:  raise organic vegetables with the needed minerals and nutrients to feed these amazing bodies while we live here on this beautiful Earth!  Maybe a second part of that mission is sharing the importance of living food and avoiding some of the dangerous pitfalls that rob us of our health and happiness.  Come Grow with Us…a saying I used to launch our garden adventure 7 years ago…but still applies today!  The adventure goes on!! 

Happy 2019!  In Your Good Health–The Farmer’s Wife

WINTER/SPRING PROGRAM–

Buyer’s Group for the 2019 season starts January 10th, and closes May 31st–This is our FIFTH year!  

Buyer’s Group has 2 Groups: “A” has Produce the 1st & 3rd Thursday, “B” has Produce the 2nd & 4th Thursday.  Want produce weekly?–sign up for both groups.  Membership is limited so we can handle the Boxes, BUT Thursday sales (EXTRA’s) are open to anyone–Walk-In’s Welcome! Information is posted here and at Lloyd Craft Farms Facebook page weekly.

Sign up by responding to this post, sending an email to craftterri@rtconnect.net, or texting your name to 431-1219.  Sign up before January 4th for a BOX on January 10th, or come in January 10th to Bee Healthy and sign up for a BOX on January 17th.  Don’t delay, openings are limited!

visit http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com , Buyer’s Group page for more information–

The Farmer’s Wife

We have replenished the stock at Bee Healthy! More Sunchokes, Green Cabbage, and Root Crops. (Bee closes Saturday at 3:00, OPEN Monday, but may close early for Christmas Eve with families!) New this week, RED BEETS, and Scarlet Queen/Tennouji turnips.  

Why produce? Nutrient dense, which is very good this time of year where we bombard ourselves with sweets, meats, and alcohol…not everyone, but enough of us! Veggies are high in flavonoids and phytonutrients to help repair or sustain our health.

Why fresh? The freshest produce is that right off the plant, which is pretty skimpy this time of year. So your second choice is quality produce, organically grown, stored from the fall at the ideal temperature to reduce the amount of degradation. If you have planned ahead, fresh frozen, dehydrated, and canned is a good option. The stored items are still going to have live enzymes whereas the other options have killed a certain amount of enzymes to allow the preservation.

Why Bee Healthy? It’s a lot easier than shopping our shelter which is no longer the Thursday CSA Pick up place and The Store, but now a warehouse full of winter squash and French pumpkins, and two coolers with potatoes and super cool crops that like it close to freezing. It more fun at The Bee–Janet has added a lot of unique gifts, healthier snacks, nice jewelry items and handwoven Nepalese scarves, and an extensive stock of nutritional supplements and organic goodies that change weekly! Bee Healthy is one of a kind for Worland and the Big Horn Basin–

Recipe ideas? Yes, CABBAGE, TURNIPS, and Sunchokes!

Savoy cabbage sliced thin and boiled with carrots, tossed with cream and nutmeg–good side dish for a dinner, or in a bowl to warm our bodies after a brisk excursion outdoors!

Green cabbage as Cabbage Burgers, Cabbage Rolls, or Grilled Cabbage Wedges with melted Parmesan, as well as an ingredient for soups. Of course, we of mostly German heritage love Cabbage and Sausage, cooked to perfection in the cast iron skillet.

Red cabbage is the most beautiful and nutrient dense due to its red color which indicates anthocyanin content–an anti-oxidant which helps to balance the effects of oxidation damage caused by our American diet, environment, and meds, to name a few causes. (Stress can be a huge contributor, too!) Red cabbage can be finely grated and added to any winter tossed salad or spinach mix. It can be added to any of the green cabbage recipes for a nutritional boost. Beautiful as fermented sauerkraut–try adding carrots and a little grated ginger root. (Fermenting can be as casual as a 1 or 2 liter Pik-Lit jar, or quart canning jar. The Pik-Lit has a vent to let the fermenting gases out, and keep the good bacteria in and balanced.)

Turnips this week, the first time for the Scarlet Queen and Tennouji, are mild enough for a relish tray Christmas day, or added to a stew or soup. They can be stir-fried or grated and added to a tossed salad. The Purple topped turnips are a little stronger flavor, but cook down beautifully and add a nutritional boost to any gravy or soup.

Sunchokes–info sheet at http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com in the top tab. Roasted sunchokes are a great addition with other root crops. (Beware the Red Beet, it makes everything else rosey colored!) Chop all the similar size, toss in olive oil with your favorite herbs, and salt and pepper. You can wrap in foil and bake in the oven, or stir to cook in a cast iron skillet. Some folks even grille them–not my gift! The info sheet lets you know what Sunchoke’s (AKA Jerusaleum Artichokes) special nutritional gift is!

Decorating the tree today and baking down a pumpkin for pies! Hmmmmm….love this time of year, but I NEVER START SOON ENOUGH! Merry Christmas to all! The Farmer’s Wife

Where did Tuesday go?!  It stayed here but I headed north for the day—beautiful weather for mid-December and some Christmas ponderings.  Then Wednesday came along and it took me ALL DAY with various diversions to finally finish this post!  So…more about cabbage:   Specifically, Cabbage Rolls!

Before I moved to Worland and was exposed to the Cabbage Burger culture, I made Cabbage Rolls.  No bread, but a filling of meat and rice, wrapped in cabbage leaves, and covered with a red sauce.  You can bake them in the oven, but my recipe used  the pressure cooker—this cuts the cook time, simplifies some of the steps, and locks flavors in!  The oven takes roughly 1-1/2 hours, whereas the pressure cooker takes 18 minutes of cook time, 15 minutes to bring the temp down.  I see a hot little countertop item called the Instant Pot…hmmmm…Christmas gift for a busy cook??

Here’s the Cabbage Roll recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown or long grain white rice
• 1 large head cabbage
• FILLING
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced then “pasted”
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 3/4 lb. ground pork*   (or you can use all beef)
• SAUCE
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, then “pasted”
• 2 (14 1/2 oz. each) cans diced tomatoes with their juice
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 teaspoon low sodium instant beef bouillon
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper or freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons cold water
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Fluff with a fork and set the pan aside.  (White rice can be added to the filling raw.  Brown rice should be parboiled.)
2. Fill a large deep pot half full of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Remove the core from the cabbage and place it, core side down, in the boiling water. (Some recipes remove the core first.)  Cover and let the head of cabbage boil for 7-8 minutes. Remove the softened outer leaves and place them on a plate to cool. Cover the pan and cook the cabbage for 6-8 minutes more, checking and removing the outer leaves as they soften, placing them on the plate to cool. When you get down to the center of the cabbage and the leaves are too small for rolls, cover the pan and cook the cabbage until crisp-tender. When done, remove the cabbage from the heat, coarsely chop it and set it aside.  (All of these steps involve boiling the cabbage to peel the leaves off—you want 15-20 leaves.)
4. For the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to turn light golden brown. Add the garlic and cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire (or black) pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well, taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat. Stir in some of the chopped cooked cabbage. Set the sauce aside.
5. For the filling, in a large bowl, beat the egg, then stir in the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and cooked rice. Add the ground beef and pork and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the ingredients are well combined.
6. Lay one of the cabbage leaves flat on a work surface with the stem end in front of you. Take 2 generous tablespoonfuls of the filling and place it at the bottom of the cabbage leaf. Fold the 2 sides in and roll away from you, making sure filling stays in the center and away from the top edge, until you reach the top of the leaf. You can secure the roll with a toothpick if you like-I don’t find it necessary. They stay together quite well once rolled, and if they do start to unroll, they can be easily tucked back together.
7. Repeat this with the remaining filling and cabbage leaves. I usually get 15 rolls out of the batch of filling.
8. Place the rack in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Pour in 1 cup water. Place 7-8 cabbage rolls on the rack. Cover the rolls with about 1/3 of the sauce. Add a second layer of rolls to the pressure cooker, alternating the direction of the second layer. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolls. After adding the last bit of sauce, take a plastic spatula and gently go around the outer edge of the rolls to allow some of the sauce to drip down around the rolls. Make sure not to overfill the pressure cooker. It’s easy enough to cook these in 2 batches, if necessary.
9. Lock the lid in place, choose High pressure and set 18 minutes cooking time. When the beep sounds, turn off the pressure cooker, unplug it, wait for 15 minutes, then use Quick Pressure to release any remaining steam.
10. Gently remove the cabbage rolls from the pressure cooker to a platter.
11. Select “Sauté” and bring the sauce to a boil.
12. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth and the cornstarch is dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
13. Serve the sauce over the cabbage rolls.7.

You can pick up a locally grown head of cabbage at BEE HEALTHY–cheap and good! Let me know what you think! The Farmer’s Wife

I’ve been sharing information on our Facebook page this last week about CABBAGE!   What kinds do we have stocked at Bee Healthy?  Why so many and are they ‘handled’ differently?  And why eat cabbage anyway?  

3 kinds of cabbage at The Bee:  Green Cabbage (Storage No 4), Winter Savoy (Deadon), and Red Cabbage (Ruby Perfection)—-YES!  They are cooked differently, each with their own unique character, strengths and weaknesses-

Let’s talk Deadon today…A January King variety with green leaves and a beautiful magenta blush at the top! By far the most beautiful of cabbages–a Winter Savoy.    Savoy refers to the wrinkly and often tougher outer leaves. Friday’s dinner at our house was Winter Savoy Cabbage with Carrot, a large tossed Spinach salad, and fresh baked dinner rolls (from the freezer–Utah brand at Blairs).

Why eat cabbage anyway?  According to whfoods.org, a food information non-profit, cabbage is one of two vegetables found to be a mainstay for prevention of type 2 diabetes.  Root crops are the second vegetable.  (Check the information out–57,000 folks in Denmark and the study linked the outcome to their consumption of fish, rye bread, oatmeal, apples and pears, root vegetables, and CABBAGE!)

Cabbage has nearly 20 different flavonoids and 15 different phenols, all of which have antioxidant activities.  This means that the phytonutrients in cabbage equal a whole lot more health benefits to prevent other diseases and conditions.  (Did I mention cabbage is a member of the Brassica’s? You’ve heard me rant about them!)

Red Cabbage is high in anthocyanin’s, a powerful antioxidant, studied in cancer research and credited for cancer prevention.  Red cabbage can be grated into your winter tossed salad, or added to the green cabbage coleslaw for color and added nutrition.  It can be steamed or cooked, too, with a little of the color fading.

Cabbage in a good source of sinigrin…yes, new word for me, too!  Sinigrin is one of the cabbage’s sulfur-containing glucosinolates that also has to do with the prevention of specific cancers.  Sulfur in a mineral that we seem to be lacking with our current American diet.  Prior to the advent of antibiotics, most of the effective drugs were sulfa drugs.  I don’t want to quote out of context so read about sinigrin at whfoods.org–an interesting read!

Cabbage is cheap food!  Ours at The Bee is $.50-$.65/#–unheard of!  At the store this time of year it can run over $1/#.  Keeps well in a cool fridge, and a large head can be shredded and put in ziploc bags for convenience, or carved for several meals during the month.

We have several different cabbage recipes posted on our Recipe page at http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com .

Check it out!  Besides the cabbage, we have carrots, Daikon radishes (both a root crop and a Brassica), onions, potatoes, winter squash, and Sunchokes at The Bee.  We have 10-15 Blue Hubbard squashes here at The Farm–$.40/#, high in vitamin A and C and other nutrients good for getting us through the winter months–   

The Farmer’s Wife

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Holiday Special Boxes will be delivered to Bee Healthy FRIDAY at 10:00.  You can pick them up until 5:30 when The Bee closes.  Boxes are in the back in a cool place but not under refrigeration—the sooner the better to get them to your homes!  🙂

Box Cost is $25– checks payable to Lloyd Craft Farms, or cash in an envelope with your name on the outside.  Helps us keep it straight with The Bee’s busy Friday schedule.   ALL THE BOXES ARE SOLD-  hallelujah!!

Take this opportunity to look around at the neat gifts Janet has in stock for Holiday giving!  Christmas tree ornaments or blown glass bulbs, Journals made from kid’s old classics, and cute knick-knacks for stocking stuffers. ‘Healthy’ treats, wonderful cheeses, and nuts for the stockings hanging off the mantle!  

Thanks for partaking of our last box of the season!  Don’t forget to shop our produce at Bee Healthy till the end of the month.  Buyer’s Group starts up in January!  Stay tuned—The Farmer’s Wife 

This is the time of year we bombard our GI tract (and conversely, blood stream) with lots of sugar, a little pasteurized eggnog, and most likely we overeat at least TWICE!  It’s a good time to add a little probiotic rich foods:  homemade sauerkraut and pickled Daikon’s (recipes and directions for both included in your Holiday Special Box). 

Sauerkraut takes roughly 4 weeks to cure, but HECK, you got to sample it each day after the first week to see if it’s DONE!  (Love that crunch–)  You’ll know when the Pickled Daikon’s are…pickled.  The purple Bravo’s are especially beautiful with the rose colored water. Even pickled, they still crunch!  Daikon’s are a milder radish that most of the smaller varieties–and high in dense nutrition and anti-oxidants.  (It’s that Brassica family again–such a good reputation!) 

I enjoy my Pick-Lit jar on the kitchen counter—it makes a couple of liters at a time.  Just right for us—better fresh than canned, with more enzyme action!  Your Holiday Special Box has 2 pickled recipes:  A quart sized Sauerkraut recipe for the 28 oz of shredded Kaitlin cabbage, and Lacto-Fermented Daikon’s with Garlic for the 1# bag of Daikon Radishes.  The bonus for both are not only is the food fermented and loaded with LIFE, but they are both in the Brassica family which is the hero of health with high levels of anti-oxidants!

Only 7 Holiday Special Boxes left to reserve for delivery to Bee Healthy on Friday, December 7^th–$25.  Email (craftterri@rtconnect.net), text (431-1219), or respond to this post! 

HOLIDAY SPECIAL BOX CONTENTS—Shredded Cabbage (28 oz bag) of tender Kaitlin, suitable for sauerkraut, cabbage burgers, fried cabbage and Polish sausage, and slaws.  1# bag Brussels sprouts, 3# bag of Patriot potatoes (Red/White/Blue), Jumbo Yellow onion, 1# bag of Tri-color carrots (purples/orange/yellow), Daikon Radishes (Purple and White, milder than most radishes), 1# Sunchokes (AKA Jerusaleum Artichokes), and Winter Squash (Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash–blond, sweet, and smooth textured Acorn type).  Oodles of information and recipes included!

This is the last box for 2018.  We will continue to stock Bee Healthy until the end of the month, or until we run out.

With a little inspiration and a lot of ideas, this Holiday Special Veggie Box is a good thing for the Holiday season!  The Farmer’s Wife

Want an easy meal?  All the root crops can be combined in a full flavored roasted veggie dish–carrots, potatoes, sunchokes, daikons…season with onion and thyme, salt and pepper.  Bake in the oven.  Great on a lazy snow day when you are wrapping gifts and decorating! 

With a little inspiration and a lot of ideas, this Holiday Special Veggie Box is a good thing for the Holiday season! $25, only 10 Boxes left–     

HOLIDAY SPECIAL BOX CONTENTS—Shredded Cabbage (28 oz bag) of tender Kaitlin, suitable for sauerkraut, cabbage burgers, fried cabbage and Polish sausage, and slaws.  1# bag Brussels sprouts, 3# bag of Patriot potatoes (Red/White/Blue), Jumbo Yellow onion, 1# bag of Tri-color carrots (purples/orange/yellow), Daikon Radishes (Purple and White, milder than most radishes), 1# Sunchokes (AKA Jerusaleum Artichokes), and Winter Squash (Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash–blond, sweet, and smooth textured Acorn type).  INFO SHEET AND PLETHORA OF RECIPES!

Reserve by sending an email (craftterri@rtconnect.net), texting (431-1219), or responding to this post!  Reserve by December 6^th  for Pick Up at Bee Healthy on December 7th. (Take some time to shop The Bee–Janet has brought in some unique gifts!) This is the last box for the year, but we will continue to stock these items at Bee Healthy until the end of the month.  The Farmer’s Wife

It’s December!   We have 13 Holiday Special Boxes left out of 50…$25…They are loaded with colorful and festive veggies:  Purples, orange, and yellow carrots that are tender and sweet (raw on a relish tray or in a tossed salad).  Purple and snow white Daikon radishes (pickled or crisp alongside the carrots).  Steamed herb Patriot potatoes of red, white (actually a creamish yellow), and stunning blue as a side dish with your holiday ham.  Roasted Brussels sprouts–fresher than most in the stores– that can be combined with balsamic vinegar and craisins! All full of color and veggie freshness for just $25 (includes information and recipes and 2 pages of information on Sunchokes)–

With a little inspiration and a lot of ideas, this Holiday Special Veggie Box is a good thing for the Holiday season! Reserve your box for Friday Pick Up on December 7^th at Bee Healthy by sending an email (craftterri@rtconnect.net), text message (431-1219), or responding to this post!   

HOLIDAY SPECIAL BOX CONTENTS—Shredded Cabbage (28 oz bag) of tender Kaitlin, suitable for sauerkraut, cabbage burgers, fried cabbage and Polish sausage, and slaws.  1# bag Brussels sprouts, 3# bag of Patriot potatoes (Red/White/Blue), Jumbo Yellow onion, 1# bag of Tri-color carrots (purples/orange/yellow), Daikon Radishes (Purple and White, milder than most radishes), 1# Sunchokes (AKA Jerusaleum Artichokes), and Winter Squash (Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash–blond, sweet, and smooth textured Acorn type).

Don’t delay–they are moving quickly.  This is the last Special Box of the year and from the 2018 garden.   The Farmer’s Wife

Thanks to those that picked up their Special Holiday Boxes today!  There are 4 Boxes still available this Saturday at Bee Healthy–The Bee closes at 3:00 p.m. $25 per box–

You can also reserve a box for next week by sending me an email (craftterri@rtconnect.net), texting (431-1219), or responding to this post!  Reserve by December 3rd for Pick Up at Bee Healthy on December 7th.  This is the last box for the year, but we will continue to stock these items at Bee Healthy until the end of the month.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL BOX CONTENTS—Shredded Cabbage (28 oz bag) of tender Kaitlin, suitable for sauerkraut, cabbage burgers, fried cabbage and Polish sausage, and slaws.  1# bag Brussels sprouts, 3# bag of Patriot potatoes (Red/White/Blue), Jumbo Yellow onion, 1# bag of Tri-color carrots (purples/orange/yellow), Daikon Radishes (Purple and White, milder than most radishes), 1# Sunchokes (AKA Jerusaleum Artichokes), and Winter Squash (Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash–blond, sweet, and smooth textured Acorn type).

We are calling this the Holiday Special Box.  It’s December!   These veggies are loaded with festive colors:  Purples, orange, and yellow carrots that are tender and sweet (raw on a relish tray) paired with the purple and snow white Daikon radishes (pickled or crisp along side the carrots).  Steamed herb potatoes red, white (actually a creamish yellow), and stunning blue as a side dish with your holiday ham.  Or steamed and roasted Brussels sprouts–fresher than most in the stores– that can be combined with balsamic vinegar and craisins! (Color and veggie freshness–)

Want an easy meal?  All the root crops can be combined in a full flavored roasted veggie dish–carrots, potatoes, sunchokes, daikons…season with onion and thyme, salt and pepper.  Great on a lazy snow day when you are wrapping gifts and decorating!

This is the time of year when we will have lots of sweets bombarding our GI tract and blood stream.  It’s a good time to add a little probiotic rich foods:  homemade sauerkraut and pickled Daikon’s (recipes and directions for both included).

How about a Bundt Carrot Cake?–a good dessert for a Holiday meal.  The deep purple carrots make the cake moist and when cooked they become sweeter. Include  the orange and yellow carrots, and the cake is festive and almost looks confetti-filled!  Dust with powdered sugar to make it lower calories than a fully frosted cake.  (Additional Carrots are at Bee Healthy.  We’ll be adding Deep Purple next week–1# bags for $1.75.)

With a little inspiration and a lot of ideas, this Holiday Special Veggie Box is a good thing for the Holiday season!  The Farmer’s Wife