Farm-To-Table Online Ordering

It’s hard to buy farm-to-table products when you’re stuck at home. I haven’t seen the inside of a grocery store since April. Instead I have found farms, and other independent companies that deliver and ship their products. In this way I feel I am supporting local, even if the farm/company is in California.

Above, Deep Dish pizza made with flour from Carolina Ground Flour Mill (N.C.), active yeast from Hodgson Mill (IL), vegan pepper jack cheese from Urban Cheesecraft (OR), fresh rosemary from R. Pontano Produce (Fla. farm), red bell peppers from Jack Scalisis Produce (Fla. distributor), and other ingredients from Publix (Fla.) through InstaCart.

Here's a list of farms and companies I have been buying from online starting in Florida with farmers and wholesalers turned retailers that do contactless delivery:

1. R. Pontano Produce, Boynton Beach farm, specializing in herbs, fresh vegetables and fruit. They deliver in Palm Beach County and Broward County with a min. order of $25.

2. Jack Scalisis Produce, West Palm Beach, a mini grocery store with fresh vegetables, fruit, cheese, pasta, oils, eggs, Asian food items, Italian food items, and even some household items. They deliver in Palm Beach County with a min order of $60.

3. Truffle Guy Home Delivery, West Palm Beach, specializing in Italian food items including oil, olives, flour, pasta, cheese and some frozen fish and mushrooms. They deliver in Palm Beach County with a min order of $50.

4. Al's Family Farm, Ft. Pierce, specializing in growing citrus and during the summer selling peaces harvested in Georgia. They ship.

Above, Peaches purchased and shipped from Al's Family Farm, in July, 2020.

5. Got Sprouts?, Riviera Beach, specializing in fresh wheatgrass, sprouts, and growing equipment for sprouts. They deliver and ship.

6. Castronovo Chocolate, Stuart, specializing in artisan small batch bean-to-bar-chocolates. They ship.

Above, Bread made using flour from King Arthur Flour Company and The Truffle Guy, yeast from Bob's Red Mill, and cane syrup from a farmer friend of mine in Central Florida.

Next are the companies and farmers that are located outside of Florida but still in the United States.

1. Anson Mills, S.C., specializing in heirloom flour, grains, rice and beans.

2. Carolina Ground Flour Mill, N.C., specializing in unique and heirloom flours.

3. King Arthur Flour, VT, specializes in flout but has so much more like flavorings, utensils, grains, sugars...etc They have yeast but I did not find it very effective.

4. Hayden Flour Mills, AZ, specializing in Heritage Grain flours and whole grains. They have yeast but I did not find it very effective.

5. Bob's Red Mill, OR, specializing in flour and so many other ingredients. They have yeast that is very effective.

6. Atlantic Holdfast Seaweed Company, Maine, specializing in sustainably harvesting wild seaweed, kelp, and irish moss in Maine.

7. Shanley Farms, CA, Specializing in finger limes and other seasonal fruit. They ship.

Above, fresh Bahri Dates from Rancho Meladuco Date Farm, CA, shipped to Florida.

8. Rancho Meladuco Date Farm, CA, specializing in homegrown dates. They ship.

This list of farm-to-table farms and companies will help you have the most delicious meals and conscience, knowing you are helping them stay in business.

Enjoy.

Calming Edible Roses

Most people think of roses just in a garden but they can be eaten. Certain types of edible roses are tastier than others like Rosa damascena, Rosa gallica, and the one featured in this article Rosa rugosa.  They can be dried for tea, or cooked directly into jellies and syrups for dessert ingredients.

Wild rose (Rosa rugosa) in thorny bush, Northern Maine,
Copyright 2020 by Helen A. Lockey

In tea, they are thought to help with improving your digestion, elevating your mood, and assisting with blood circulation. In jelly they just taste great and smell just like fresh petals, I bought my first jar at Harrods in London.

Freshly picked wild roses and red clover flowers, Northern Maine
Copyright 2020 by Helen A. Lockey

When choosing roses to harvest make sure they have not been sprayed with any chemicals.  When you go to harvest your rose petals pick the petals early in the morning when the flowers are the sweetest and most flavorful. Then wash them in clean water, pat them dry and put on a plate.

Dried wild rose petals and red clover buds, Northern Maine
Copyright 2020 by Helen A. Lockey

Then place the petals in a sunny, dry place in your house. Depending on the conditions, the drying process can take three to five days. Then store them in an airtight container. They will stay aromatic for up to one year. When you go to make tea, take a teaspoon full of petals, pour hot water over them and steep for 3 minutes before drinking.

And if you don't have access to roses or have the time to dry them you can always buy them at a store or online. I recently bought some rose petal tea online at the Tea Spot. That also applies for the rose syrup and rose petal jam (although this can be hard to find).  Enjoy.

Healthy Salad Ingredients To Boost Your Immune System

Salad, what is salad? It's a mix of iceberg lettuce, tomato, croutons, and dressing, right? No, salad is a cold dish that contains at least one raw or cooked vegetable and can be combined with meat or fish. In this blog post, I'm going to look at a vegan green salad ingredients and show what they contain to make your meal the healthiest it can be.

Delicious fresh green salad with black beans (multi-B vitamins, protein),
fresh corn (B12), yellow bell peppers and tomatoes (Vitamin C),
Florida. Copyright June, 2020, by Helen A. Lockey

If you want to get more nutrition in your salad then consider using a darker green lettuce varieties like romaine, escarole or endive (bitter greens that aid in digestion).

Fresh spring mix salad greens full of color and vitamin K,
Florida. Copyright June 2020 by Helen A. Lockey

Then add any number the following ingredients for vitamins: blueberries (vitamin B6, C), shredded carrot (vitamin A), tomatoes (vitamin C), hemp hearts (vitamin E), cooked sweet potato (antioxidant beta carotene, vitamin A), spinach (calcium), avocado (omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin K, E, C, B6), arugula (calcium, vitamin K, C, foliate), steamed broccoli or cauliflower florets (vitamin K, C, B), celery (vitamin A, anti-inflammatory), cucumber (vitamin C, A), bell peppers (vitamin C higher than oranges), red onions (folic acid), mushrooms (B vitamins and Vitamin D when wild harvested), and hot peppers (vitamin C).

Fresh blueberries (vitamin B6) and pumpkin seeds (zinc) add tasty
nutrients to your green salad. Toss it with a bit of virgin olive oil (healthy fat) and
apple cider vinegar (probiotics) and you have a living vitamin pill.
Copyright June 2020 by Helen A. Lockey

And for minerals, protein and other important nutrients consider adding: pumpkin seeds (zinc), shredded raw turnip (zinc), shredded beets (iron), sweet corn (B12, iron), cooked beans or tofu (protein, iron, and calcium), kimchi or sauerkraut (probiotics), radishes (potassium, magnesium), and lentils (protein that is more digestible than beans).

Fresh greens, from left to right: basil, curly leafed kale, sage,
Florida. Copyright June 2020 by Helen A. Lockey

You can also add any number of fresh herbs to increase your vitamin C intake, especially with parsley and cilantro. Be adventurous; try herbs you've not tried before like a generous handful of basil. If you like pesto then you'll love this floral herb in your salad. The only herbs you might want to go light on are sage and rosemary because both of these have very strong, overpowering flavors.

Strawberry (Magnesium), string bean (Vitamin K),
cucumber (Vitamin C) , shredded carrot (Vitamin A),
hemp hearts (Vitamin E), and chick peas (protein)
Florida, Copyright June 2020 by Helen A. Lockey

It's best to limit your fresh fruit ingredients, so as not to spike your blood sugar. Also, most fruit do not digest well with salad greens; the exceptions are blueberries and apples.

These are just a few of the many delicious ingredients you can add to your green salad, use your imagination and explore the yummy world of vegan salads (you could even try some edible flowers).