Tasmanian guide to buying LCHF friendly produce

One of the hardest things I have found with changing our lifestyle has been finding user friendly cafes and shops.  

There is a lot of footwork and internet stalking initially, to find what you want.  

The latter made even more difficult because, lets face it Tasmanian businesses just don't seem to get the internet thing.  They either don't have a website or the website they sent up in 2006 hasn't been touched since then.

So, to help other folk out I have come up with a document.  And, well, being a virgo this is what I do LOL

Because this WOE (way of eating) is relatively new to us Tasmanians the demand on businesses hasn't be high for the products we want.

However, I am not one to shy away from asking.  I figure the worst they can do is say no, and really that doesn't do them any favours does it!

I have been pleasantly surprised with most responses and am pleased to say that most places that I ask for a specific request either agree straight up or at the very least agree to consider my request. 

Only this week I put the challenge out to Conmurra Farm where I buy my meat to see if they would do some paleo sausages.  I asked that they be just meat, fat and seasoning with no filler at all.  They gladly took this on board and sent me a kilo of pork and a kilo of beef with my order to try out!  

And a great price of under $10 per kilo!

You can't get better service than that!

Also, if you are a first time buyer thru the link above you get a discount!

Obviously I can't buy all my food through Conmurra.  

Below is a run down of where I get most of my bits and bobs for the week:

Wholesome House - Mowbray

David and Lee are awesome!  They stock most of what I need and if they don't then they will do their utmost to source it and get it in for you.   

They stock all Ashgrove products, organic seasonal fruit/veg, MCT oil, coconut oil, ACV in bulk, bulk nuts/nutmeal/nut butter, herbs/spices loose, ghee, eggs, sauerkraut plus much more!  

They also have a great range of water filters, which is really important to keeping healthy.  I have a reverse osmosis filter that I bought from them and truly it is the best thing I have spent money on and has paid for itself in no time! 

If you don't filter your water I highly recommend researching the benefits and consider doing it. 

I also try and do my veg shopping at Harvest Market most Saturdays. There are two great stalls there that sell chemical free veg.  They are really reasonably priced and you are supporting local independent businesses at the same time.

I also buy my coffee at Harvest from Ritual Coffee.  Another local small business.  His coffee is great tasting and good quality so well worth the $$$

Steve & Grace's greengrocer out at Youngtown have avocados super cheap most of the time. I got some for 65c each this week!  And, the greengrocer in Mowbray often has cauliflower cheap too.

But to do the leg work for you

I have created a guide to buying LCHF/paleo.  

This is downloadable and printable for you to use.

Obviously it doesn't list every business in Tasmania.  It has many Launceston businesses who were contacted and a few in other areas around the state.

It also doesn't list every item.  I think most people know where to buy eggs or almond meal from.  The products included are the ones I see most people asking about on websites, forums and FB groups.  

If you have a product you find tricky to buy or you know of a business that stocks loads of good stuff then please leave a comment and I can add it to the list.  

I would love to be able to include more businesses out side of Launceston.

Launceston LCHF Buyers Guide

Do you eat your fermented veg?

I must admit I am new to the whole fermented veg caper.  

I was one of those people who always said sauerkraut was gross.  

Until I actually tried it! LOL

Once I tried it I realised just how awesome it actually is. 

But there are loads of veg ferments you can do. 

Beetroot is another fave here with my son and I am yet to try other veg.

I prefer sauerkraut myself and love love love it with beef!

Another thing that turned me off it was that I thought it was something terribly difficult to make.

The opposite couldn't be more true though.

If you can use a knife you can make kraut pretty much. 

That is how simple it is.

Slice some cabbage, actually you'll want loads of cabbage as it packs down quite a bit.  Take off the outer leaves (but keep them as you will use them later).

Once you have sliced it up thinly, cut it into inch long pieces and put in a large dish.  Then pound it with a meat cleaver or, as I used, a rolling pin.

This releases juices and sugars and helps get the fermentation process happening.  Once you can see it is wet move on to the next step of salting it all.

Sprinkle some salt and add some water and culture.

That's it!

The salt I use is the seaweed salt from Changing Habits.  I love himalayan salt at the best of times but like the added nutrition of seaweed in this one.   

I used 1/2 a medium cabbage for one large jar of kraut and I added two good pinches of salt to the cabbage and mixed it in well.

Once you have mixed the salt in well it is time to pack it into your jar.  Make sure you have a clean, sterile jar.  As you add the cabbage, push it down firmly with your  rolling pin or spoon etc   Make sure you push it down as hard as you can.

When you have all the cabbage in the jar add your water and starter.  I used about 3tbs of water kefir and filtered (no chlorine or fluoride) water.   Add enough water to cover the sliced cabbage.  You don't want cabbage sticking out the top as it will go mouldy and spoil.  

With those outer leaves tear them up and place them in the top, Pushing the sliced cabbage down under the liquid.

When it is all nicely packed in and covered pop a clean cloth over the top to keep dust/bugs out and sit it in a warm spot.  Just check reguarly that the cabbage is still under the liquid line.

Depending on the weather it will take between three days and two weeks to get all funky and tasty.

After the first couple of days just have a taste every now and then to see if you like it in.  

The texture should be firm but not raw crunchy and it should have a bit of a funky smell about it.

It really is personal taste as to how long you let it ferment but once it has reached the point you want pop it in the fridge to stop the process.

You can add some of the liquid from this one to your subsequent batches as a starter and if you don't have kefir to add don't panic.  You can add some probiotic, or buy a whey powder online to add.  You can also make it without any of these but the process may take a bit longer.

Enjoy!  

As I said, I love it with beef in particular. Fermented veg are so beneficial to your health and aid digestion.  The lactic acid released in the fermentation process help promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut too.

Home made Protocol tomato paste

I love home made tomato paste and it is very easy to make.

As you will know, commercial pastes have oils in them and often are loaded with preservatives and other nasties.  

This makes them very no-no for phase 2 of the protocol.

The addition of tomato paste to a dish can make the difference between bland or divine!  It is rich and full of flavour and enhances so many recipes.

So, lets get started.  I make this in bulk.  When I see a box of tomatoes at the greengrocer marked down, or if I have a glut of tomatoes in the garden I will make paste.

No measurements required here, you just need a couple of kilo of tomatoes really.  You can add herbs, salt/pepper, garlic or onion to taste if you want but I tend to make mine just plain with a dash of salt.

Because this is a time consuming task I sometimes cheat a little.  I roughly chop the tomatoes and put them in a pot on the stove top and boil them for an hour or so to give the reduction a head start.   

In the mean time I get my baking dishes organised and turn the oven on to 180c.

Next, I drain off some of the liquid and then puree the tomatoes, no de-seeding here cos I am lazy!

Pour into baking dishes and pop in the oven.

Now the time intensive part starts.   You need to check this at least every 30 minutes and give the tomatoes a stir.   The over all process will take about four or so hours.

You cannot leave this to do it's thing or you will burn it!

When your mix starts to look like this, turn the oven down to 160c as you don't want your tomato mix to burn.

You are nearly done!

A little longer and you are done!  

This is beautiful stuff.

There will be a tiny bit of liquid in your mix but that is ok.  

Just take the time to smell this.  It is heavenly stuff.

Now, you can preserve this in jars (like jam) or you can do what I do.  

I pop it into ice cube trays and freeze then tip into a plastic bag/container and keep in the freezer.

This makes it handy for cooking, especially if you don't want to have a jar sitting in the fridge for a long time.