Redland Rambles

Speaking of Gleaning Day, guests had an additional treat in store. Over at a table to one side of the barn, CSA member Lolyklara Palmahuergo set up samples of her lacto-fermented foods. They were all made following recipes from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, written by Sally Fallon. It is chock full of ways to preserve all kinds of foods using natural fermentation, based on principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

I sampled a bok choy salsa which was packed with flavor, tangy pickled cucumbers, a zippy kimchi and milder pickled okra. There were pickled green beans, sweet potato, malanga, and sauerkraut. The foods were lacto-fermented, not made with vinegar or brine. She also makes two kinds of kombucha, chicken liver pate and pesto. All of the vegetables are organic.

Sample platter of pickled foods, sauerkraut on far left, beets in the middle, green beans bottom left, and a few things I didn't taste.

Lacto-fermented foods are made by using whey and sea salt. The whey is a by-product from making yogurt from raw milk, which is obtained from “free pastured animals from North Florida,” Lolyklara explained. She uses different cultures to also make pima milk, kefir, and buttermilk.

Lolyklara Palmahuergo

Eating fermented foods really helped Lolyklara overcome problems with fatigue. She had been exhausted the last few years, so she started reading a lot, trying to find solutions. “I’m a biologist originally and and this made sense,” she said, holding up her well-used copy of Nourishing Traditions. Not only does Lolyklara feel better, as an added bonus, her skin became clear and soft. Excitement about her recovery and a love of cooking propelled her to start making extra pickles to sell. “It’s about feeling useful and working, which I haven’t felt in the last four years since I got laid off from teaching German,” she explained.

All of the above mentioned fermented foods are available for purchase. Email Lolyklara at lolyklara(at)gmail.com to get on her mailing list or call 305-720-7766 to request a product price list and information on how to order. In addition, she is a healer working toward getting certified in the Healing Touch Program, and is looking for volunteers who would like free healings.