Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Going Ga Ga over Green

The news tells me that it has snowed in the northern mountainous regions of my country, and I can almost feel the chill here as there has been a sudden drop in the temperature since two days. It is feels like a taste of things that lie ahead; the woolens and quilts are out of the closet, it is a Herculean effort to step out of the bliss of a soft quilt in morning, every joint of the body lodges a protest initially on being moved, a high degree of self motivation and a hot cup of coffee required to warm up and exercise, you jump around waiting for the heavenly caress of morning sunlight. The sight of the beautiful green leaves bathed in morning sun infuses a warm joyous feeling. You really feel blessed when you can simply snip off a leaf or two from the potager and very comfortably slide it in your sandwich. Spinach, I was reading somewhere, is one of the most condensed food. Here in India we prepare what is known in local dialect as Saag. It is spinach, mixed with mustard leaves and several other leaves depending on local variation, boiled, pureed and then kept on low flame after mixing with an assortment of spices. I, despite the bitter taste, love to eat it the Popeye way – munching on raw leaves while getting on with the rest of my life. Fenugreek is another powerhouse growing in my veggie garden. These iron rich green leaves are an important source of this very important mineral in the otherwise iron deficient vegetarian diets. Mustard presents a pretty picture over the vast expanse of the north Indian farm lands with their bright yellow flowers. In fact this crop has become a symbol of prosperity for farmers Cilantro or Coriander as it is more commonly known here is an integral part of Indian cuisine. The leaves serve as a garnishing while the dried and pounded seeds are used as condiment, imparting a unique flavour to the dish. Some Radish leaves with a little salt sprinkled on and a few drops of lemon juice make a delightful snack to munch on. Icing on the cake is that besides the leaves the root is edible too Leaves of the Kale plant have grown well. I got the plant mainly for its decorative value, but after reading an article on its nutritional value I am tempted to try it in a recipe.

14 comments:

Julie said...

That curly edged kale is just such a happy plant! It makes me happy to eat it also! You are sounding good, Green Thumb...with a beautiful positive, optimistic outlook! Nice to hear your voice! You are a wonderful writer! Have you ever written a novel? A nice novel involving a gardener would be perfect! I would buy a copy for sure!!!

Anonymous said...

What luscious-looking greens! Why mine never grow to such perfection?:(

Sunita Mohan said...

Great post! Just in time to remind me that I'm late in sowing seeds for my 'winter' greens. That kale looks so pretty. I'd love to have some growing in my flower beds.

Chandramouli S said...

How beautifully put! I never realized that I was going through a brief class of Plant and Nutrition. It was entertaining. Cool GT! [Thumbs Up]

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

Very interesting post Green thumb, I love the small green leaves not only on your lovely photos but I mean 'live'. Do you eat the Fenugreek leaves? I have only eaten the seeds...I wonder if I could grow them here. Are they hard to grow? do they need much warmth? I have asked Kanak to help my with my next post, to ID some flowers 'I met' in India, I would very much like your help too. Until later, take care/ Tyra
New Post from Tyra - Leufstabruk

Anonymous said...

What a great selection of salad plants you have. I too am wondering if Fenugreek leaves would grow here. It might be worth a try!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the interesting post. When you talk about landscaping and gardening a thing you cannot forget is the garden sheds which helps to store your gardening equipment. Steel Garden Sheds are the newest trend in market. They are easy to set up and long lasting. Furthermore they are a great money saver.

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

I've difficulty getting out of bed too in the mornings as it is mostly cold and wet here, not to mention dark. It get light between half 8 and 9 in the morning and dark again between 4 and 4.30 which makes it hardly worth while to get up at all. Especially when I'm surrounded by many memebers of the Bliss team and we are all snug as the proverbial bug.

The ornamental kales are edible but a bit on the bitter side. Thanks for the tip about radish leaves and how to savour them, I'll give that a try.

Matron said...

Those decorative brassicas are beautiful. Much too pretty to eat!

A wildlife gardener said...

Hello again, Dear Friend :) i am back in blogland, though in Paris for a little break, after an enforced absence of four months :)

I feel quite hungry after looking at all the lovely fresh green herbs and salad plants you have been growing :)

In Scotland it is very cold, around four degrees today...but, here in Paris, it is two degrees today..and feels as if my face was being bitten off by the chill breeze cblowing from the River Seine!

Here we are in our winter holidays, so if you are on holiday, I wish you a happy time :)

If you are not on holiday, I send you blessings for 2009, for good health and lots of joy,...and Happy Gardening :)

Anonymous said...

Hi GreenThumb,

The happiness I get when I see these healthy looking plants cannot be expressed in words.Well maintained & portrayed.

It would be great if you could also share the hardwork that goes behind these brilliant posts. What kind of soil mix do yo use. How do you fertilize.. organic/inorganic?..

As always your posts are very good.
geekgardener

Anonymous said...

Simply awesome and beautiful. Love the pictures of the flowers and the vegetables. The vege looks well and healty.

Anonymous said...

you have shown me jaipur.........
thanx for the blog........








need bpo jobs without a single rupee!!!!!!!! a genuine job from home.


Work from home

michael said...

While others dither, keen organizations have the bigger vision about the rising Green business sector. The weights on the commercial center region genuine and relentless. Those that neglect to comprehend market powers will without a doubt be rebuffed by them.

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin