Our home is on a two and half acre farmland in Chattarpur on the outskirts of Delhi, acquired by accident. When we moved back from our overseas stint many years ago, the savings did not stretch to an apartment in downtown Delhi. We decided instead to buy land in the city's outlying part, hoping to build a cottage to retire in. There would be birds, dogs, flowers (particularly mogras and madhumaltis climbing walls) and many champa and parijat trees suffusing their scent into the summer winds. So we thought. Luckily, all that happened (except for the cottage which, for a variety of local reasons, stands as a regular house with a gym!).
We now grow greens for our own use - primarily salad greens including a large variety of lettuce, rocket, radish, lemons, tomatoes, beet, celery, parsley, carrots, cucumbers, mint and coriander. This is how we begin the process -sorting the varieties from the time we raise the nursery.
Our lettuce varieties include: Prizehead, Kale, Simpson,Red Romaine, Butter Crunch, Iceberg, Oak Leaf and Regina Dei Chiacci, among others.While we have adequate quantities, sometimes during gestation periods or when they get temperamental, we fall short.
We now grow greens for our own use - primarily salad greens including a large variety of lettuce, rocket, radish, lemons, tomatoes, beet, celery, parsley, carrots, cucumbers, mint and coriander. This is how we begin the process -sorting the varieties from the time we raise the nursery.
We don’t use any chemicals. Sea weed, home-made leaf manure and vermi-compost nourish the soil. Neem oil and a soup of garlic and chilies protect against pests (thank you YouTube). The produce is very organic but we do not want to go through the trouble of getting the certification. Too cumbersome.
Our greens look like this when they shoot up long, lovely and lush.
We throw in a few of our zany little flourishes for a twist in taste. We have three mulberry trees whose fruits we dry (inspired by our Afghan friends) for that unexpected punch and sweetness to a salad. And, we make a delicious summer cooler from our Chinese oranges (something our Vietnamese friends taught us)
I, Chitra, am a journalist focused on social development communications. My husband Gopi works for an NGO specializing in health care. Though very busy with our careers, we are passionate about eating fresh and natural. If you are too, get in touch with us for our extra produce.