Life around the paddy field

I observed that the birds around the paddy fields have their own set routine of feeding and perching.  Maybe that is why this heron decided "come rain, come sunshine, I will not budge from my perching point"

One of the birds had its nest on this Ithi tree (Ficus Microcarpa) and I found the roots of this tree almost covered the tree trunk.

Was staying near a paddy field for a week where the greenery and the natural sound in that area was very soothing.

I was trying to capture the spider web and a bird made a guest appearance.
The place where we stayed was Vempilly Ayurveda Medical Hospital.

The overall impression I got was that the staff (at all levels) were passionate about their work and there was a personal touch to everything that they did. Also noticed that most of them multitasked, like the guy who did the daily massage for me, also doubled up to deliver the morning 6 am kattan kapi. (coffee without milk)
They grow most of the vegetables in the premises, so when it reaches your table, you can be sure that it is organic.

The food is vegetarian but there is variety in what you eat.

The sowing and reaping of the two acre paddy field is mechanised and very cost effective according to Dr Mathews.

Milk production is also in house and they have a dedicated guy, Mr Murukan from Tenkasi, who looks after the stable.

I could not capture the other treatment in action but in this video you can see the herbal medicine being applied on a person who had plantar fasciitis.

I liked this simple idea of using incense to keep away insects and leave a wonderful aroma.

After a long time I saw a "touch me not" in action.

feel of the vegetables

During the pandemic lockdown, what I missed the most was the forays into the vegetable market. 

Not only is it a welcome sight to "feel" the vegetables, you are sure you are picking up the real fresh ones. You don't get the same reassurance when ordering online. The above picture was clicked at the famous Mandai market in Pune when I had been there during my last visit. We bought some mangoes and kept ourselves busy by making mango pickles. Here is one batch ready to be bottled. 

Last week the yield from our kitchen garden was only two drumsticks, some tomatoes and lots of red chillies, so we bought some more drumsticks from the market and made sambhar out of it. Drumstick is one of those rare plant species whose seeds, flowers, leaves, and stems are edible and extremely nutritious. Moringa commonly referred to as drumstick is treated as a 'super plant' for its unique yet powerful properties that combat different ailments in our system.

Talking of the kitchen garden, the Aloe Vera is growing wild and we have been steadily trimming it down. (in other words throwing it away)

I know it is supposed to be medicinal and used for beauty treatments, but I don't have the faintest idea how it is to be consumed. At times I rub the fleshy part of the cut pieces on the elbows and I did notice that the black spots on the elbow have reduced. Another thing that we grow in our kitchen garden is wheat grass. 

Wheat Grass juice is good for health. It increases the Hb level in the blood and can be taken on a daily basis. The procedure to take the juice is simple. Sow some wheat in a shallow pot (approx 1 square feet) On the seventh day cut the grass and squeeze out the juice which can be consumed immediately. You must have noticed a different type of watermark on the above pictures.It is because of a site known as Dreamstime, where I upload some of my pictures.     It is a picture stock site where potential customers go through your pictures and if they like it they buy it. For example the wheat grass picture has been sold nine times, so I would say it is a win win situation.

Lockdown and vegetables

Got these lettuce leaves from our kitchen garden but one can't survive only on salad.

So ordered vegetables on line and it arrived this morning. As soon as it was delivered, we kept it out in the sun. 

The contents being perishable, I could not keep it in the sun for long so had to unpack it. 

I must say that all the contents in it were fresh and the rates too were reasonable. All this is for Rs 400/- (less than $6)

We made sure that everything was washed properly for a long time before storing in the fridge.

The only catch is that they will do the home delivery for a minimum of fifty boxes. So for large societies this should be a boon especially in this difficult time of lockdown.

Farmers Market in San Jose

Had been to this Farmer’s market in San Jose on 24^th June. Most of the Farmers’ markets are held on weekends but this one is held every Wednesday evening. 

  One good thing about these markets is that you are assured of getting some good fresh food, and you also get to taste the product before buying them. 

Blenheim Apricots are grown mostly by small, local farmers, have a more complex flavour than other apricots. They have a tangy, thick flesh, yet their acid content is balanced beautifully by a high sugar content that rounds out the tartness. They have a pretty apricot colour with a rosy blush outside, but their flesh is richer and darker orange. It is perfect for preserves as well as for drying, in addition to being a treat to eat out of hand. 

I noticed that the vegetables too looked fresh and a little bigger than what you get in India. 

As the board says, no water, no sugar, straight from the farm. 

We picked up some Strawberries and Blackberries

There was a pretty long line for the “shave ice” Reminded me of the baraf ki gola that we used to have during our school days. 

A group of children from a learning centre. Good idea with the T-shirt. If a child is lost you know whom to call. 

There was an ice cream counter too. Got some cones from them and found that their scoops were generous. 

At the end of the line there was this grilled chicken truck which was served with chunks of roast potatoes. Good to have them hot.  

Compare this with a 1934 picture of a market in LA where some musicians kept everyone entertained.

  picture source

Talking of music, there was this lady who kept everyone happy with her guitar. I liked the way she plucked the guitar (you can see it in the video) While filming her I realised that she was actually blind. 

The fruit market

While in the fruit market, I saw this lady, almost lost in the heap of newspaper that was used to wrap up these papaya.  I think her job was to unwrap them.  It is said that that by covering the fruit in paper the ethylene gas emitted is trapped inside which helps the fruit to ripen faster.  I would be more worried by the printer’s ink that gets rubbed on to the fruit when a newspaper is used (especially if it is not soy ink)

Once unwrapped and segregated, these ripe ones make a pretty picture, with a dash of yellow and green.  

The variety of fruit that one gets to see in a fruit market is something that I look forward to.

For example this Dragon Fruit caught my eye. One of those fruits that I have yet to taste.

The Pitaya (Dragon Fruit) is being hailed as having remarkable health giving properties including the ability to regulate the blood sugar level in diabetics as well as providing a dose of anti-oxidants.  

For those who want to know, they were sold at Rs 200/- per kg. (may be, next time I will buy a few)

Haggling and selecting the fruit is one of the things that I enjoy watching in a market.

The heap of watermelon says that it is still in good supply even though it is well past summer time.

Saw these fresh dates and bought some. (I never knew fresh dates were red in colour) 

All these fruits reminded me of the water apple (syzygium samarangense) that I clicked at my sister's place last month. They make excellent wine. 

Talking of fruits, we usually club tomatoes under vegetables even though they are fruits.

The same goes for coconuts. We never consume them as fruits, but is used mainly for cooking in “coconut based curries”

And talking about coconuts, these pictures shows how coconut trunks are used as goal posts in “God’s own country”

Considering the world cup fever, I think this is the right picture to sign off with. 

May the best team win.