The changing face of food

Our little cooperative vegetable market, housed in a something like a garage, stocks most of the essentials needed for Indian cookery. Green coriander, coconut, kari patta i.e. curry leaves, ginger, garlic, green chillies, lime, leafy vegetables, khatta bhaji, chawlai /amaranthus, methi sag, /fenugreek leaves, root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, arvi/colocasia and seasonal vegetables,

like Tonli, padwal /snake gourd, bhindi /okra, green beans, cabbage and so on.
For anything special one had to go to the main market in the Cantonment area ...Shivaji Market.
Now what do I see pasted on the wall recently?

This:

We have gone upmarket, we have become fancy, we are changing. And in case you can't read the writing on the wall, it says...Basil, Broccoli, Curd (yogurt), Parsley, Celery.

This means I can cook up an Italian meal without going out of the way , as some of the fresh ingredients are readily available to me. Thyme, sweet basil, red and yellow peppers, asparagus and so on are also more commonly seen in local vegetable shops.

None of these vegetables and herbs are imported. They are grown locally by enterprising farmers who find a ready market in hotels and restaurants in Pune, and the local population who are much more open to trying out new recipes and other cuisines besides their own.

This is a matter worthy of some rejoicing as we always had to look around for substitutes when recipes specified certain herbs or vegetables .

Today I can make a mean Crostini di fegatini di pollo as I can get celery, rosemary, sage, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, anchovy fillets, capers and a fairly good white wine right here. The only thing I need to substitute is a a Broon( fresh baked crusty bread) for a Tuscan baguette.

But that is as good , (at Rs 4, maybe better) than the Real thing.

Comments

[Barbara]

This is great news--it is nice to see local farmers stepping up to the plate to provide "exotic" fresh foods, rather than depending on imports.

Here in Athens, Ohio, I was thrilled to learn that a couple of the farmers at our local farmer's market grow Asian vegetables like shanghai bok choy, gai lan, choy sum and fu gua, or what I think is called karela in India.

I have already bought a great many different kinds of Asian eggplants at the market, and greens--it is wonderful.

There is also a local herb nursery that has a lot of Asian herb plants, both culinary and medicinal.

It is really neat to have local sources for global foods.

[Petit : http:\\petitcareme.blogspot.com]

It must be great to have a market in walking distance

[Meg]

Congratulations! I have to admit it tickles me to see the other side of the coin in your post: I have to go to the other side of Paris for mediocre quality Indian ingredients. How happy I would be if I could find locally grown ones in my nieghborhood. You truly have the best of both worlds!

[deccanheffalump]

Hi Meg,Barbara and Petit,
It really is quite nice to get all these herbs and vegetables close by and that they are all grown locally. Sadly the same is not true of fruits... apples and pears are all being imported from China and Australia and they cost a bomb. I miss the undersized but tasty pears and apples we used to get from Kulu and Kashmir. Don't see them around much anymore.