A little break from health figures and water scarcity discussion:
- Papaya, Mango, Chicu, Orange, Apple, Grapes, Banana
It seems like a lot of my thoughts these days revolve around food and cooking. I guess that’s what happens when a few hours a day are spent either procuring produce and other perishables, or cooking.
Lately the kitchen has seen a few baking experiments… experiments because they’re done on the stove top, no oven. The latest was a ‘dinner cookie’, banana, ground up almonds (see post about the Craze 95), flax, oats, flour, egg, milk, a little ghee (boiled down from really rich yak butter from last fall’s trip to Tibet), spices, and a drop of maple syrup – yes, I brought some from Vermont. Patted out thin and cooked on the roti pan, served with jam. Yum!
I think the kitchen will return to savory cooking soon, as I picked up some of the last of the season’s greens today. On Wednesdays I go into town for my Tibetan lesson (Mondays and Fridays, my teacher comes to me), and I wandered past the vegetable-wallahs on my way home. Most of the produce they sell comes up from the plains — mostly from Punjab — but the greens are local, and sometimes it’s possible to get really short-season, very local things, like fresh beans. It’s been fun to branch out a bit. As long as you’re willing to eat what’s in season, it’s easy to put together really good meals. Helps if you know something of Indian cooking, spices, how to work with each vegetable. And a little willingness to experiment!
