Strawberry

Having done the standard cilantro, tomato, mint routine, I was looking for something new and challenging. So when I saw a little strawberry plant at Lowe's, I decided I had to try my hand at this.

I got a terracotta container and saucer. I lined the base of the container with a layer of pebbles, covered with a potting mix and transplanted the strawberry saplings. A few days later, we had little white flowers that withered and gave way to tender little green strawberries, that then ripened into delicious red strawberries. Here are some pics courtesy Pravin.

Cilantro in action...

Like Pravin said, we have actually started using the cilantro in the kitchen! Here's the proof...



Looks yumm? Its inspired by the aloo gobhi Ginne often got for lunch (long long ago when we worked together in Pune).
Ok here's my version of no onion no garlic aloo gobhi:

Ingredients:
Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Ginger - 1/2 an inch
Curd - 3 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1.5 teaspoons
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Cauliflower - about half of a medium sized cauliflower
Potato - 1 large one or 2 small/medium ones (if you are like Pravin, you definitely want more potatoes :) )
Salt to taste
And last but not the least...fresh cilantro!

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a heavy pan
2. Put in the cumin seeds and let them splutter
3. Add grated ginger and fry till you get the aroma of ginger
4. Add 1 tablespoon of curd and keep stirring it till it blends with the ginger and dries a little bit
5. While that's going on, wash the cauliflower and break it into florets. Wash and cut the potatoes into wedges
6. Repeat step 4 twice.
7. Add the turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. Mix well.
8. Add the cauliflower and potato. You may want to add a touch of water if it is too dry.
9. Cover and cook till the vegetables are done.
10. Add salt to taste and mix well.
11. Garnish with fresh cilantro!

My green thumb series...Cilantro

Its been more than a year since I posted anything on my blog. So I thought I would share some pictures of my little patio garden.

While I was growing up in Goa, we had a little patch of land around the house that we cultivated. We had flowering shrubs, herbs, fruits and even some vegetables. So this year, as winter was giving way to spring, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful California weather and start a container garden on my patio.

Fortunately, part of my patio gets good sunshine for almost 6 hours a day and part of it is always in the shade. Thus, I could choose from plants that required full sun, part shade or full shade. I started with buying a few types of seeds, peat pellets for germinating them, potting soil, teracotta pots, fertilizer, watering can and gardening gloves.

I had never sown seeds in a peat pellet before and the whole experience was very exciting. I started with cilantro since it is low maintenance and has a quick ROI. I sowed the seeds indoors in a little container made for the peat pellets. The seeds started sprouting in about 7-10 days of sowing. When the saplings were about 2 weeks old, I transplanted them to a herb box. Here are some pics courtesy Pravin :)


...Just sprouting




...Waking up




...Little sapling




...First leaf




...Little plants




...Flourishing :)

Our neighbour...captured by Pravin.

Summer at San Francisco

Mohammad Afzal's family plead to Prez seeking clemency...

Heard on IBNLIVE:

"On her son's chat with the President, Tabassum said Ghalib wants to be a doctor and if his father was alive, he could realise his ambition.

Meanwhile, counsel Nandita Haksar said after Afzal's son Ghalib learnt about his father being hanged, he came home, tied a rope to the fan and tried to hang himself saying he wanted to know how much his father would be hurt if he was hanged."

Why is our media so incompetent? There are so many questions that should have been asked. This story screams "I am incomplete". I wish I could ask Tabassum whether she has any consideration for the children of the security personnel killed in the Parliament attack. Dont they have ambitions? Dont they wish to be doctors/engineers and scientists? Can these Desh Drohis fall any lower? The Prez has a special regard for children as builders of tomorrow's India. It makes my blood boil to see these shameless traitors attempting to use this for their anti-national purpose.

If the evil Afzal really wants clemency, he should beg before the mothers, wives and children of the slain jawans. He should accept that his so called Jihad was a huge misake and apologise for his crimes. He should become a government informer. If he wants to escape death, he should first prove that he is an Indian at heart.

I was impressed by the comprehensive anti-terrorism action plan outlined by the Prez in his speech on the eve of the Independence day. He has now been presented with an opportunity to walk the talk. The country is waiting Mr. Prez, to find out whether the National Campaign to Eradicate Terrorism (NCET) has substance or is it just another acronym...

Jai Hind!!!

9/11

It was the 5th anniversary of the attacks. I remember watching on TV, the gruesome images of the twin towers belching endless columns of smoke. A few months ago, when I first visited Ground Zero, I realised the magnitude of the damage. Most of the debris was cleared, of course, but there was a gaping hole in the ground where the majestic towers once stood. Looking almost out of place among the sky scrapers of downtown Manhattan.

Yesterday, as I sat on a bench at Exchange Place (NJ), gazing at the Manhattan skyline across the Hudson, I wondered what it must be like before 9/11/2001. The towers were almost twice as tall as the surrounding buildings, they say. As the golden glow cast by the descending sun over the city turned crimson, I decided to leave. I guess it will never be the same again. Neither for the people who lost part of their lives there nor for people like me who were not directly affected, but wished it had never happenned.

Later that night, I saw a faint indigo glow spread in my room. I swept the blinds away and saw before me, two powerful beams of light emerging from Ground zero, piercing the still night air and racing towards the heavens, to the abode of the 9/11 martyrs. May their souls rest in peace...

The call

It was a crazy week and the day was even worse. I was juggling too many things and my ToDo list was only increasing. I was seriously contemplating setting an out-of-office on Outlook and voicemail and walking out that door.

Until...my mobile rang. Now that was the last thing I wanted. It showed a friend's number so I took it. There dint seem to be anyone on the other side. And then I heard the sweet voice. I did not understand a word she said in her baby language. But she made me smile on a day like that. Thanks Naomi - you made my day. Naomi is Trilok and Kanchan's daughter, and a little over a year old
:)