Let’s pluck some beans for lunch


Rangaraj is from Velliangadu near Karamadai and belongs to a family of farmers. His father-in-law R Maranna Gowder helps him raise vegetables for their eatery. “At present, we have sown ladies’ finger, broad beans, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, and ridge gourd,” says Rangaraj. Their 80 banana trees also supply them with raw plantains and stem for kootu.

Rangaraj plans his menu according to the availability of vegetables on his farm. He always keeps a small patch empty for composting purposes. “We add vegetable waste and banana leaves that have been eaten on, to this,” he points out. “Once this patch is ready, we cultivate it, moving on to create compost in another patch.” This way, the entire farm is prepared before cultivation, one patch at a time. “We don’t use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides,” adds Rangaraj. They do source some vegetables that they don’t cultivate, from other farmers.

Curious diners often walk around the farm, peeking into the plants and lift a leaf or two to see how broad beans or ladies’ finger sprout. Nithya is frying paruppu vadas when we peek into the kitchen outdoors — nearby, vegetables harvested in the morning, are piled along the walls. She offers me two hot vadas. They too have something off the farm — finely chopped moringa leaves that Nithya plucked a few hours ago.Read more

Source web page : The Hindu


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