Growing Indian greens.

Are you an Indian expat pining for your favorite greens from back home?

Methi(fenugreek), konpir(Coriander), Sarson(mustard) etc..

Then stop pining and go grow some.

Yes, you heard me right!

(All pics clicked by my soon to be 10 year old..:-))

All you need is a little space, a garden pot, some mud and seeds(I got them from India and am sure every Indian expat household will have them in their spice containers. For the above pot, I used 75 gms of fenugreek seeds).

Now is the time to take advantage of the summer, warmth and sunshine and get these greens growing. And trust me, it's not hard. This is my second harvest and the third one is on its way. The family and I are thoroughly enjoying our home grown greens that I am thinking of maybe freezing them for winter. If I figure out a way, I will let you know. Till then, get that patch growing.

P.S: You can get used garden pots at flea markets or Intakt for cheap, new garden pots at OBI. Bags of mud/earth are available at any florist(there are 2 in Lohr) or at OBI. Place the mud in the pot, sprinkle the seeds and pour a very thin layer of mud on top of them. Place the pot in a spot with plenty of sunshine and water once a day. You will see green sprouts in 3 to 4 days. Allow it to grow for as long as you want. I let it grow for 3 to 4 weeks.

Töpferei Markt at Wertheim

Over the weekend, we visited the töpferei(pottery markt) at Wertheim, a charming town half an hour from Lohr. I have a weakness for handicrafts so also, love watching them being crafted. When I came to know about the market, curiosity got hold of me and I knew I had to visit and see it for myself. 

This was not our first visit to the town but our third. The first two visits saw us sightseeing around Wertheim which has a glass museum, a pretty market square, and ruins right on top of a hill(which is quite a climb yet so worth it for the terrific views). This time we simply walked around. Wertheim's narrow lanes are all filled with delightful little shops and cafes. Every Saturday, there is the weekly farmer's market too selling cheese, sausages, meat and eggs, fresh veggies and fruits, and also flowers. Every farmer comes in the little white vans(pictured above) which converts itself to a little store. Once done, all they have got to do is pull down the flaps with their left over produce still intact and drive off.

We spent a large amount of time sitting in the open square having lunch and watching the weekly shoppers and sellers going about their business.

Following lunch we headed over to the Töpferei markt which was nestled inside the courtyard of a city hall. It was a pretty sight, a riot of colors with the pottery craftsmen exhibiting their work beautifully created. There were tea pots, cups, mugs, pie trays, salad/cereal bowls, spice jars, oil canisters...etc. Seeing it all husband did suggest that we redo our kitchen accessories. He had to be joking cause everything was very expensive....:D There also were flower vases, candle holders, small deco to beautify your home.

My favorites were the garden accessories and plant holders, though I decided to give them a pass. What we did end up bringing home is this lovely tea pot, a pie tray and two little bells for my garden.

I should be baking a pie soon!!

P.S: To all those who ask me where do I get information from? Well, if you are living in Lohr, every week there is a free newsletter called Anzeigenblatt dropped in your letter/mail box. Before you throw it into the paper bin, go through it cause that's where all the information is listed....:D From local farmer markets to handicraft workshops, special Sunday markets to hikes and wine tasting, beer/grill festivals to floh market's, information on what's happening in all the neighboring villages is listed in there. You will always find something to do plus this is an interesting way to hone up your german reading skills!!