Eden’s Rapture

The compost strewn path is flooded with the luminescent green radiance of harsh sunlight which gets filtered through towering trees. The only sound is the magnified rustling of a thousand varieties of leaves against each other in the omnipresent warm afternoon breeze. With every change in step the surroundings emanate a sweet fragrance reminiscent of exotic fruits and wild flowers. The flora and fauna overwhelm any living creature or being in its immediate presence thus taking over every aspect of sovereignty and maintaining the sanctity of the place in whole and in soul.

Pure Eden is what I have described the place I visited recently. A place where one of the finest variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers are carefully nurtured and grown, A place in the dry weathered hills of Maharashtra, a farm by the name of Trikaya. If I could safely say, Samar Gupta’s pet agricultural project is a true adoption of a family. A family which he passionately takes care of, a family which responds to his every mood and has been nurtured with only one emotion – Love. The fruits of his labour are the produce which is generated every single day and we were the lucky ones to have been given the honor of meeting and mingling with his family.

I had the opportunity to visit Trikaya when Food Writer – Rushina arranged for a visit one fine day, it was an impromptu plan which fell into place when a small number of our kind joined the bandwagon and took off for a time with nature. There were my friends Harini and Saee, a food enthusiast and two of Mumbai’s finest food writers – Vikram Doctor and Antoine Lewis. There was sure to be questions unbeknown and of course an amalgamation of the finest freshly harvested foods put together for the meal which was promised to us after.

Samar had a plethora of information when it came down to answering queries directed at him while we sauntered from one field to the other. We moved from exotic carambola (starfruit) trees to fig trees, oranges, lemons and kaffir limes wafted a citrine scent which left a heady sense of feeling while passing by. We moved on to fields of dragon fruit which looked like medusa heads popping out in about eleven acres of land, thorny little tentacle plants but with one of the sweetest fruit in the world – shades of pink, white and yellow and taste which left us spellbound. The Trikaya team followed us with tiny little knives picking out and chopping up succulent fruit straight from the overhead branches which we munched on as we traipsed around. Herbed gardens filled with basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano enticed us to break of those fragrant leaves and taste fresh herbs straight off the ground. As we made our way towards the lakeside, heads of lettuce, Brussels sprouts, icebergs and garden greens were heavily laced with cold water in the afternoon sun. Before long we were chewing on raw iceberg like a bunch of hungry rabbits left unattended in the field. Orchids, wild flowers and bonsai made up for the beauty of the unending land, this Trikaya was extremely proud to pot and market. Last but not the least, my ever favorite naga chili plant which was rendered the greenhouse in which it was stored – hot as hell.

The best part after the tour was Samar whisking us to his packing and sorting area where we were given a free hand to pick and choose the fresh harvest of the day. Even though he had instructed his in-house cooks to whisk up some rustic dishes, we were asked to pick out our favorites and given a free hand in his kitchen. I had come prepared; whilst munching on freshly steamed and salted Edamame (another surprise as I tried to source Edamame and had to resort to bribing a Michelin Star restaurant in Mumbai to part with a handful a month ago) I set about to putting together a wonderful salad of sorts using ingredients from the farm and a dressing which I had put together. This recipe is a simple mix of various ingredients and was compiled as and how I sifted through various ingredients. The fun in cooking is to pick out ingredients and match them with your favorite flavors; this is exactly what I did and had the opportunity I could not ever expect to regain again unless I went back to the farm.

Garden Greens, Mulberry, Candied Orange Salad with Glazed Pepper Nuts & Herbed Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

• A Box of your favourite Garden Greens mix (Icebergs, Rocket, Lettuce, Spinach etc.)
• *A box is about 2 cups
• ½ cup – Mulberries (you can use any berries in season – blueberries, strawberries, blackberries)
• ½ cup – Black Cherry Tomatoes (Halved)
• 5-6 strips Candied Orange Peels *optional)
• A few leaves of Orange Mint (or regular mint)
• A Handful of Glazed Pepper Nuts
• 3 tablsp of Herbed Balsamic Dressing

For the Glazed Pepper Nuts

• ¼ cup Mixed Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts and Pecans)
• 3 tablsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tablsp Water
• 1 tsp Crushed Pepper

For the Herbed Balsamic Dressing

• 3 tablsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 3 tablsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
• 1 tsp Sweet Marjoram
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 clove Garlic
• Sea Salt to taste

For the Glazed pepper nuts: slice the nuts into halves lengthwise and roast on a girdle till lightly fragrant. Spread on a marble top or kitchen counter. Heat sugar and water together till the sugar melts and turn up the heat to full. Once the mixture is bubbling and slightly thick, spoon over the mixed roasted nuts. Sprinkle pepper and leave to dry. Once the sugar has hardened scoop up the nuts and crush them slightly with your hands to get a coarse mix.

For the herbed balsamic dressing: pound the herbs, salt and garlic in a pestle, preferably with a perforated muddle, spoon into the olive oil and give it a good whisk. Top with balsamic and whisk till it becomes a cohesive mix. Keep chilled till ready to use.

To proceed with the salad, mix the greens, candied orange peels, black cherry tomatoes, orange mint, mulberry in a large bowl, mix in the glazed pepper nuts and top with dressing. Toss well and serve cold.

Apart from my salad and Trikaya’s talented cooks dishes, Rushina made some of the most innovative and quickest dishes possible from fresh produce, from three types of stir fried greens which included greens of sweet potato and pakwan to stir fried Edamame beans (which she refused to let me taste raw) and a fragrant Thai soup using kaffir lime, Galangal and coconut milk. Harini had made her special Zaatar Focaccia which she carried straight from the oven (mitts and all) when we fetched her from her home (eating it enroute Trikaya slathering it with her vegan cashew and apple vinegar spread) and Saee’s special slow roasted tomatoes with garlic which I spread over the thoughtfully prepared Chorizo Bread which Rushina’s better half had sent along.

True foodie heaven is when you get to pick fresh produce and whip up dishes then and there, Trikaya can easily be called Eden’s rapture as it would send any food lover into ecstasy.