Green Blog Project!!
The Green Blog Project: As I am more a books person and not a great aficionado gardener, I tend to spend less time in the garden and more time admiring my hubby’s tough grind in the front and back gardens and I think its time to crown him THE Gardenaholic of the year!! He loves to spend all his time gardening and believe me, can work off his weekends just toiling in the garden and the most amazing part is you can see his face gleaming at the end of the day, he loves to change the layouts, angles, pavements, ponds, sheds n lawns to utter perfection.
This weekend when we had some friends over, they were surprised to see an entire different look in the backyard which he did in couple of months.
He does get some help from my 6 year old who at the end of the day comes inside and says “dad helped me to do all that mom” When we bought this house so many years back, it was perfect for us in everyway. The House and The garden were amazing in every aspect except for the fish ponds, not childfriendly at all.
I have seen passionate people around me but never as passionate as my hubby who loves to spend all this spare time in the garden. I simply adore his meticulous timing, his energy levels and most importantly helping me in every way he can even inside the house as well.
Coming back to my tomato plants, Before I went on my holiday Rocky helped me to plant my tomato plants from my trays on the ground and zoomed off, When we were back, there they were absolutely amazing sight, these lovely tomatoes still green on all of plants with an amazing colour
What a sight it was, my veggie patch!! I love picking veggies and like to grow my own veggies and few flowering plants but but would love to work when it suits me and not them.
When I was waiting for those tomatoes to ripen so that I can make some amazing dishes with it, Bee and Viji gave me few suggestions about using green tomatoes in many many recipes.
I knew just green tomato chutney and nothing else to do anything with those.
Green Tomato Chutney:
Fry in a tablespoon of oil, these 3 above ingredients until the tomatoes loose their colour and become very soft and plumy. Grind it along with some tamarind, salt and serve with hot rice.
Dal with green tomatoes:
Pressure cook toor dal(1 cup), 4 green tomatoes, 2 green chillies, a pinch of tumeric and chilli powder.
Now take a saucepan and add 1 tea spoon each of mustard seeds, black gram dal, chana dal, cumin seeds and as soon as mustard seeds starts spluttering, add 2 sprigs of curry leaves and then add the cooked dal.
The taste was so different to the one which we make with ripen tomatoes.
We completely loved all these dishes, we had with potato fries and few extra fry ums,
Stumble it!
September 30th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Padmaja, lovely pics, I would love to try your green tomato chutney.I have few in my yard too
September 30th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
You are lucky to have for a hubby.Some don’t even get up off of the couch to do anything!! Arvind does lot of work too, veggies are my department!:))
Love the Tomato recipe there, great entry!
September 30th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Hey, that is the best case scenario… you get farm fresh veggies without having to work for it… if siv was willing to work in the garden, I’d have one too
October 1st, 2007 at 2:49 am
Your Hubby an d son are great gardeners!:)) Loved to read about their passion for gardening!:))
My hubby also loves gardening! But spends more time at the computers.
All your recipes with green tomatoes are nice! I like the chutney very much!:))
October 1st, 2007 at 4:12 am
wow i am just eyeing those tomatoes! green chutney is looking delicious and love the flavours!
October 1st, 2007 at 8:16 am
Sreelu
Try tomato chutney, it was very tasty, Wish i had made some as friends kept on asking for more and I felt so bad to say i haven’t made much!!But they are friends who understand but not someone who will say behind your back!!
Thanks!!!
October 1st, 2007 at 8:18 am
Asha!!
I think we both are quite lucky, when I tell you how much he helps, people might think i don’t do anything but it really surprises everyone.
Best part is he is so fit, not an inch of fat anywhere so i think i should start gardening to loose my extra pounds he he!!!
Nice to see you here Asha!!
October 1st, 2007 at 8:20 am
Sig!!
I know when u get help looking after the plants and watering n all, I feel I can grow anything in my garden!!
I can’t stay away from my laptop and he can’t stay away from his garden!! Nice ha!!
October 1st, 2007 at 8:21 am
Latha!! They are indeed, I feel guilty at times when i am on my laptop n there they are in fresh air and enjoying, don’t u think i should help them a little!!
Please do give it a try, it was incredible!!
October 1st, 2007 at 8:22 am
Roopa
Nice to see you here and that chutney was very different and yummy, do give it a try!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:00 am
two rare recipes… both goes into my collection, padmaja. nice entries!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:06 am
I totally admire people who have the patience and endurance for gardening. It is rewarding, gives a good work out and there’s always a guaranteed sense of pride. Your husband totally rocks!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:19 am
Lissie
thank you for visiting and ya both are recipes are so simple to make and u cna clearly notice the taste with green and red tomatoes!!
Do try them!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:22 am
Cynthia, I will post few photos of what he did to our garden, He transformed it so incredibly great, you will be amazed.
Thank you so much, even I feel the same
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:03 am
I always love plant. When we cook the curry from our garden plant then is something nice feeling and fresh too.
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:10 pm
I love the chutney made with fresh green tomatoes….Nice array of dishes dear…….
Nice to know ur husband does lot of gardening….U must be one lucky gal
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:35 pm
A big fan of the green tomatoes. I was pretty happy when the weather here in Seattle got cold enough that I needed to pluck the last of my tomatoes off the vines!
October 4th, 2007 at 6:27 am
Hi Sirisha!!
Ya I am very sure about that, can’t imagine how i will cope without his help in everything.Thanks for dropping by
October 4th, 2007 at 6:30 am
Kaykat
Nice to see you here and oh yes, weather is changing and I feel winter has just arrived in uk as well. Still waiting for few more sunny days!!
October 4th, 2007 at 6:31 am
Kajal!Very true kajal, its always got that fresh feel and most importantly and amazing taste as well.
Nice to see you here!!
October 4th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Dear Padmaja, thanks gurl for the lovely comment u left “Success Is..”..:D and beautiful pics esp the chutney with green tomatoes..
u are lucky to have such a hubby..:) feel like having a garden of my own right away.. but we live in an apartment so not possible..prob I will grow in small pots..yayayy.
October 4th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
hey siri don’t let anything get to u, we always love to visit your blog. There are different kinds of people,people who live their dreams, people who doesn’t have but live in someone else’s dreams, people who doesn’t have anywork sits all day on the laptop and try to indimidate people, one answer is live your life!!!I feel we have better things to do rather than blaming anyone!!
Hey u can always try in pots an di guess it will be the same, your own homegrown veggies!!!Btw my mil’s name is srilatha!!
u sounds so close!!
October 4th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Hi Padmaja,lovely pics.BTW,I was just watching Britain’s best dish on ITV today and just happenned to see a lady cooking the starters on the show aired today(4th oct).she seemed to look very much like you..is this true then?r u a celebrity too?:)please please reply…I am biting my nails here
October 4th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
hey hey Vini!! thats meeeeeeee
how did u realise that its mee???
kochera is my surname now and koti is my maiden name!!
how’s the programme? did u like it?
October 5th, 2007 at 9:25 am
He Padmaja,all night I just kept thinking it Has to be YOU!:)so glad to see someone I know,on air!I recognised you from one of your recent photos you had posted on your blog some time ago(with short hair and a perl necklace or something…)..so very glad.I am definitely going to follow this series now,who knows some other blogger may turn up too:)The program was very nice, but I am going to have to day I will watch the replay on internet today and tell you again:)
October 5th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
lovely pics padmaja..those tomatoes r too good
October 5th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Hi Padmaja - I LOVE this new blog look. I still remember what our blogs lookes like a year ago when we started. Very very different. Your lucky to have all that green space for growing ur own beautiful veggies. By the way, my sister’s film is due out in Feb.
October 6th, 2007 at 2:21 am
R has started some gardening and we just picked som green tomatoes from the garden…
your spread look super delicious
October 6th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Hey Padmaja,I really liked how you bowled over the judges with your vada and sambar.I ams ure they must have been licking their fingers after the show!well done Padmaja..I hope you will be visible on TV many more times now:)(I watched the replay on the web atleast 5 times because I missed crucial parts of the TV program as that was the time my princess chose to throw a tantrum:))best wishes
Vini K
October 10th, 2007 at 11:19 am
That is an incredible transformation! Kudos to your two boys on their green thumbs.
October 15th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
Both recipes sound great Padmaja — especially love how the green tomatoes look with the darker green chiles. Will have to give them a try, thanks and congrats on your lovely garden!
October 18th, 2007 at 5:47 am
I really envy anyone who has some pc of land to make a garden. I live in an appartment, n balcony doesnt get too much sun, which restricts my love for gardening & growing things. I am “J” so totally “J” of all of you gardeners!!!