Winter is the time we get to see many more vegetables than in Summer or Monsoon.
But this week was special.
In addition to the usual winter vegetables of capsicum, carrots, beans, cabbage and cauliflower, beet roots, etc. we got Zucchini, Purple cabbage.
But the star attraction was Romanesque Cauliflower and Purple Magic Brocooli!
All grown organically by farmers in the Ooty region (about 80 km from Coimbatore)!
But before you get excited about veggies you can buy locally, here are 3 checks to ensure these are okay for you and your family.
1. Check if these are organically grown. Some of the special vegetables are very pricey and that makes many people choose shortcuts to grow them. Incessant chemical treatment. So by the time they arrive at your table, they are dangerous to consume.
2. Check if they are locally grown. If they are not, then they are either imported or transported across long distances, which in turn means that they are, again, chemically treated to make it last weeks before they get to you. Irradiated fruits and vegetables, which are exposed to gamma rays, have started coming up in India. Are they safe? Don't know. Don't care. I would avoid them anyway.
3. Check if they are seasonal. If not, they are either being transported from places where they are in season, or they have been stored for months and therefore not fresh. Either way, I would avoid those. According to Ayurveda, eating what is grown within a a short distance is advisable, because like the produce, we are also part of Nature and it is best for our bodies to align with what is in season near our homes.
This is essentially the logic behind "farm to table". We should be eating what grows in the farm (close by and in season), and without chemicals.
And not the other way around! Which is to decide what you want to eat, and then look for that in the superstores! Bad idea!
Enjoy the winter, and the special produce it brings along. But in a conscious way.
