Glimpses of New Talavan

 

To be continued 

Bitter melon

 When Srila Prabhupada first visited New Talavan he asked for bittermelon. The devotees then didn’t know what that was but now it is grown prolifically every year. 

The plants pictured here came from mature seeds in melons bought from an Indian grocer in Los Angeles. The plantings were so successful and again this year. And again seeds are being set aside for next year. 

Krishna kindly  arranged that  if we are careful to save seeds, we don’t have to spend time and money getting more for future plantings.

Note the red casing when the bittermelon seed is most mature. This is a good indication for viable seeds. When dry the casing easily comes off and  the seeds stored. But an even faster and easier  method how to remove the red casing is to rub the seeds with a sponge inside a colander.

Bittermelon is a sun lover, so it flourishes in the hottest time of year. It is a vining plant that is easier to deal with if trained to climb a trellis or fencing. In some cases they can wind around tall plants such as okra or corn without difficulty, provided the host plants are well established.

Celestial Bananas

 Been wanting to print this for a long time so here it is. A favorite dessert that is quick and easy. There are lots of versions. Here we didn't bother to cook the bananas. Just add. And I have yet to measure how much of these ingredients to use. You'll have to experiment until I actually test these amounts given:

INGREDIENTS:

1 packet cream cheese (Philadelphia brand has no rennet)

About 4 T brown sugar

1/4- 3/4 t ground cinnamon

1-2 T sour cream 

about 4 or 5 bananas, chopped

PREPARATION:

Melt the cream cheese with the brown sugar over low heat, stirring well.

Turn off heat. Add and stir in the cinnamon and sour cream

Fold in the sliced bananas and offer

VARIATION: The original recipe called for bananas cooked in butter first. Extra rich. This is a quick and a little less fatty version

Rice with Almonds and Peas

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 t ghee

1/3 c slivered almonds (or chopped)

3 T ghee

1 cinnamon stick

6 cloves

4 green cardamom pods, crushed open (mortar and pestle does the trick)

1 c rice

1/4 t turmeric

2 c water

1 t salt

1 c peas

PREPARATION:

1. Fry the almonds in a little ghee first on low heat until lightly browned. Set aside
2. Heat the 3 T ghee. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves. They will expand
3. Add the rice and turmeric and give a stir.
4. Add the water. salt and peas and bring to a boil
5. Lower the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes covered. 
6. Keep covered and let sit 5 more minutes covered before offering.
7. Before offering, you may wish to remove the cooked whole spices that will have floated to the top 
8. Fluff gently and serve hot.

VARIATIONS:

When there's no peas, try small chopped pieces of green beans or broccoli or slices of fresh okra