Simply irresistible

Last Sunday brought together the best of food, laughter, conversation and company at Shyam Farms, from where Hyatt sources its choicest. By Ramya Palisetty

It all started with an American lady wanting a decent cup of café au lait in California. Along with good coffee, Alice Waters, who had returned to her homeland after studying in France in 1965, craved the fresh baguettes and apricot jam that she had grown to love during her stay in Paris. As these simple treats were nowhere to be found in the land of frozen food that was America then, Waters opened Chez Panisse in 1971 “to serve great food like they do in France.” Rest is culinary history.

Waters’ bistro, which sourced its produce from local organic suppliers, went on to launch the modern farm-to-table movement across America and the world. At its core was fresh, well-sourced food for diners and fair prices for farmers.

Located inside alleys surrounded by compact shops is the Shyam farm, which provides organic produce to the Hyatt hotel. The lush green garden with a picnic fiesta setting had the charm of the bygone era. On the other side of the bar was John, the bartender, creating delectable concoctions for each guest as per their taste and choice of poison.

Rohila, an expert horticulturist, took the invitees on a tour of the farm and helped the guests understand the process of growing and nurturing good vegetables and fruits. The modern farmers are using coco peat, which provides an alternative to potting soil featuring high water retention, suitable aeration and anti-fungal benefits. Coco peat is not only organic in nature but also a renewable one with a slightly acidic pH that many plants prefer to grow in.

Various vegetables and fruits like strawberries, cauliflower, cabbage, capsicum, chillies and herbs are grown using coco peat along with vertical cultivation methods. Said Rohila, “In north India, the short day variety of strawberries is grown during the months between September and March. The strawberries are planted in open air for pollination by insects since the shape of the fruit comes from its seeds.” On the other side of the farm they had daikon, a staple among Koreans used for making kimchi. The size of daikon grows to 6 kg and stays good all year long. Herbs like oregano, thyme, mint and rosemary are grown everywhere since they require less water. In the green houses, vegetables like capsicums, chillies, tomatoes and zucchini are grown. The creepers are held with threads in a closed atmosphere. Twenty different varieties of chillies can be seen including bhut jolokai, the hottest chilli in India. “As the chillies mature, they start turning red. Over-matured chillies are deep red in colour”, said the horticulturist. The three types of tomatoes grown in India are determinant, indeterminant and semi-determinant. In net enclosed areas, green leafy vegetables like spinach are planted to keep the insects away. The last stop before the brunch was the terrace garden. The front chamber with germinating seeds gave away a musty, humid and pungent smell. The terrace garden with wide walls had 11 varieties of lettuce, and vegetables and flowers like baby carrots, spring onions and lillies. The plants are watered three times a day using the central irrigation facility.

The farm-to-table practice involves production of seasonal ingredients at farms, without any chemicals or pesticides, and bringing diners fresh produce infused with local flavours. Aseem Kapoor, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Delhi, said: “We are delighted to redefine the concept as we use organically produced farm fresh vegetables and fruits to embrace a sustainable approach to agriculture and dining.” The idea is to get local farmers involved so they can get employment and also learn new farming techniques and see new products.

The brunch started with a stop at the salad bar. The menu featured succulent and crunchy vegetables with customised dressings. The baked farm oyster mushroom with walnuts, apples and organic herbs was fresh, complementing the charred mushrooms with the rich, heavy taste of walnut and the sweetness of apples. It was the farm-grilled vegetable salad with mozzarella and basil pesto that was preferred by many. The melt-in-the- mouth mozzarella combined with lightly seasoned vegetables created a delightful affair in our mouth. The roasted capsicum with burrata and herbs had an utterly creamy texture with warm green, red and yellow capsicum. The broccoli, cauliflower, barley sprouts and tomato salad was enjoyed by fitness conscious individuals. The pulpy and firm tomatoes with mildly flavoured greens and crusty sprouts were laden with nutrients and became another must-have.

The main course comprising wood pizzas stole the spotlight with the crowd queuing up at the station asking questions and debating about the toppings with chef Ciro Sorrentino, a Neapolitan pizza maker. The dough was soft to touch with zero to zero flour ratio. The vegetable farm pizza with mozzarella, scarmoza, parmesan, oyster mushroom, black pepper and truffle oil had an earthy smell with overloaded dollops of cheese. The organic vegetables tasted heavenly with the varied flavours bursting in our mouth, while the vegetable bio pizza with mozzarella, tomato, farm vegetable, sun dried tomato and green chilli was spicy and sweet. The sun-dried tomatoes added a hint of sweetness and a chewy texture to the pizza. The aroma wafting was pungent and sour making our mouth water in anticipation. The Burrata pizza had Parma ham, arugula, parmesan, burrata and extra virgin olive oil. Arugula added a herbaceous peppery flavour with nuances of nuts and mustard. The Parma ham cured with sea salt  had a dry even texture — considered to be the best ham, sliced directly off the bone. The extra virgin olive oil brought out each and every flavour of the individual ingredient. It was a well balanced flavourful pizza, a must-have. The piscetiello had tomato sauce, roasted garlic, clams, shrimp, red mullet, chilli oil and oregano. Clams had a delicate taste which was not offensive. The chilli oil, garlic and oregano stood up to the red mullet bravely harmonising the pizza. The combination of clams, shrimp and red mullet transformed into a delicious slice illuminating the goodness of oregano and tomato sauce captured in a seafood pizza. The nu ciuciu’, a sweet pizza was made with custard cream, farm fresh strawberries, dark chocolate shavings, strawberry compote and mint leaves. Strawberries and chocolate have always been used as a combination for desserts. But with the addition of mint leaves and custard cream, the sweet and sour notes were adjusted well. As much as it sounds interesting, it is not to everyone’s liking.

The dessert bar had delicacies like strawberry tiramisu, chocolate and strawberry cake, strawberry mille feuille, strawberry profiterole, hot strawberry crumble and strawberry tartlets with lemon curd. The highlight of the dessert bar was the amai strawberry. The strawberry tiramisu was the perfect summer dessert with fresh fruits, creamy mascarpone and ladyfinger crumble. The tartlets dazzled our tastebuds with the vibrant flavour of lemon. The strawberry profiterole, light and soft puff pastry filled with fruit and cream filling, was the perfect end to the exquisite meal. Fresh from the farm, you would want to go vegetarian.

Photos: Pankaj Kumar