Farm‑to‑Table Dining: How We Grow Your Food at Darbar

Shokey Malik
May 10
2 min read

Travel should nourish more than wanderlust—it should feed your body with flavours rooted in local soil. Our farm‑to‑table program began when a village elder handed us a fistful of bhangjeera (Himalayan hemp seeds) and a recipe older than our haveli. Today, 70 % of every plate at Darbar Farmstay originates within 500 metres of our kitchen door.

Seasonal Calendar: What We Grow & When We Plate It

Season	Garden Harvest	Signature Dish
Spring (Mar‑May)	Wild nettle, rhododendron bloom	Buransh Cooler & Nettle Tea
Early Monsoon (Jun‑Jul)	Hissar berries, heirloom tomatoes	Wild Berry Marmalade Toasties
Autumn (Sep‑Oct)	Red amaranth, walnut, pumpkin	Walnut‑Pumpkin Garhwal Curry
Winter (Nov‑Feb)	Rainbow carrots, spinach, millets	Kodo Millet Khichdi

 Step‑by‑Step: Seed → Plate Journey

Heirloom Seeds - Saved each season—no hybrid imports.
Natural Compost - Kitchen waste + cow dung = black gold.
Companion Planting - Marigolds ward off aphids; basil boosts tomato yield.
Harvest at Dawn - Cooler temps lock nutrients; veg travels < 10 min to kitchen.
Slow‑Food Cooking - Clay pots, Coal‑fire tandoor/oven, zero microwaves.

Grandma’s Hemp‑Seed Chutney (Recipe Card)

**Ingredients (serves 4)**

• 4 tbsp roasted hemp seeds

• 1 green chilli

• ½ tsp Himalayan salt

• Juice of ½ lime

• 2 tbsp fresh coriander

**Method**

1. Dry‑roast hemp seeds till nutty aroma.

2. Grind with chilli & salt.

3. Fold in lime juice & chopped coriander.

4. Serve with millet crackers or drizzle on salads.

 Farm Tour & Interactive Cooking Class

Morning Garden Walk – Identify 12+ Himalayan herbs.
Pluck‑Your‑Own Lunch – Fill a wicker basket; chef teaches zero‑oil sauté.
Take‑Home Seeds – Pocket heirloom pumpkin seeds to plant back home.

Tour runs daily at 10 AM; book via front desk or WhatsApp (+91 99103 64826).

Taste freshness you can trace. Reserve your farm‑to‑table lunch →

Zero‑Waste Commitment

Food scraps → vermicompost
Grey water → drip‑irrigation for herb beds

At Darbar, local isn’t a buzzword—it’s breakfast. When you bite into hemp‑seed chutney or sip rhododendron squash, you’re tasting a terroir shaped by Himalayan sun and centuries of Garhwali tradition. Join the harvest; leave with a fuller belly and greener heart.