Persimmons

When the season for persimmons comes it means that autumn is clearly here and with shorter days, the chilly evenings will be coming soon. And here they are. Not cold enough to tuen the heater on yet, but it’s coming.

While we are not big fans of raw persimmons, like pretty much everyone in Chiba Sotoboso, we have persimmon trees in our garden, two that give sweet persimmons and one that gives bitter ones. Persimmons are like plums in June, impossible to give away!!! Most people don’t even harvest them and their leave-less branches are decorated with beautiful orange fruits. I our gardens the fruits don’t last long as birds happily eat them and that is great. Still I always harvest a few fruits for us as there is one recipe that is my total preferred way of eating persimmons: tofu ae with cucumber.

So here it is:

Persimmon, cucumber and tofu ae:

– 1 persimmon not too soft

– 1 Japanese cucumber

– 1 small block of drained tofu

– 2tbs of sesame seeds

– a bit of salt

Peel and dice the persimmon, slice the cucumber. Grind the sesame seeds, drain very well the tofu* and mix with the salt. Add the persimmon and the cucumber. Stir well and it is ready to serve.

Oh! By the way, I’m testing new mini videos to explain the recipe… checkout below and on IG!!!

* draining tofu is crucial to obtain the perfect creamy consistency. To drain tofu (hard or soft) first press it gently between two boards with a weight on top. Gravity will make it work perfectly for you after 1h. Then in a clean cloth with thin weaving press the tofu to remove the water has shown in the third video below.

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November 11, 2019

Typhoon…

Yep! The now worldwide famous typhoon 19 was passing over Tokyo last night. It rained a lot and the wind blowed hard. It’s a typhoon, something we experience a few times every year between August and November in Tokyo… They said it was more powerful than usual, but from the cosiness of our Tokyo apartment, things didn’t look so terrible, though I would lie saying I wasn’t worried about our house in the countryside (which is apparently fine!!!), but there was definitely a end-of-the-world feeling in Tokyo. All highways around and within Tokyo were closed. All train lines stopped, metros had also altered routes and schedule, and all shops, museums, theaters were closed all day or closing at noon and didn’t reopen until Sunday noon or later. We thought we would spend the day in a cinema or in a museum or both but not even… While looking at the empty streets and roads and this morning walking under a perfect blue sky in a rather empty city was quite unfamiliar. A city emptied of its restless inhabitants or visitors going here and there in an almost frantic agitation is so refreshing that it felt really good just walking around. And the morning view was just stunning…

Though I knew the typhoon was coming I didn’t forecast that all grocery stores around our place would be closed so I had to cook 5 meals with what was left in the fridge, which was very little as usually I pack fresh food in the country on Saturday and even less than usual as we are leaving tonight for the whole week on business… and what I have in the pantry in Tokyo now is very limited as I hate pest and I noticed that organic food (in particular that I bring back from Europe) is more prone to pest. So I felt that this forced time at home was a good opportunity to browse a few old cookbooks and do some old recipes with a twist: classic pancakes, grilled miso eggplants, cocoa cupcakes bites for tea, and grilled bacon lentils with radishes and radish tops… and then a bit of leftovers with poached eggs. Nothing really fancy but just right for the little activity we had while at the same time fulfilling.

October 13, 2019

Changing habits

Like pretty much every one we have our habits. Ours change with seasons and adapt to our agendas. And sometimes we pick up new ones and abandon those that don’t fit with our philosophy or ethics anymore. There has been two major changes recently, one by choice, the second forced. We used to go swimming in the ocean before breakfast on weekends, and I would do a bit of bodyboarding then, but the whole point of building a garage and workshop was to have a space for our diy activities and to buy a new car to go to the beach, one with which we could carry our boards and get in all wet and salty. Originally we thought of buying two SUP, but A. was really keen in starting surfing so we first got him a fun-board. Going surfing with an empty stomach was not an option for him. So it’s been two months now that instead of heading to the beach as soon as we woke up, we now go surfing around 11:00-12:00 for one or two hours. And sometimes we go for another session at 16:00. This has considerably changed our schedule but it’s nice, in particular now with the beautiful autumn weather (when there is no typhoon) and the very warm ocean water (no need of wetsuit!). And when there’s no wave, we just swim… This changed as meant a richer breakfast (more carbs and fruits) and also that I prepare most of the lunch before 11:00, so that when we’re back from the ocean lunch is rapidly ready.

The other change in our habits was forced, we didn’t have the choice, and it has a big impact on us. It relates with the simultaneous closing in Ohara of the local supermarket that was my supplier for local fresh fish and milk, Coconut milk, butter and some other simple things like chocolate, baking powder, soya sauce, and olive oil; the Genji butcher shop that was my Isumi pork filet and smoke ham supplier; and A.’s wine shop… we have looked around in a reasonable distance but we have found nothing that could be a good replacement, the only solution we have found so far is to drive 10min-15min to Kuniyoshi and shop at the local supermarket there where they have a different selection of products but they still have local fish, local milk and pork. I don’t see the point to drive inland that far to buy fish that comes from the harbor that is 2min from our house… I could probably have been fine without the meat and the fish (though I enjoy them once in a while), but A. is not ready to give them up. This also has started to make us think more seriously about the aging problem in Japan, how a local supermarket is crucial for elderly independent living, how it is not just a grocery store but also an important feature for the conservation of social fabric. Fancy ideas came to our minds but I don’t know if we have the guts to make them true… time only will show… that’s when our Dr, Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lifestyle shows its limitations…

What I think of every single sunny day!!!

October 11, 2019

Perilla – shiso

If you like Japanese food or have traveled to Japan you that green leaf for sure!! Perilla, or shiso 紫蘇, or ooba 大葉 grows very easily and spreads like weed in both planters and the garden. It requires very little maintenance and grows every year with more and more plants, only the caterpillars seems to like it. I never planted any in our garden but it’s been growing steadily every year. It blooms in the early autumn and the flowers are really delicious. And this year I harvested plenty of flowers so it’s time to prepare them. So far I was using them always the same way: in miso and to make some kind of tempura. I call them fake tempura because they are deep fried, but I use a simple mixture of flour and cold water just like for tempura.

This year I am also trying something new: I want to make syrup. For that my plan is to use the same recipe as the lavender syrup and replace the lavender flowers by shiso flowers. I’ll update you in a few days when it’s ready!!

In the meantime have a good week!!

September 30, 2019

Pumpkin

At last… the beautiful autumn days have arrived and with them the most typical autumn vegetables (with mushrooms): the pumpkins!!!

While in Tokyo supermarkets you may find only Japanese kabocha, the one with the soft dark green skin and the vibrant orange flesh, that is also found all year round… In the countryside, in farmers markets and local cooperatives you can find many more varieties. Of course the butternut squash is now a classic, but not only. And last week one of our friend gave us a beautiful little pumpkin. It was so cute that I was sad to cut it open, but there are a few recipes I really enjoy and at some point I decided it was time to eat it.

One of my favorite Japanese style to cook kabocha of all kind is to boil them in dashi, add a bit of soya sauce… serve that with rice and I am more than happy. I shared that recipe before but just to make sure, I share it again. It is so simple.

Simmered kabocha in dashi

– a piece of kabocha/pumpkin (200-300g)

– 2 tbs of soya sauce

– a handful of katsuobushi flakes

Wash the pumpkin/kabocha. If it is a Japanese kabocha you don’t need to peel it. Otherwise peel it. Cut in bite size. In a pan put the cut kabocha, cover with water. Add the katsuobushi flakes. Bring to a boil and boil for 5min. When the kabocha is almost soft (use a bamboo toothpick), if there is a lot of water remaining drain. Otherwise just increase the heat for 20sec to make the liquid evaporate.

Add the soya sauce and roll the kabocha in by gently shaking and turning the pan. Don’t be violent or you’ll end with a purée!! Serve warm or cold.

The point in this recipe is that I don’t remove the katsuobushi flakes after using them in the dashi, on the contrary. Mixed with the soya sauce they are delicious.

September 26, 2019

Yukata

A summer classic in Japan is to wear yukata to go to a summer festival – natsu matsuri – 夏祭り. Both boys and girls can wear yukata, and besides the obi they quite comfortable to wear and it’s much easier to wear it than a “full” kimono. I was lucky enough to have learned how to wear kimono the very first year we lived in Japan and since then to practice once or twice a year. But I have less opportunities to wear yukata as we often went to matsuri after work and I didn’t have time to change.

Last year with some friends from Isumi we all decided to wear yukata and go to Brownsfield matsuri and bon odori. I guess my neighbor caught me on my way there and remember, she decided to teach me how to sew a yukata. Because I was unsure of the result I picked a simple local cotton fabric. The whole sewing took me a lot more time than I thought it would and my neighbor was probably desperate by my slowness and poor sewing skills, she who would sew 3 yukata in one night!!! But hey! I managed to have it ready for the summer and I was very excited to wear it. I choose the Ohara Hanabi Beach matsuri for that: bon odori, minyo live and of course fireworks, on the beach. A very lovely and casual evening… in my new yukata!

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I will try to make a memo of the fabrication of the yukata, but I think I need a lot more practice, so if you are interested in having a hand sewed yukata made just for you, let me know! I’ll be happy to make you one!!!

July 29, 2019

Tsunan – 津南町

Every once in a while we go to visit our friends and their cat in Tsunan, in the Niigata mountains. We originally planned to go for new year but the snow has stopped us: our car is not equipped for snow… so we took the opportunity of the long golden week to drive up and to stay 2-3 days there. We’ve been there 10 times or more, at each season but it’s been a while we haven’t been in spring and it was the perfect timing for sansai as you already from my previous post, but also cherry tree blossoms and beautiful river streams full of the recently melted snow.

Each time we discover something new, but we also have a few habits. Let’s start with the habits:

Always stop by the COOP shop in the village to buy 三八五 – sanhachigo to make pickles. They also use to have delicious apricot jam but not anymore…
Drive up to Sakae to buy honey and pollen. I started eating pollen a long time ago, under the pressure of my nutritionist mum. At first I hated it, but after years, now I really find it easy to take a spoon of pollen every morning before breakfast.
Stop at the sake factory, not for sake but for some carrot juice! They grow 雪下人参 – yukishitaninjin literally carrots under the snow, and they give a very nice and sweet carrot juice. You may also find the juice other places.
Stop at the local antique shops. Well, actually this time we didn’t since K. gave us plenty of ceramics and glassware.
Take a walk to the geo-park to see the cliff and the river. We really love that place, even if a few years ago they transformed the little path into a wide wheelchair friendly road, with an artificial pond… the view hasn’t changed a bit.

As for the new things… we discovered Nakago – 中子 a small village by a lake with a few sakura tree. The place is on a plateau where they do a lot of farming. The beautifully opened view and the quietness were totally exquisite.

The other place we went was on the way to Akiyamago, a small village with a suspended bridge on top of the Nakatsu river, the Mikura bridge – 見倉橋. It was a beautiful walk down the river, and you can go up the other side of the bridge to the Mikura village. But we didn’t, so next time we’ll visit K. we know were we could go!!!

May 10, 2019

Wild mountain plants

More than 10 years ago our friends K. and S. invited us to their home in the Niigata mountains to go picking wild plants – 山菜 – sansai with them, and to cook and eat them together. Of course we couldn’t say no, and we had an amazing time with them walking deep in the forest, picking all the different kinds of wild plants, seeing wild animals and then learning how to prepare them…

With the super long golden week, we decided to go and visit K. for a short trip to Tsunan and to go wild plants picking again. Since S. has past, we didn’t go as deep in the woods as we did before but we went for a long walk in the woods and picked enough wild plants for a nice lunch. The winter has stretched rather late in April with huge snowfalls and there was still quite a bit of snow, so we were a week or so too early. Here is an illustrated list of what we found though:

– つくし – tsukushi – horsetail

This little white flower can be easily found everywhere. Always take those that have no pollen. For preparation see my post here.

– こごみ – kogomi – fern sprouts

They are easy to spot, easy to pick and super easy to cook. I find them as easy to prepare than wild asparagus: in omelets, with pasta… they are really the simplest of the sansai and the more accessible in terms of flavor and texture.

– タラノメ – taranome – angelica buds

They grow at the head of wood sticks. The one in the picture is a little young and they need to have a few leaves out. These ones are really delicious in tempura and require little handling.

– 木の芽 – kinome – chocolate vine

This little green sprout that grows in the midst of other trees sprouting is the hardest to find, but once you’ve spotted a tree, easily recognized by its leaves, it is easy to find the sprouts. Washed and eaten raw, or cook, it is fresh and crunchy.

– 蕗の薹 – fukinoto

In the mountain fukinoto grow right after a patch of snow has melted. So spot a patch of snow, and look at the edges. They are best when just sprouting. They can be as big as a ping pong ball. There taste is very strong and specific. Probably the most difficult to accommodate and cook of all. See my posts on fukinoto here.

There are many others wild plants such as zenmai – 薇 – osmunda japonica (with me on the below picture), yama udo – 山ウド, tori ashi shouma – 鶏足升麻… we also harvested a bit of some, so some others… we also found morels. we had taranome, fukinoto and kogomi tempura, kinome salad and tsukushi just heated in soya sauce and dashi.

Now the golden week is getting to its end… time to go back to work soon!

May 5, 2019

Golden week!!

Well, well, well… this time of the year has come again and for me golden week means first ocean bathing, the beginning of the bodyboarding season and the beach season. This year the weather has decided differently and it is so cold that I spend my evenings curled in my cashmere or under a plaid, with heater still on. Not only is it cold, it is also raining quite a bit some days Limiting all outdoor activities. So I decided to think of the summer and get ready for it, and took on the challenge my neighbor gave me: sew my own yukata!

My first challenge was to find the proper fabric in colors and patterns that I would actually wear. I opted for online shopping at Hotta-shop and found a cheap roll of yukata fabric 100% cotton and made in Japan, and delivered in a decent amount of time. I’m actually very pleased with fabric and think of ordering some for my next projects. Then during 3h with my 88yo neighbor I learned how to measure and cut the fabric for making the yukata, and starting sewing. I’m still halfway through, as we had friends from France over for a couple of days, I will likely finish today or tomorrow…

Sewing is a great challenge for me as it is a very twisted way of thinking that I need to acquire, and my teacher prefers spending time in small chitchat than the long explanations I would actually need. Anyway I’m having fun and can’t wait for the summer to come!!!

Oh… but don’t worry I haven’t forgotten to cook! For our friends, after our little hike I baked my new scones in a white chocolate, and milk chocolate and miso peanuts, they simply loved them!!! I cooked plenty of other things, some coming soon!

April 29, 2019