We're already in the second half of October, and the warm weather continues, so it's not too cold and it's nice, but it makes me wonder when winter will come. This autumn has been different from usual, with the weather getting colder and then hotter, and vegetables mistaking it for spring and starting to bloom.
However, once the rice harvest is over and I taste the new rice, I feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, knowing that I have worked hard for another year! It makes me want to recall the faces of the people who have helped me and look back on the past year.
This year's rice cultivation began with sowing seeds with the children. We made furrows in one corner of the field and sown the rice seeds in rows. The varieties we used were Sasashigure and Jasmine rice. It was our first attempt, but it was a wonderful time sowing seeds together with adults and small children. While the adults worked hard and sowed carefully, the children sowed seeds in large numbers in one place, or scattered randomly. However, the seedlings in the areas sown by the children were stronger! It was a learning experience.
Preparations for the rice fields began around March, with fallen leaves collected from the mountains scattered, rice bran sprinkled, and rough tilling done by spreading charcoal burned at the bamboo charcoal burning event that is held once a month and soil-growing algae (Kanten Papa's seaweed compost). For the tilling just before planting, Umaya Shichifuku was invited to hold an experience event where participants could plow together with the horses. Adults and children alike supported the special tools and worked in sync with the horses to till the rice field. Feeling the comfort of being free from noise and vibration, and thinking back to the days before oil, the rice was ready for planting.
A week later, it was finally time to plant the rice. We dug up the seedlings that had firmly established roots in the soil and grown strong, and planted them one by one by hand. The adults worked seriously, while the children played around, occasionally imitating the adults and planting. I think children learn at their own pace by watching the adults, and they gain far more by acting on their own initiative than by being forced to do things by adults. That's why I think it's so important to create a play area for children in the workplace as well.
After three rounds of chain weeding and two rounds of weeding with a rice paddy cart, the rice grew well and was finally ready for harvest. Perhaps thanks to the addition of horse manure, the rice grew very well and we were able to harvest about 300 kg of rice.
The rice is dried slowly in the sun and then threshed. It is immediately polished and, of course, the first new rice is cooked over firewood. We also grilled saury over charcoal and enjoyed it thoroughly. New rice is so delicious that we could eat several bowls without any side dishes. My daughter also said it was delicious and had a bigger appetite than usual. It's special.
We are now accepting orders for rice made by our friend Atsuki-kun of OKOME CRAFT (https://ame-tsuchi-hito.com/pages/partner). If you are interested, please contact us.
This season is in its final stretch! Let's eat some new rice and do our best!
Now, here is the content of this week's vegetable set. Summer vegetables are finally coming to an end, and autumn and winter vegetables are starting to arrive.
This week's vegetable set
Contains 8 to 9 of the following vegetables:
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Wasabi greens It is a leafy vegetable with a beautiful frilly leaf shape and a tangy spiciness and elegant fragrance. It can be eaten raw in salads or as a side dish, or it can be quickly boiled for just one minute and drizzled with soy sauce to bring out its spiciness and make it very delicious. |
Crown chrysanthemum This year, the unusually hot and dry weather has made it difficult for the shungiku to grow, but as always, they are soft and not bitter, and are delicious enough to eat in salads. Please enjoy them raw. They are also great in miso soup, or boiled briefly and dressed with white or sesame sauce. |
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eggplant There is an old saying that goes, "Don't let your daughter-in-law eat autumn eggplant," but we would like everyone to try these flavorful autumn eggplants. Shinkuro Nasu is a rare variety of eggplant these days. Personally, I find grilled eggplant to be overwhelmingly delicious. Grill the whole eggplant with the stem still attached until tender, then rinse in cold water to remove the skin. Drain the water from the flesh and top with seasonings, bonito flakes, and ponzu sauce to enjoy sweet and fragrant grilled eggplant. Green eggplant is called Ao-nasu, and when cooked, the flesh becomes melty and delicious. We recommend deep-frying it. After draining the water with salt, marinate it in the deep-frying sauce for about 10 minutes, then coat it with potato starch and deep fry. It's truly the best, so please give it a try! |
lettuce This year's unusually hot weather has caused an unprecedented situation where lettuce plants bolted before harvest (a physiological phenomenon that causes flower buds to appear in spring). We have delivered lettuce that managed to avoid bolting, but the leaves are a little tough and have a slight bitter taste. Romaine lettuce is characterized by its round, firm leaves, which do not become limp even when cooked, making it ideal for stir-fries and stews. Its subtle sweetness and bitterness add a nice accent to any dish. Of course, it can also be eaten raw, so try mixing it into a salad. Red lettuce has a firm texture. In Korea, it is popular to wrap it around grilled meat, but it is also delicious in salads and stir-fries! It is also good in Chinese soups and miso soup! |
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Sixteen cowpeas The long green bean-like vegetable is called cowpea, a legume. It is soft and stringy, so you can use it in the same way as green beans. It has a unique flavor, and after boiling it, you can cut it up and enjoy it in salads, blanched dishes, stir-fries, simmered dishes, tempura, etc. |
Baby leaves We are currently thinning out and harvesting our healthy growing leafy vegetables. The young leaves are soft and packed with flavor, making them delicious. Enjoy them in salads. This time we're using thinned daikon radish. We're using thinned Odagiri Akakubi Daikon radish, which has a red root, and Miyagi Daikon radish, which has a white root. The soft leaves have a subtle spiciness and bitterness when eaten raw. Mix them into salads or use them as a green garnish in dishes. Rub them with salt for a refreshing taste. Stir-fry them with garlic and salt to go well with rice. They're also great in miso soup. |
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Pumpkin This black-skinned chestnut pumpkin is characterized by its black skin and fluffy texture. Simply steam it with salt and a small amount of dashi stock, and you can enjoy the pumpkin's natural sweetness and texture. It's also delicious in tempura, thinly sliced and baked, or steamed and mashed to make a pumpkin salad! |
taro The taste of autumn. Introducing freshly dug taro! Boiled taro is sticky, and deep-fried taro is fluffy and sweet. The skin of freshly dug taro is soft, so you can enjoy its deep flavor by deep-frying or steaming it with the skin on. |
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Turnip We deliver beautifully grown turnips! The skin is soft, so cut them in half and enjoy them in a stew or saute. The leaves are also highly nutritious, and you can get a lot of vitamins and minerals from them in salads, mixed dishes, blanched dishes, or stir-fries. They're perfect for this time of year when colds are more likely to occur! |
butternut squash Orange and gourd-shaped, butternut squash is now a standard pumpkin for making potage. It's salted and steamed with onions, then made into a paste. Mix it with hot water or milk to make a potage, and the sweet, rich flavor will melt in your mouth. It's also delicious in tempura or roasted dishes! |
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Green peppers and manganji Bell peppers have little bitterness and are delicious eaten raw! They're also delicious stuffed with meat or stewed. Manganji peppers are a staple at our barbecue. We grill them whole until they're browned, then drizzle them with sauce to enjoy their sweetness and aroma. They're also delicious grilled, deep-fried, or simmered. This time of year, we also have fully ripe, sweet, red Manganji peppers in stock. The unusual cream-colored bell peppers have almost no bitterness and a refreshing, floral scent even when eaten raw. The dish also contains small, bright red sweet peppers. They are sweet and fruity, and can be eaten raw, or mixed into an omelet for a vibrant color. |
Sukuna Pumpkin The traditional Gifu Prefecture vegetable "Sukunaka Pumpkin" is a smooth, fluffy, and sweet pumpkin. It is delicious when stewed, deep-fried, or thinly sliced and grilled. Personally, I like to eat grilled pumpkin tossed in balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and maple syrup. It is also known as a pumpkin that is easy to use in sweets. |
Morning glory It's called "Indian spinach" in English, and like spinach, it's rich in minerals. It can be used in the same way as spinach, in stir-fries, miso soup, salads, and more, and can be used in both Japanese and Western dishes. When boiled and chopped, it becomes very soft and creamy, which is perfect for invigorating a tired stomach in the summer. I personally like to stir-fry it with tomatoes, eggs, and bonito flakes. |
Red Rias Mustard Greens This mustard greens has finely cut leaves and is characterized by its pungent spiciness. The beautiful leaves are soft and add a vibrant color to salads. It is similar to mizuna, so it can also be used in stir-fries and hotpots. |
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Bonus: Arugula
This herb has a slightly strong, spicy flavor and a sesame-like taste. As it originates from Italy, it goes well with pizza and pasta. You can add color and flavor by sprinkling chopped arugula on top. It also goes well with salads and marinades, and with fish dishes and prosciutto. Its unique flavor is also delicious when quickly boiled and dipped in water. |
The state of the fields
Due to the unusually hot weather this year, autumn and winter vegetables are struggling. Almost all of the 200 or so Chinese cabbages and cabbages planted have been destroyed by severe insect damage. Leafy vegetables are also growing slowly, about two weeks behind. Daikon radishes are finally starting to grow, and shipments of daikon-sized produce will likely begin in November. Even the veteran organic farmers around me seem to be having a lot of trouble this year, and there's no end to their stories of struggle.
The Chinese cabbage and cabbage are in a very bad state, so next year I'm considering rescheduling the planting to take into account the heat and drought, and also purchasing additional materials such as shade netting. It looks like I'll have to take more effort than usual to protect them from insects, such as sealing up any gaps in the insect netting.
Late October is when frost usually starts to fall. This year, however, it doesn't look like it will fall for a while yet. This is the time of year when we harvest and store sweet potatoes and taro, which are sensitive to the cold. Cleaning up the fields and planning and preparing for next year's fields are also important tasks. We're still running around!
The garlic I planted with my daughter has sprouted. She is very happy. Recently, she has started to remember what she has done and recognize her actions and their results.
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