Normally, Hokuto is cool even during the day in July, but this year it's been hot and humid, which has allowed summer vegetables to grow rapidly and produce fruit one after another. However, what remains the same as usual is the cool mornings and evenings, meaning there's no need for fans or air conditioning, which is a blessing.
Thanks to the heat, the plums have ripened rapidly and fallen from the trees, but the other day we prepared them for pickled plums. At Pitara Farm, the staff used to do everything from harvesting the plums to preparing them, but this year we borrowed the shade of the trees in Pitara Village and gathered with all the local immigrants to prepare the plums together.
The harvested plums are soaked in water to remove the bitterness, then the stems are removed one by one and the plums are soaked in salt. Removing the stems is a very difficult task, and it can be quite hard to do alone, but if you work together and chat, it will be done in no time. This is the good thing about working together. The finished umeboshi are shared by everyone.
Now, here is the content of this week's vegetable set. It's the time of year when we gradually switch from early summer vegetables to summer vegetables.
This week's vegetable set
Contains 8 to 9 of the following vegetables:
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New potatoes Freshly dug new potatoes! They are a variety called Hokkai Kogane, characterized by their golden color and dense flesh. When fried, they are creamy and fragrant. They don't fall apart when cooked, so you can add them to curry, stew, or oden to enjoy their deep flavor. |
New onions With new onions in season right now, even smaller onions are delicious! Peel them and cook them whole to enjoy their juicy texture. Simmer, sauté, or roast them. |
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kale Kale, said to be the ancestor of cabbage and an ingredient in green juice, is a superfood rich in vitamins and minerals. Just like cabbage, it can be chopped and used in a wide variety of dishes, including salads, stir-fries, and stews. |
Korinky It is a member of the pumpkin family, with a striking lemon yellow color. You can eat the skin and seeds raw, so slice it thinly or shred it and use it in salads. It is also delicious roasted or stewed. It has a unique aroma that will become addictive. |
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cucumber Cucumbers are starting to come in little by little! They're a summer staple. They're low in moisture and have a crunchy texture. They're best eaten whole with miso. Chop them, rub them with salt, drain the water, and add them to salads or dress them with vinegar and miso. |
zucchini This is a variety called Black Beauty, with a beautiful, deep green sheen. I've been harvesting it myself for about three years. It's delicious sliced and sautéed, thinly sliced and salad, or simply rubbed with salt. I also grate it and mix it into pancake batter. |
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carrot This spring was hot, so there were a lot of insects, and the first seeds I planted were quickly eaten as soon as they germinated, so I still have a small harvest, but I've managed to produce fragrant, sweet carrots. These crunchy, soft carrots become even sweeter when cooked slowly. They're delicious sauteed, roasted, or coated in batter to make carrot cutlets. |
Leaf lettuce Its soft yet crunchy texture and eye-catching vibrant color add a touch of color to any dish. Wrapping it around grilled meat or fried foods seasoned like sweet and sour pork is also a great way to get your appetite going this time of year. It also pairs well with oil, so it's delicious in spring dishes, fried rice, and Chinese-style soups. |
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cherry tomatoes I finally got some red fixed-variety tomato seeds. I hadn't been able to find any tasty fixed-variety tomatoes, but these "Stella" cherry tomatoes are sweet and delicious! They're great for snacking, but they're also delicious in miso soup. |
chives Naturally grown chives have a strong fragrance and a firm texture. They have a strong presence. They are great for adding flavor to stir-fries. Chopping them and soaking them in soy sauce helps preserve them, making a convenient chive soy sauce that can be enjoyed with rice or in other dishes. |
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Crown chrysanthemum Shungiku is popular because it has little bitterness even when eaten raw! Simply tear it into pieces and pour a simple dressing over it to create a delicious dish with a rich aroma. It also tastes great in Shiraae (sweet sesame sauce) and miso soup. |
Delicata Pumpkin It has a wonderful taste, like a combination of pumpkin, potato, and chestnut. I think it tastes best when it's young. The skin and seeds are edible, so if you slice it, sprinkle salt on it, and roast it, you can enjoy its soft, sweet flavor and aroma. |
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Bonus: Bay leaf: A classic herb used in stews. Adding one to a pot of water and ingredients while heating will bring out the flavor and aroma. |
The state of the fields
The rainy season is harvest and weeding season! In addition to digging potatoes, summer vegetables have begun to ripen, and daily harvesting work has become busier. The rain and heat have caused weeds in the fields to grow at an incredible rate. They quickly outshine the vegetables, so we weed them diligently. The health of the grass is a sign of healthy soil. We're grateful for this, but we're busy weeding. Preparations for fall vegetables have also begun. Weeds grew incredibly quickly with the onset of the rainy season, so we cut them with a shredder and strained them into fine pieces into the soil. Planting and sowing won't begin until August, but we're taking steps early to decompose any large weeds. This will return a large amount of plant matter to the soil, allowing the land's inherent vitality to thrive. We've also started growing seedlings for fall and winter vegetables, such as broccoli.
notice
・We have started selling organic garden bouquets!
You can find it in the [Products] tab on this page. It can be bundled with the vegetable set. Please take a look.
Without chemical fertilizers or pesticides
The main focus is on seasonal flowers grown in a field with a variety of vegetables, grasses, and insects.
We will deliver an organic garden bouquet with herbs, perennials, and branches, along with the scent of the soil and wind of Hokuto City.
There are many types of flowers that you don't often see in flower shops,
The main focus is on small flowers that are not too conspicuous but are like a microcosm, and flowers that look natural.
This is a bouquet that can be displayed casually in your everyday life.
・We accept single item purchases of vegetables that are harvested in abundance.
We are currently experiencing a bumper crop of new potatoes and radishes. You can purchase more from the [Products] tab. We hope that these plentiful vegetables will enrich your everyday cooking.
We are now accepting new orders for our vegetable set subscription.
We still have spaces available for our popular vegetable set subscription, so please share it with your friends, family, and colleagues.
