On September 15th, Noika turned two years old.
The theme of the birthday party was Totoro, which has been my favorite lately. Mom and Dad worked hard to prepare it. Many friends and grandparents came along, and it was a lively birthday party. I asked a friend who is good at baking to make a wonderful cake using beets that we harvested at home.
I thought that the year from when he turned one to when he turned two would go by in a flash, but it felt like a very long and intense year.
She is able to do new things, learn new words, converse, play more games together, and I really enjoy staring blankly at my daughter playing by herself.In short, every day is filled with new discoveries and excitement, which is why the days feel so long.
As a farmer, I feel like I spend a lot of time around the house and with my family. I go back home every two hours or so to rest. They haven't put their child in daycare yet, so Mom is the one taking care of them. The neighbors are also very kind, which is a big help. While Mom is busy with childcare, Dad does all the physical work around the house, like cleaning, laundry, cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the environment, in addition to the usual farm work, sales, accounting, management, etc. etc. etc. It's like training to be a craftsman. lol We provide the maximum support possible so that Mom can spend as much time as possible with her child.
Recently, she has been enjoying taking baths with her dad, and bath time is one of her favorite things to do.
And now, the time to plant garlic is approaching. I started preparing the garlic seeds, and asked Noika, who always enjoys peeling onions, if she wanted to peel some with me. With incredible concentration, she removed each clove from the garlic bulb one by one and put them in a basket.
Dad peels the garlic and loosens the scales a little before handing them to Noika.
This isn't exactly efficient, but there was one thing I wanted to prioritize over efficiency: working together with my child. It would have been fine if I had removed the scales all at once, but I made it a point to let my two-year-old help out in a fun way until halfway through, and we were able to work together as a parent and child for an astounding 40 minutes.
For children, helping out is also a part of play. Adults can create a "working environment" within their work that children can join in on. They can also create a "working environment" that older people can join in on. To achieve this, you need to "work like you're playing." Or perhaps the more accurate phrase would be "work with a playful spirit." I feel this is the key. It may be a bit of a roundabout way of thinking, but in the long run, multiple generations can work together and pass on the wisdom they need to live. Richer times are created when multiple generations can clearly fulfill their respective roles. This incident made me realize this.
Hopefully next time we can plant some garlic too!
Well, maybe I'm being too greedy.
Now, here are the contents of this week's vegetable set.
This week's vegetable set
Contains 8 to 9 of the following vegetables:
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bitter melon Due to the cool climate, bitter melon harvesting tends to begin at the end of summer each year. Fresh bitter melon has little bitterness, and is delicious even raw if rubbed with salt and squeezed tightly. It also tastes refreshing with ponzu sauce or bonito flakes. It is also delicious as tempura without removing the pith! The seeds are crispy and fragrant, with a nutty aroma. |
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 It has long been said that "don't let your daughter-in-law eat autumn eggplant," but this is a flavorful eggplant that we would like everyone to try. 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! |
Sunny 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. Sunny lettuce is characterized by its beautiful contrast of scarlet and light green, and its frilly leaves are also cute. It can be eaten raw in salads, stir-fried in oil, or used in soups. |
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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 turnip thinnings. The turnip parts are still soft, so you can roughly chop them up and use them in salads or as a green garnish in dishes. The subtle spiciness adds a nice accent. |
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potatoes *There are insect holes on the surface, which have turned black, so please remove them before eating. We will deliver extra portions to make up for the insect holes. Thank you for your understanding. This variety, Tokachi Kogane, is known for its versatility and hardiness. It's delicious whether boiled, baked, or fried, and it's highly storable, making it a valuable choice. I like to boil them whole, then lightly mash them to create cracks, and roast them in oil or butter until browned. |
radish This type of radish comes in a variety of colors, including red, purple, and pink. It has a strong spiciness, so if you plan to eat it raw, slice it as thinly as possible. As it is a member of the daikon radish family, it can also be used in simmered dishes. The nutritious leaves can be used in tsukudani (simmered food) or as an ingredient in miso soup. |
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cucumber The second crop of cucumbers, which was a long time coming, is slowly starting to come in. These are traditional cucumbers with a low moisture content, firm flesh, and a crisp, crunchy texture. They have a strong flavor and only require a simple seasoning. They are delicious simply dipped in miso and crispy on their own. They are also delicious pickled, salted, and made into tempura. |
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. |
Water spinach As its name suggests, this vegetable has a hollow stem. It is very popular in Southeast Asia and is mainly used in stir-fries. Simply season it with garlic, chili peppers, and fish sauce to enjoy its delightful crunchy texture and unique flavor. It wilts easily, so if it starts to lose its vitality, cutting off a small portion of the root and placing it in water will make it crisp again. |
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Bonus: Shiso
The flowers of the green shiso plant have finished blooming and the fruit has begun to appear. You can enjoy the floral scent of shiso. It is good for decoration. You can also squeeze out the fruit and blanch it to remove the bitterness. You can also pickle it in soy sauce or salt, which goes well with rice. |
The state of the fields
The leafy vegetables that I pulled and weeded last week are growing well, and have probably tripled in size. The image below shows a small turnip. It has been eaten by some insects, but it is growing without any problems. It's hot, so summer weeds will still grow, but I want to take action while they are still small so I don't regret it later. At this point, I'll weed it again and again!
Radishes also develop large cotyledons and grow rapidly. Three stalks are grown as a clump, and the plants are thinned out as they grow. This is because cruciferous vegetables like to grow in groups.
notice
-We are currently selling organic garden bouquets, which are popular as gifts.
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 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.
