Summer, and the Fall in the case of Shizuoka. means an enormous supply of fresh vegetables and it would be a shame not to make the most out of it!
The Japanese love to use vinegar, especially rice vinegar and kuro su, black rice vunegar, with many dishes. It basically replaces the role of lemon juice in western cuisines.
Here is a simple recipe that should please all members of the family and also serve as a great snack!
For vegetarians and vegans just ignore the meat!
INGREDIENTS: (For 4 persons)
Meat (pork or beef thinly sliced) 100 g
Cabbage: 4~5 leaves
Carrot: a little
Onion: 1/2
Shishito/thin green peppers: 6
Cucumber: 1 (japanese style. If not use a small one)
Egg plant: 1
Zucchini: One 6-cm long piece
Mini tomatoes: 10
Edamame: a few
Vegetables for flavoring:
Garlic: 1 clove, chopped
Fresh ginger root: One cube (2x2x2 cm), chopped
Leek: 2 tablespoons, chopped
Red chili pepper: 1~2
Others:
Sesame oil: 1 teaspoon
Vegetable oil: as much as needed for frying
Sauce:
Water: 100 ml (1/2 cup)
Soy sauce: 5 tablespoons
Black rice vinegar (“kuro su”): 1 + 1/2 tablespoons
Sugar: 3 tablespoons
Slat: 1 pinch
Cornstrach: 1 tablespoon
RECIPE:
Cut/break cabbage leaves into bite size.
Cut the carrot into strips.
Slice the shishito peppers in halves or quarters lengthwise. Discard the seeds.
Slice the onion into 1 cm thick slices.
Cut the cucumber lengthwise into four strips and slice into bite size.
Cut the eggplant lengthwise and slice into 6 mm thick slices.
Cut the zucchini into 3 mm thick half moon slices.
Cut the red chili pepper in halves. Discrad seeds.
Boil the edamame (unless you can get them in cans) and take beans out.
Slice the meat into bit size.
Bear in mind that vegetables that cook easily should be cut into bits bigger than vegetables that take more time to cook.
Prepare everything beforehand for practicality, easy access and speedy cooking!
Mix the ingredients of the sauce well beforehand.
Pour 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok. drop the finely chopped vegetables for flavoring. When smell comes starting coming out, add meat and fry (skip the meat step if you are vegan/vegetarian and proceed to next step!)
Add and fry zucchini, eggplant and carrot first. If oil becomes insufficient add a little.
Add all the other vegetables and fry.
Add the sauce (stir it again to make sure that the cornstarch has dissolved) and pour over vegetables as oon as they are cooked to your satisfaction. Stir/sautee the lot for 5 seconds. Add sesame oil and stir only once. Pour the whole into serving dish.
Enjoy this Japanese-style Chinese food!
RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 
Thanks for the update!
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It looks like a nice idea to use up leftover vegetables. I often have a bit of several vegetables and use them in stir fries. I would have never thought of making a vinegar based sauce though. Very intriguing, but also very tempting!
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Now, that’s a great answer!
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