Tag Archives: Japanese

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Vegetarian Organic Steak at Tetsuya Sugimoto!

August 20, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Highly professional and friendly
Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong points: Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prefecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only.

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

This the second of the four-part report on the lunch I had the other day at Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City!
It certainly makes for an astonishing creation as it is a completely vegetarian hot dish conceived with local products of the highest quality!

All vegetables are organic, either from Hamamatsu City or from Matsuki Bio Farm in Fujinomiya City!

The large green eggplant/aubergine was first cut into a “steak” and fried/baked with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Actually all vegetables were cooked in the same manner!
These included 2 types of zucchini, green and yellow, violet onion, “Seniorita” sweet red pimento and “Nitakikoma” tomatoes which were first half-dried before being sauteed.
Can you recognize the vegetables at the left extremity?

And those in the middle?

Or those at the right extremity?

A photo from the top might help you!
Incidentally the Italian parsley is also organic!
Were it not for the dressing, it would be vegan!

Beautiful taste, satisfying bite and an artistic composition!

To be followed…

Tetsuya SUGIMOTO
４２０－００３８ Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Umeya,２－１３，１Ｆ
Tel./Fax: 054-251-3051
Opening hours：１１：３０～１４：３０，１７：３０～２１：３０
Holidays: undecided
Credit cards OK
ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ

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美食, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, seafood, Tourism, vegetables

Appetizer at Tetsuya Sugimoto: Hamamatsu Eggplant & Mochimune Sardine Whiting!

August 19, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

It had been quite some time since I paid a visit to arguably the best French restaurant in Shizuoka Prefecture, namely Testuya Sugimoto in Shizuoka City.
Therefore, I went for lunch there today to “enquire” about the latest developments!
It ended up into a full lunch, and as it was a bit too long for a single article let me describe each dish in its individuality for easy reference!

Very slightly different photograph!

This is an appetizer combining the wealth of the land and that of the sea of Shizuoka Prefecture as well as both Japanese and French concepts/aproaches of gastronomy.
The whole is conceived as a cold appetizer.
The organic eggplant/aubergine from Hamamatsu City was first grilled. Then it was carefully peeled before being lightly marinated in the Japanese o-hitashi style.
The shirasu/sardine whiting from Mochimune was first steamed before being lightly chilled.

The white color of the shirasu was enhanced by the small cuts of various organic vegetables from Hamamatsu City placed in so artful a manner!
The whole was seasoned with a beautiful olive oil and Testuya’s lemon vinaigrette!

For the record I paired with a dry white wine from Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture!

So healthy, artful and delicious (and simple!)!

To be followed…

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Lunch at Kogawa Fishing Harbor Canteen!

August 18, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

A great way to eat top-class fresh fish for a ridiculously low price is to visit good fishing harbors in Japan!
Yesterday, in between two interviews held in rice fields in Yaizu City, two friends of mine took me to Kogawa Fishing Harbor/小川港, the real fishing harbor of Yaizu City!

Kogawa Fishing Harbor Canteen/小川港魚河岸食堂 doesn’t look much from outside. It actually very much looks like a big company cafeteria!

You have to look around to convince yourself you are inside a fishing harbor especially at 12:00 a.m. when all the trade of the day has been concluded.

You will feel a bit more convinced when looking at the posters describing the fish being brought to the harbor.
It is also difficult to imagine that you are actually inside one of the major fishing harbors in Japan!
Incidentally, foreign tourists ought to learn that to know this is not Tsukiji in Tokyo with dead fish all around, but a harbor where you can eat fish that was brought in by the boats the very morning!

It’s only when you get inside that serious things are really taking shape!

Menus are everywhere to be consulted, so have a good look, choose your order and buy a ticket at the entrance. You might need someone who can read Japanese then!

Inside does look like a canteen, doesn’t it? Old but clean!

If you still harbored (pun?) any doubts, just look at the big flag to convince yourself!
Can you see Mount Fuji!

Remember that customers early in the morning are local fishermen whereas at lunch time they are normal consumers!

Hand over your ticket and wait for your number to be called!

Meanwhile choose your table where you will find all you need!

Now, what did the three of us had?

I chose the “Negitoro donburi set/ネギトロ丼 for only 800 yen (9 US$!)!

Enormous portion of absolutely fresh tuna!

One of my friends chose the Maguro Zuke Donburi Set/鮪漬丼/Marinated Tuna for only 800 yen again and plate of katsuo/鰹/bonito sashimi for the 3 of us to share!

Yaizu City (Kogawa) harbour is the major source of Bonito in Japan!. This plate cost a mere 500 yen!

The marinated (tombo maguro) tuna!

My second friend had the Katsuo Steak Lunch Set/カツオステーキ定食/Bonito Steak Lunch for only 700 yen!

Look at those bonito steaks!

Don’t worry, they also sell drinks!

As one of my friends will help me interview the fishermen early in the morning in this particular harbor soon, expect more of the same. In fact this is only the start of a series of reports on Shizuoka fishing harbors!

Kogawa Fishing Harbor Canteen/小川港魚河岸食堂
425-0033 Yaizu Shi, Kogawa, 3392-9
Tel.: 054-624-6868
Business hours: 07:00~14:00
Open all year round except for the New Year and mid-summer O-Bon

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Enshu Somen Noodles Lunch at Cafe Belle Equipe Vegetable in Shizuoka City!

August 16, 2011 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Very friendly if a bit shy
Facilities: Very clean. Beautiful toilets
Prices: Reasonable. Very good value
Strong points: Healthy food. Great set lunches. Beautiful array of cakes.

The other day I decided to have lunch again at Cafe Belle Equipe Vegetable in Shizuoka City for a quick and healthy lunch.
As usual there were (far!) more ladies than gentlemn like it so often happens at lunch in Japan! Why, I wonder… (actually, I know! LOL)

I didn’t hesitate much when I saw “Enshu Somen Noodle Lunch Set” on the menu as somen are the perfect noodles for the summer and that the word “Enshu” indicated they were made in the Western part of our Shizuoka Prefecture! As usual it came with loads of local fresh vegetables!

It also included a white miso vegetables soup!

And a big chyawanmushi!

A very tasty and light chyawanmushi indeed!

These wheat flour somen were comparatively thick and offered a good bite. Perfect for a good appetite.
They were served together with the vegetables and their tsuyu/light soupstock sauce.
Very tasty!

As they are always different, I make a point to add one of their cakes to my lunch, even if it means extra calories!

Matcha Tiramisu Tart!

Appetizing, isn’t it?
Moreover, we could call it a Shizuoka-style tiramisu!

To be continued…

CAFE BELLE EQUIPE VEGETABLE
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho, 10-1, Villa Tenmacho, 2F
Tel.: 054-251-0200
Business hours: l0:00~22:00 (11:00~22:00 on Saturdays & Sundays, 11:00~21:00 on National Holidays)
Parties (small to large) welcome! Special party menus.
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Soba Restaurant: Iwa ichi!

August 15, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Service: Very friendly and easy-going.
Facilities: Very clean overall. Excellent amenities
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Soba of course, but traditional Japanese gastronomy on the whole. Excellent all-rounder.
English spoken!
Non-smoking at tables.

Soba has always been a pillar of Japanese gastronomy. In Edo times soba restaurants were the place to patronize if you wanted to drink sake (in good company?).
There are many soba restaurants all over the City, Prefecture and country, but the very good ones need a little research and exploration, if not luck!

Iwa Ichi/岩市 is not easy to find tucked away along a main thoroughfare away from the centre of Shizuoka City.
Although I live nearby and for all its 4 years of existence I hadn’t noticed it. I almost cycled past it yesterday after I had decided to investigate this increasingly famous establishment for a first visit at lunch.

The menu, whatever the time of the day or night, is written in English.
But the owner speaks English! No worries, then!
On that day I chose the set menu (3,000 yen/~40 US$): Kuroge Wagyuu Amiyaki Gozen/黒毛和牛網焼き御膳/Grilled Black Hair Beef Lunch!

Served on a wooden tray, it certainly looked appetizing and beautiful!
A great balance which had already convinced me to return for dinner and a serious chat!

Cold soba in their soup with freshly grated wasabi.

Chyawanmushi/茶碗蒸し/ Japanese salted pudding and Chinese cabbage pickles in front of the beef.

Now, this grilled beef is truly extravagant for a soba restaurant! It is Shizuoka-bred Black Hair Beef under the name of Suruga Gyuu/駿河牛/Suruga (as of Suruga Bay off the Shizuoka shores) Beef. An absolute beauty that even Argentines (and Americans?)would run for!

Served with grated daikon mixed with soy sauce and freshly grated wasabi (from Shizuoka) it makes for the perfect way to savor grilled prime beef!

Madai/真鯛/Seabream sashimi! So tender and delicious!

And a cute salad of Shizuoka-grown vegetables. With plain white rice it makes for a complete, so well-balanced and absolutely delicious lunch!

The Japanese pottery certainly makes for another difference!

But being French (a tame excuse if there was one!) I wouldn’t leave without sampling one of their three desserts:
Soba tofu pudding with brown sugar sauce!
I caught your attention, didn’t I? A dessert made without dairy products or wheat flour!

For a closer view!

Alright, I’ll see you at dinner soon!
After all, I need to talk to the owners!

IWA ICHI
420-01816 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Kutsunoya, 3-4-22
Tel.: 054-293-4151
Business hours: 11:30^14:00, 17:30~22:00
Closed on Mondays

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“Great Fisherman’s Catch Plate” at Hana Oto

August 14, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment: Great general cleanliness. Beautiful toilets
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Great use of local ingredients in beautiful Chinese Cuisine. Great sake and shochu!

What is absolutely extravagant in Shizuoka, and I’m talking about the whole of Japan, is that you can (and should!) expect top-class sashimi even in a Chinese-style izakaya (and else!)!
Actually, Hana Oto in Shizuoka announced their sashimi of the day at the very top of their menu!

What is even more tempting is that they not only offer a range of individual sashimi, but also a whole plate of them over a bed of extra fresh Shizuoka-grown leafy vegetable, the whole called 大漁サラダ/dairyou sarada/Great Fisherman Catch Plate”, mostly featuring fish and seafood from Shizuoka!

This time it included nama shirasu/生シラス/raw sardine whiting, maguro/鮪/tuna, saba/鯖/mackerel, madai/真鯛/seabream and tako/蛸/octopus!

Not only it was absolutely delicious, but it was great fun to pick it all from the dish and arrange it on my plate for a photograph!

I’ll take the opportunity to show some other tidbits we had that day: mizunasu/水茄子/ “Water eggplant/aubergine eaten raw with thin sticks of daikon and seasoned with katsuo bushi/鰹節/dry bonito shavings!

Fried Amagi Shamo Chicken liver in Dijon seed mustard and marinated cucumbers!

To be continued…

HANA OTO/華音
420-0032 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Ryougae Cho, 5-8, Shin Kamogawa Bldg., 2F-D
Business hours: 17:30~24:00
Closed on Mondays

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Organic Vegetables from Matsuki Bio Farm at Uzu and Hana Oto!

August 13, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Summer Vegetables “Gorogoro” Salad at Uzu!

Matsuki Bio Farm in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji is a leader when it comes to organic vegetables agriculture.
True to say, as Shizuoka Prefecture is also a leader in the whole of Japan, there are many other organic farms in our Prefecture, but Matsuki Bio Farm is one of the larger and more reliable producers as well.

You do find their products on many restaurant tables across Shizuoka Prefecture and Uzu and Hana Oto make an extra large usage of them!
Both establishments serve them in many ways, two of which I’d like to introduce here today!

The picture above is another view of the top photograph.
Kenya Yoshimura at Uzu serves a big mixture of these seasonal organic vegetables as a Summer (also in other seasons!) Vegetables “Gorogoro” Salad/夏野菜ゴロゴラダ.
Varied vegetables are either kept raw, steamed or fried and then cooled down before mixing them with a dressing of Kenya’s invention.
A very simple and most appropriate way to serve vegetables at their best!
Such salads include some very unusual vegetables such as Hasu Imo, which is not actually the tuber itself but the stems, eaten as green vegetables. Can you see those three strange whitish slices in the front?

Misonaise Vegetable Gratin at Hana Oto!

Whereas Uzu is a Japanese-style Izakaya which serves these vegetables as vegetarian food, Hana Oto is a Chinese Cuisine Izakaya, a very happy hybrid of Japanese and Chinese gastronomies, which serve their food without any particular concern for vegetarianism.
Yuusuke Tozaki’s concept will appeal to all nationalities, especially in colder weather as it is hot and nourishing!

Now, what is “misonaise”?
A mixture of miso paste and mayonnaise!
Some of the vegetables are first fried while others are steamed, boiled or raw.
The sauce, including enough condiments to season the whole, covers a generous portion of those vegetables before being cooked as a gratin in an oven!
Try it at home! It’s worth it!

To be contimued…

UZU
Shizuoka City, Otowa-cho, 3-18
Tel.: 054-249-6262
Business hours: 17:00=23:00
Closed on Mondays and first Tuesday
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

Service: Excellent and very friendly. Very Japanese atmosphere.
Facilities: Excellent washroom facilities. Great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable.
Strong Points: Great sake from Shizuoka and Japan Great Shochu. Home-made umeshu. Mainly local products, especially organic vegetables.
Non-smoking on Sundays and National Holidays

HANA OTO/華音
420-0032 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Ryougae Cho, 5-8, Shin Kamogawa Bldg., 2F-D
Business hours: 17:30~24:00
Closed on Mondays

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Amagi Shamo Chicken at Uzu!

August 11, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Amagi Shamo is arguably the best chicken in Japan and it is bred by only one farm run by Toshiyaki Horie and his father.
The chicken are bred free of stress for 120~150 days up in the Amagi mountains in Izu Peninsula and being fed with grains, soy milk and wasabi leaves, the latter both from Izu Peninsula!

Not many restaurants can serve Amagi Shamo Chicken as the quantity is limited. You do need a personal introduction before you can purchase it!

Kenya Yoshimura of Uzu in Shizuoka City is one of the rare chefs who has a regular if limited supply of this succulent chicken!

So the other day we felt ourselves lucky to be able to savor at least some parts of the chicken. Practically the whole animal is eaten raw, semi-raw, seared, grilled or whatever. I’m afraid that people from Tokyo will have to travel all the way!
To make a long story short we sampled it in three different manners.
First as shown as above in broiled “tebasaki/手羽先” style remiscent of buffalo wings, but far more sophisticated!
The skin is crackling and the meat so tender and smooth!

The second dish was served in “aburi/炙り/seared style.
This is chicken thigh grilled only from the skin leaving the meat half raw.
Served with plenty of chopped scallions and fresh wasabi (from Umegashima, Shizuoka City), it is a morsel worth travelling miles for!

Finally we had a dish of fried hot/piquant innards including the liver and gizzards cut in small pieces and stir-fried with plenty of chopped chili pepper!

For another view….

The combination of crunchy gizzards and soft liver is just impossible to describe!
To be continued…

UZU
Shizuoka City, Otowa-cho, 3-18
Tel.: 054-249-6262
Business hours: 17:00=23:00
Closed on Mondays and first Tuesday
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

HORIE CHICKEN FARM/堀江養鶏
410-3203, Shizuoka Ken, Izu Shi, Yaguma, 296
Tel.: 0558-87-0644
Mobile: 090-7449-5655
Fax: 0558-87-0763
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/44): Unending Heat Bento

August 11, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

It seems that for the last week or so either the thermometer climbs over 35 degrees Celsius or it rains halberds (as we say in France!)!
It is certainly not easy to conceive a bento then.
Lucky we have access to so many vegetables here in Shizuoka!

Rice is probably more practical served as nigiri then.
The Missus prepared three types:
-Wrapped in egoma, a large type of shiso with a strong flavor and fried in sauce.
-Containing umeboshi and black sesame. Incidentally the umeboshi is made with Shizuoka-grown organic Japanese plums!
-Mixed with beef chirimen/semi-dry powder.
Pickles are also important for hygiene in summer: home-made cucumber and myoga ginger pickles and home-made fresh ginger pickles!
The latter are extremely tasty, too!

For a better view of the nigiri!

I contributed a lot to all those vegetables and fruit as I’ve been interviewing a few farmers!

Vegetable salad, green peppers, carrot, tomato (Shizuoka City supermarket) with Chinese cabbage lettuce (Kakegawa City supermarket) marinated with fresh ginger and konbu seaweed.

String eggplant/aubergine and two types of peppers marinated from a macrobiotic farm in Kakegawa City.
Nashi/Japanese pears from Ichikawa Garden in Iwata City.

When it’s hot, eat local!
Fresh, delicious and so safe!

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Tomato Tempura at Uzu!

August 10, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Tempura must be one of the most known facets of Japanese cuisine!
It looks simple enough but good tempura does need a lot of experience and great skills!
And when it comes to serve water-filled vegetables as tempura it becomes a true challenge!

As mentioned before, instead of venturing into long-winded reports about full meals I take at my “regular spots”, I will concentrate on their seasonal dishes!
Now, Mr. Kenya Yoshimura/吉村健也さん is a master of vegetables.
I just can’t imagine the timing and the temperature but when the tomatoes came on my table last night I was once again nonplussed by the sheer simplicity of the dish in its presentation!

This is actually a regular dish at Uzu although the tomatoes will change with the seasons!
In winter I remember having had the same with green tomatoes! The heat had enhanced their hidden “umami” to the point one forgets they were actually unripe!
But the present red tomatoes (organic by the way!) were ripe. I just don’t know how they didn’t explode in the hot oil!
They come with home-made yuzukoshio seasoning. The perfect “marriage” of flavors!

That was how I “presented” it to myself!
All these flavors breaking inside the palate…

To be continued…

UZU
Shizuoka City, Otowa-cho, 3-18
Tel.: 054-249-6262
Business hours: 17:00=23:00
Closed on Mondays and first Tuesday
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Nashi-Japanese Pears at Ichikawa Garden in Iwata City!

August 9, 2011 dragonlife 5 Comments

Two generations of Japanese Pear growers: Takeshi and his parents, Toshiyuki and Kumiko Ichikawa/市川、利行、久美子さん!

Nashi/梨/called Japanese Pears, Nashi Pears or Sand Pears and many other names are the fruit of hot summers par excellence!
One has to bite into one of these crunchy and extremely juicy, and absolutely delicious, fruits once to understand why Nashi Pears are also venerated as the true fruits of life!

It was another blinding hot day again yesterday and I was certainly grateful for Takeshi San to come all the way to Toyoda Cho Station and then to take me all the way again to their fields and house!
The same fields are heavily protected by nets for all kinds of obvious natural reasons!

Housui Pears/豊水梨!

The Ichikawas mainly grow two varieties of nashi pear, Housui/豊水 and Kosui/辛水, the former ripening in August and September and the latter in full production right now.
Both are extremely juicy and tasty!

Hosui Pear, still comparatively small.

Kosui Pears/辛水梨!

The Kosui Pears are lighter in color wth a different skin pattern.

Growing nashi pears organically at sea level is practically impossible but all that grass proves that the Ichikiwas use only the strict minimum of pesticides! Actually, they have cut all ties with official “Agriculture Associations” so as to conduct the agriculture they think is right!

A lot of pears fall naturally and they will be included with other natural fertilizer to be mixed with the soil when they till the ground between the trees in winter.

I can assure you it is tough work to keep these orchards clean in their three locations for a total of 40 acres, what with typhoons and other unpredictable weather conditions!

For all the hard work harvesting lettuces in winter, corn in spring, pears in summer and rice in autumn, they never stop smiling!

The crop of the day!

A lot of manual and mechanical work involved!

Takeshi’s father started his orchards 30 years ago and gradually replacing all these trees takes time and care.
The above have a difference of more than 25 years! The old one is actually about to collapse!

The orchards have to be protected not only with nets against birds but also with electric wires against civets!

Takeshi san took me to another field where new trees had been planted 5 years ago and bore their first commercial crop!
A lot of investment is involved there!

These new branches will be bent down into a canopy at head level for better reach and control!

These are actually a new variety called nikkori/にっこり that matures as late as October!

You will not find the Ichikawas’ pears in any shop as they sell them only directly at their orchards or from personal order!
Even so they have a hard time satisfying all the demand. A proof of the extravagant quality!

Already all packed and ready to go!
Don’t worry, I managed to get mine!
Actually I can help you get them personally!

As any farmers worth their salt, the Ichikawas grow all kinds of vegetables for their own use and extra earnings!
I took a big batch of those beautiful okra back home!

To be continued…

ICHIKAWA GARDEN
Takeshi Ichikawa/Chouchou Farm
438-0804 Shizuoka Ken, Iwata Shi, Kamo, 200
静岡県磐田市加茂２００
Tel/Fax: 0538-34-0629
Mobile: 080-1614-2271

Lettuce: October~April
Corn: June~July (May for greenhouse)
Japanese pears/nashi: August~September
Rice: Middle of September
Other vegetables (please call for more information!)
Private orders welcome!

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Shizuoka Izakaya: Waga!

August 7, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Daikon Katsu!

Service: Very friendly and easy-going! Slow food!
Facilities: Very clean overall. Large and clean washroom.
Prices: reasonable
Strong points: Great list of sake and shochu. Typical izakaya gastronomy with a personal touch!

I’ve always been a great fan of Waga since it was open. Pity I cannot visit it often as it is just too near my workplace! LOL

The design is definitely modern and comfortable allowing you to choose between seats at tables, tatami (with dug space for your legs!) or at the counter.
Food here is definitely of the slow and attentive variety and generous!
On top of that the difference is made with some interesting specialties!

The o-toshi/snack coming with the first drink are worth a second look: salmon deep-fried in cornstarch served with fine ratatouille!

Small deep-fried renkon/lotus root sandwiches and mushrooms in sweet and sour sauce!

Like in any Shizuoka izakaya worth its salt the sashimi is first-class: madai/true seabream!

A Waga specialty: deep-fried nagaimo sticks!
The nagaimo being fried, it is not sticky at all, but tender and crispy! A discovery!

Another Waga specialty (you might do well to order it in advance!): Daikon katsu!

The daikon is first slowly simmered in dashi souip stock, then drained and cooled down before being covered with breadcrumbs/panko like for tonkatsu/pork cutlets, deep-fried and served cut seasoned with a personal dressing!

Another Waga’s classic: kabocha croquettes baked with tomato and cheese sauce!

Waga’s tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette is special! (at the back are three cups of different sake for comparison!)

For a better view!

The original arrangement will make you think you are eating two different kinds!
Incidentally I always have it for dessert!

Served with an original sweet seaweed sauce!

WAGA
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, takajyo, 2-1-20, Kuroyanagi Bldg. 1F
Tel.: 054-271-7121
Business hours: 17:30~23:30, 17:30~26:00 (on Fridays, Saturdays and National Holidays)
Closed on Mondays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Organic Vegetables at Kitayama Organic Farm (2nd interview)

August 4, 2011 dragonlife 6 Comments

My purchase of the day!

As promised last Sunday I went all the way to Fujinomiya City yesterday to pay a visit to the Hirakakis’ Kitayama organic farm!
Masaaki Hirakaki/平垣正明さん (45) was kind enough to pick me up at the station in his small pick-up truck to drive me all the way to their home across his fields.

Masaaki Hirakaki/平垣正明さん！

Once again it was flaming hot and I certainly appreciated the slight drop in temperature as their fields lie at an altitude of 400 meters at the foot of Mount Fuji (which was lost in the clouds then). Mind you, it can be bitingly cold there in winter!

They grow all kinds of vegetables here and there on plots of land totaling 6,000 square meters!

When you discover all that natural grass (tough to keep in check!) between the rows of vegetables and among them you understand quickly that no insecticides, herbicides or agrichemicals are used there!

I just couldn’t catch all the names of the fancy vegetables, some of them in some kind of Italian. I just sweated too much and was too busy to take pics to jot down all the names! Next time I will take a secretary along…?
Anyway, these chili peppers are a sweet variety!

Common (?) green pepper.

Dwarf violet eggplant/aubergine.

Big and round violet eggplant/aubergine.

The same in its row.
Notice that the ground is protected with black vinyl to keep off insects.

Long and thin “thread eggplants/aubergines”!

Very crunchy and juicy Japanese cucumber!

Sweet potatoes/satsuma imo!
Again tough work to pull off that grass (used as compost later!)!

Beautiful pumpkin with an impossible Italian name!

The same and its flower!

I love all those healthy pumpkin flowers!

Instead of using insecticides or herbicides Masaaki “burns” the soil under vinyl sheets with the help of natural sun light and heat!

There is certainly no lack of pure water constantly flowing from the slopes of Mount Fuji!

Green okra!
Some plants are marked with a ribbon to indicate they are let grow freely to supply next year’s seeds!

Okra flowers are edible!

Big violet okra grown for their seeds!

Masaaki also grows his own rice, half for his own consumption, half for sale!

Have you ever seen rice flowers?

These tomatoes are not let to grow on stalks. They are for cooking, not to be eaten raw!

Sweet white corn field! It has to be protected with nets to fend off rampant civets!

Incredibly sweet and juicy eaten raw!

The Hirakakis (both 45 and so young!) in front of their home they built with their own hands!

Part of the day’s crop on sale!

Their home is such an intelligent jumble of bits and pieces, including some real antiques!

They do have many friends of all ages from all sorts of locations to help them organize regular parties!
Many of them are producers I will soon visit!

Organic shallots left to dry outside.

Rare organic chicken and quail eggs from a friend’s farm!

We actually went back to the fields to pick my favorite banana peppers! Incidentally these grow upwards!
The Hirakakis, professional photographers, moved here from Shizuoka City 6 years ago.
At the time Kiko had a pet rabbit she fed with organic carrot leaves grown by a friend.
They started to grow organic carrots for the pet, which developed into full-fledged organic agriculture!

Little beauties, aren’t they?

Tomatoes for cooking!

Kiko san fried the same tomatoes with olive oil, a little salt and pepper and cheese!
So sweet and delicious!

We ate them with these enormous organic sweet basil leaves!

I purchased all these for my friends in their izakaya!

Aki Suzuki/鈴木朋さん at Yasaitei/やさい亭 in Shizuoka City!
She does not look too happy, not because of the beautiful vegetables she holds, but because I caught her on a busy day! LOL

Can you guess which ones I brought?

To be continued…. I mean these trips to Fujinomiya City!

Kitayama Organic Farm
Masaaki and Kiko Hirakaki
418-0112 Fujinomiya Shi, Kitayama, 3102
Tel./Fax: 0544-25-2795
Mobile phone: 090-2261-8821
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Orders accepted according to personal priorities and seasonal availability!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’11/43): Another Earthquake Bento

August 2, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

I’m getting used to earthquakes…
Just before midnight yesterday the shouts of the Missus woke me up. I had gone to bed early while she was still fiddling with the computer.
On the Japanese scale a 6.2 tremor struck from deep in the Suruga Bay just in front of Shizuoka City which was jolted up to 5.2 but only for a short time fortunately.
Having made sure the Missus had calmed down I just went back to bed…

This morning things were normal as no tsunami or damage had been announced.
The Missus was soon hard at work preparing my bento…

While the rice was being steamed she prepared one of her specialties, chicken breast fillets stir-fried with burdock root and black sesame seeds. She included sesame oil and spices at the last minute and mixed the whole with the rice and letting it cool before filling the first box with it!

I contributed to the side dish as she used some of the organic vegetables from Kitayama Farm in Fujinomiya City I had brought her last Sunday.

She stir-fried the above as well as using some of the tomatoes for the salad.

She stir-fried the small violet egg plants she had sliced beforehand with the roughly cut banana pimento in basically the same way as the chicken with plenty of yellow sesame seeds.
She cooked plain and slightly sweet tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette with a nice crispy outside.

As for the salad she placed three types of sliced tomatoes on a bed of lettuce: The orange tomatoes and the green heirloom tomatoes are organic.
She added a last touch with Shizuoka-grown (Shimizu Ku) blueberries.

Who said that an earthquake stimulates the appetite?

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Organic Vegetables at Kitayama Organic Farm (1st interview)

August 1, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

As the second Sunny Sunday Event was held in front of Parco Department Store, Shizuoka City, yesterday I went to check if Ｉ could find new participants to this local market featuring shops and growers from all over the Ｐrefecture.

It certainly paid off as I had the pleasure to meet Masaaki and Kiko Hirakaki/平垣雅章と紀子さん, a very young-minded couple from as far as Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji, an area celebrated for its many organic vegetables growers!

Kiko had this great idea to exhibit their vegetables in pots, pans, baskets and boxes and provide customers with osier baskets to choose their vegetables at their own leisure!

These beautiful pumpkins are not easily available in Europe but here in Japan they are very popular!

It is certainly a great pleasure for a lot of people to discover that such common place vegetables are also grown organically!

So cute and so appetiｚing!

Actually Mr. and Mrs. Hirakakい are also professional photographers who decided to seriously grow organic vegetables 4 years ago!

They were so passionate explaining everyone all about their vegetables, their season, their taste, the best way to cook them and so forth!

They certainly attracted some major celebrities of Shizuoka Gastronomy!
I very much doubt I will be able to take such a picture at ease any time in the future:
Ms. Tokiko Hirano/平野斗紀子さんof Tamara Press
Mr. Testuya Sugimoto/杉本哲也さん, Owner/Chef at Tetsuya Sugimoto
Mr. Tooru Arima/有馬亨さん/Owner/Chef at Pissenlit
Mr. Fujio Satsukawa/薩川さん/Owner/Chef at Chez Satsukawa
It also shows that the Hirakakis have attracted some serious interest!

Look at the beauties I bought and that the Missus is going to prepare for us tonight!

I will have ample opportunity to explain all about their vegetables and varieties as I’m going all the way to Fujinomiya City and interview them very soon!

Kitayama Organic Farm
Masaaki and Kiko Hirakaki
418-0112 Fujinomiya Shi, Kitayama, 3102
Tel./Fax: 0544-25-2795
Mobile phone: 090-2261-8821
HOMEPAGE

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