Tag Archives: Organic Vegetables

Beef, 牛肉, 美食, 野菜, 観光, 魚, 農業, Fish, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Potatoes, Recipes, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tomato, Tourism, vegetables

BBQ With Shizuoka Local Products!

October 9, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

In Japan and Shizuoka BBQ’s are taken very seriously!
Today, Sunday October 9th, I took part in the 2nd Shizuoka Products BBQ organized by Nagashima Wine Shop in Shizuoka City!
The event catered for no less than 50 people and certainly required some organization like the Japanese are so good at!

The event took place on the bbq space of Yamako/山幸 soba shop up in the Mariko mountains in Shizuoka City!

The BBQ was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. but I came early to give a hand and to be able to report on the whole day!
It certainly was hot for an October Sunday!

Plenty of hands needed, but organizing committee included some hefty guys!

We still took time to share a joke or two!

Let me introduce all the good people who made it possible!
Takahiro Nagashima/長島孝博/ owner of Nagashima Wine shop in Shizuoka City, the main organizer.

Kazutaka Takashima/高嶋一孝, owner and master-brewer of Takashima Brewery in Numazu City.

Yuusuke Tozaki/戸崎雄介, owner-chef of Hana Oto Chinese Izakaya in Shizuoka City.

Takao Shimura/志村剛生, owner-chef of Narusei Tempura Restaurant in Shizuoka City.

Shigeru Sano/佐野茂治, owner-chef of Kamoshibito Restaurant in Shizuoka City.

Ken-ya Yoshimura, owner-chef of Uzu Izakaya, the leader of the group!

I took a break to take a stroll in the natural surroundings. Beautiful but unfortunately inedible karasu uri/烏瓜!

Things getting ready!

Preparing the charcoal BBQ!

Washing the vegetables!
All the vegetables of the day, except for the mushrooms and the jumbo peanuts were organic and grown by Bio Farm Matsuki in Fujinomiya City!

Little beauties for the salads!

Organic tomatoes!

Butternut squash!

Oura burdock roots!

Yuzu Koshio and Basil Paste created by Ken-ya Yoshimura at Uzu!

Sauces/dressings for the BBQ!

All the sakes of the day were nectars called Hakuin Masamune brewed by Takashima Brewery!

Kazutaka Takashima makes it known all through his sake labels that the Suruga Bay has the largest number of edible seaweed varieties in Japan!

The water of the day all came from Takashima Brewery’s own well!

All the guests were provided a sake cup with a removable cap to make sure not a single drop would be spilled!

Rainbow trout from Kunugi Fish Farm in Fujinomiya City!

Preparing the rainbow trout sashimi plate!

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Boiled jumbo peanuts grown in Shizuoka City! Great snack!

Pick your tomato!

Gomadare/sesame dressing by Sanoman Company in Fujinomiya City!

Boiled mangenton pork belly slices, cucumber and boiled bean sprouts salad!

The star of the day: dry ageing beef (Holstein) by Sanoman Co.!

The star of the day on the charcoal grill!

Decorating the bbq’d beef tray with mushrooms grown by Mr. hasegawa in Fuji City! To be savored raw!

Cutting the beef sashimi style!

Placing the beef on the tray…

Almost ready… I wasn’t left any time for a last picture!

Mangenton pork sausages!

Red Moon potatoes tempura!

Oura burdock root tempura!

Preparing the butternut squash tempura!

Absolutely delicious!

Organic sweet potatoes!

Anchovy sauce potatoes!

The guest product of the day: mozuku seaweed brought all the way from Miyako Island in Okinawa!

The other star of the day! Toshiyaki Horie/堀江利彰, owner of Horie Chicken Farm in Shuzenji, Izu Peninsula, who came all the way tpo demonstrate the cutting of his Amagi Shamo Chickens!

An attentive audience…

Amagi Shamo is arguably the best and rarest chicken in Japan!

Charcoal-grilled Amagi Shamo Chicken!

Yummy!

Some very happy and contented ladies!

See you again next year same time!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, 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, My Bento Box, 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!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Organic Vegetables, Shizuoka, Tourism

Where to eat locally grown organic vegetables in Shizuoka City

September 18, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Salad of organic vegetables from Bio Farm at Uzu

It is one thing to know that Shizuoka Prefecture is getting deserved fame for the quality and variety of its vegetables all year round and especially organic vegetables, but it is another to know where, or more precisley in which restaurants, to savour them in good company.
We are presently blessed with three restaurants in Shizuoka City (still looking for more in the whole Prefecture!) which not only serve them but can arrange full vegetarian and vegan meals on request!

UZU

Deep-fried organic potatoes from Bio Farm

Service: excellent, easy-going and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: very reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Very fresh local ingredients, especially organic vegetables extensively used. Local sake. Home-made umeshu. Great shochu list.

Uzu is arguably the best Izakaya in the whole Prefecture having won accolades from its peers, national medias and gastronme writers.
Although they serve all kinds of food, vegetarian and omnivores, they make organic vegetables their specialty. Most of them are grown at Matsuki Bio Farm in Shibakawa, Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji.

Check their homepage as they update it as the menu changes, which is almost everyday as they serve only seasonal food.

UZU-4

Vegetables Shabu shabu

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)

———————

TETSUYA SUGIMOTO

Ranking：
Service: Highly professional and friendly
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices:~
Strong points:Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prfecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only
Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

If you happen to visit Shizuoka City, you will find many restaurants and izakayas serving and mainly using produce/products and ingredients from Shizuoka Prefecture. There are many treasures to be discovered in this hoard!
One of them is the French restaurant going by the name of Sugimoto Tetsuya!

If you can read Japanese you will know what is waiting for you inside!
A gastronomic paradise in Shizuoka Prefecture!
Mr. Sugimoto does everything by himself: chef, waiter and entertainer! This is real slow food in its true and best meaning!
Almost all ingredients are from Shizuoka Prefecture, be they vegetables, fruit, meat or fish!
But his specialty is organic vegetables from Shizuoka Prefecture!
I requested that particular dish to feature only produce for Shizuoka Prefecture only.

All these were organic vegetables grown by different farmers in Hamamatsu City.
The dish included egg-plants/aubergines, 3 varieties of zucchini, tomato and “manganji” Chili pepper.

To give you an idea how Mr. Sugimoto works, all vegetables were first sauteed separately and cooked in the oven before served with two different dressings:
-Olive oil and orange juice
-Framboise/raspberry vinegar

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
Cedit cards OK
ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ

————————

PISSENLIT

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products.
entirely non-smoking!

Great food is great food!
Be you vegan, vegetarian or omnivore, one can only appreciate and being thankful for savouring vegetables not only of the best quality, but local and organically grown to boot!
I will never tire of saying to everyone how lucky we are here in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, a region renown nationally and increasingly internationally for its exceptional gastronomy!

Pissenlit, with Uzu and Tetsuya Sugimoto is is generally considered as one of the “Shizuoka City Triumvirate” when it comes to healthy, local and sublime gastronomy.
Chef Tooru Arima has many contacts in the Prefecture and it is always a good idea what’s available as it can change very quickly. He is particularly fond of oraganic vegetables grown by Mr. Hideyaki Hirokawa in Mishima City

Even if I have nurtured a special relation with chef Tooru Arima (and many others), he he is only too happy to oblige with his custon\mers’ selfish requests!

The above is a sample of the greens grown by Mr. Hirokawa!

And these the other organic vegetables grown by the same farmer!

If you have the occasion to visit Mishima City this is the address of our great farmer!

Mr. Hideyaki Hirokawa, Mishima City, Kawaharagaya Yamada, 765
Tel.: 055-973-2702

PISSENLIT
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 2-3-4
Tel.: 054-270-8768
Fax: 054-627-3868
Business hours: 11:30~14:30; 17:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evening
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

————————-
LOCOMANI

Service: Very friendly although a bit shy!
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Vegetarian menus. Healthy rice flour cakes.
Completely non-smoking!

If I had a friend asking me where he/she could eat vegetarian food without a hassle all year round in Japan, I would be proud to say: Shizuoka (Prefecture and City!)!
These days, because of the heat and the necessity to keep healthy (read: lose weight) I tend to fall back on restaurants which serve such food especially in Shizuoka City although I might have to look in the whole Prefecture seriously. Actually, this article initiates a series of articles on healthy Vegetarian Lunches!

All conditions were set today for a visit to Locomani where I hadn’t eaten for almost 3 months.
I checked their wholly vegetarian meal on their menu and this is what they served me:
Look at the top picture for the whole set!

Vegetable and tofu miso soup and 3-year old organic tea.

Bowl of rice. Half of the rice was plain white while the other half was genmai/whole rice. The whole was sprinkled with kuromai/black rice.

The plate consisted of:
1) Boiled kabocha pumpkin and konyaku/elephant’s foot tuber jelly.

2) Fresh chopped vegetables salad and its vinegar-based dressing.

3) Two typical Japanese side dishes consisting of one, a lukewarm mixture of kiriboshi daikon (daikon strips first dried then cooked again in dashi), thinly cut carrots, shiitake and tofu karaage/deep-fried tofu sheets, and the other of lightly boiled spinach in soy sauce-based dressing.

4) Tempura.
The tempura was made without eggs and comprised koyadofu/pressed tofu with a batter containing small bits of herbs and vegetables, broccoli, okra and string beans.

For once I managed to keep away from their cakes!

To be followed…

LOCOMANI
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajyo, 1-10-6
Tel.: 054-260-6622
Closed every Wednesday and one Monday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

————————–

STILL LOOKING AROUND!

————————-

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POPCORNHOMESTEAD in Tokyo by Joan Lambert Bailey,
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美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Pork, Shizuoka, Tourism

Italian Gastronomy: Shizen No Chikara Garden Organic Vegetables and Mangenton Pork at Aquavite!

August 7, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

<a href="http://shizuokagourmet

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to expensive. Top-class Italian wines. Private room for~8 people.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking at counter!

On August 6th, Aquavite opened the second page of their “Shizen no Chikara Garden Presents” Series featuring organic vegetables from Shizuen no Chikara Garden in Shizuoka City and Mangenton Pork from Sanoman Co. in Fujinomiya City!

As this kind of report is both work and pleasure I always sit at the counter to be able to share a word with Chef Aoki!

And like this focaccia with organic mini tomatoes I can see everything coming out of the oven!

Little beauties, aren’t they?

A menu was provided for all to consult and take away!

This was service, semi-dried tomatoes and mushroom crostini.

First pasta dish: Cold Capellini with organic tomatoes and Italian water buffalo Mozzarella.

For another view!
Lke all the vegetables of the day, the basil is organic from Shizen no Chikara Garden.

My piece of focaccia!

The antipasti misto!

Grilled eggplant/aubergine rolled in raw ham.

Kabocha pumpkin marinated in balsamico.

Okra and their flowers!

Potato fritatta and goya/bitter melon fritatta!

Okra flower!

The second pasta dish!

Home-made stamp pasta corzetti with oba/large perilla leaf sauce and sauteed shrimps!
That soft sauce was a beauty indeed in perfect coupling with the home-made pasta!

Beautiful finish as usual. The care of a great chef!

The pasta stamp!
Which means that each piece of pasta has to be cut individually!

The main dish!
Mangenton pork belly confit and Shizen no Chikara Garden organic vegetables combination!

The Mangenton having been confit beforehand, the fat was crispy and combining so well with the leaner meat without any fat dripping away!

This is what I call a flying tomato!

For a better view of the vegetable design!

I know you were waiting for it: the dessert!

For a closer view at the tip of the “fork”!

Blueberries and raspberries tart!

Soft red tea panacotta!

To be continued… of course!

AQUAVITE
Address: 420-0034 Shizuoka Shi, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg. 3F
Tel. & fax: 054-2740777
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00 18:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

Japanese Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural & Marine Products at UZU!

May 1, 2011 dragonlife 2 Comments

Mixed salad of organic vegetables from Matsuki bio Farm

I just can’t stop re-visiting Uzu. I just have too many reasons for that: the food there is exclusively seasonal and so healthy.
For once I was lucky to have dinner there on a National Holiday, meaning that smoking was completely prohibited!

Uzu is off the beaten tracks away from the bustling centre of Shizuoka City, a small haven of Japanese tradition.

But it is safe to say that their sign is modern calligraphy art!

The day’s specials are always hand written on paper posted outside.

They are written by Chef Yoshimura’s wife. Bring a Japanese friend with you to help you understand the menu. It is worth it as all the farmers and breeders of the food served inside are clearly stated!

The snack coming with the first drink included Sakura Ebi/Cherry Shrimps tofu! A great way to serve the specialty from Yui!

We first had the haru Yasai Gorogoro salad, a salad made with all kinds of organic Spring vegetables grown at Matsuki Bio Farm in Fujinomiya City!

From another angle to show the beautiful raw mushrooms. The dressing was also vegetarian!

For once we didn’t have a sake from Shizuoka Prefecture but Hitakami/日高見 from Miyagi Prefecture. We had to pay cash for this sake as part of it woill go to help the victims of the recent earthquake in Miyagi Prefecture! What a great way to contribute!

For the sashimi we had a combination of the sea and the land!

Benimasu/salmon trout from Fujinomiya City!

Isaki/Chicken grunt from the Suruga Bay.
The freshly grated wasabi is from Umgashima, Shizuoka City!

Amagi Shamo Chicken bred in Shuzenji, Izu Peninsula: Amagi Shamo Chicken innards and leaf Ginger in Shichuan style/Amagi Shamo Naizou to Ha Shouga, shisen style.

For a closer look!
This dish has been inspire by a friend of Mr. Yoshimura’s. I will dine there soon!

A cute serving on a beautiful earthenware dish!

We did drink fresh water, with the difference that all the fresh water served at Uzu come from the well of Hatsukame Brwery in Okabe!

Amagi Shamo thighs grilled to perfect balance served with fresh wasabi sauce!

Now, I know a lot of people who would like to try this dessert:
Vanilla and brown sugar ice-cream topped with umeshu and its chopped ume! Ume is Japanese plum, and ume shu is made with ume, sake and shochu!

Don’t worry, there will be many other reports on this great Shizuoka Izakaya which is the epitome of our Prefecture’s gastronomy!

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

野菜, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism, vegetables

Italian Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural products as Appetizers: Aquavite!

April 27, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

First appetizer from the side.

You don’t need to go for the whole course to sample Shizuoka agricultural products at your favorite restaurant.
If it is a good enough restaurant, especially in Japan and Shizuoka, a great chef will be more than happy to serve you a few appetizers of his own with the drinks you have pordered. True to say, you do need to build a special relation with the chef, but that is one reason why you visit the restaurant, isn’t it?

First appetizer from the top.

Last night I did visit Aquavite in Shizuoka City where I asked the chef, Masaru Aoki/青木勝 to concoct a few tidbits as I was having a late break from work.
I did have quite a few but I will introuce the best two of the evening!

The first appetizer “from the back”.

The first appetizer consisted of a scallop lightly fried in olive oil to keep it half raw inside. It was topped with a piece of fried lotus root/renkon from Asabata, shizuoka City and decorated with shavings of home-made karasumi/カラスミ/botarga in Italian or boutargue in French, a Shizuoka specialty of the dried mullet roe.
The salad spinach came from Nagomi Organic Farm in Fujinomiya City.

The second appetizer.

The second offering of the evening was not all from Shizuoka Prefecture but it was certainly worth a second and third look!

The Little Summer Tomatoes came from the Shizen No Chikara Farm in Shizuoka City and were fried in olive oil just long enough to extract their sweetness.

The fresh shiitake mushrooms had been sent by a friend of Masaru’s from Nagano Prefecture.

The topping/decoration was created with finely chopped Italian raw ham fried to a crisp!
The whole needed little seasoning, what with the sweetness of the tomatoes and the saltiness of the ham, finely balanced with the juicy shiitake mushrooms!

This promises to be the beginning of a neverending story!

AQUAVITE
Address: 420-0034 Shizuoka Shi, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg. 3F
Tel. & fax: 054-2740777
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00 18:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

野菜, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

French Cuisine: Shizuoka Agricultural Products at Bistro Gawa!

April 12, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Friendly
Facilities: old but very clean. Very clean washroom!
Prices: very reasonable
Strong points: excellent French cuisine without ostentation. Great local products from the land and the sea
entirely non-smoking!

People and restaurants in Mishima City in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture are lucky!
Mishima and the mountains of West Hakone is a paradise for vegetable growers and organic agriculture in general!

Bistro Gawa is located inside an old unpretentious building just near the Mishima Hitokoji Station (Izu Hakone Private Line)

Although it is perched on the second floor you can’t miss it with its very visible menu boards before opening and

and after opening!

Make a point to look at the specialties of the day!
Not that they do not use any artificial taste additive!

Once inside you know what kind of cuisine to expect!
It is a small place with only 12 seats at tables and 6 more at the counter. It is a good idea to call and reserve beforehand.

This was my first visit and as I was due to hold an interview in Shuzenji in the afternoon, I took the opportunity to take my lunch there. Lunch is always a good sign of what level to expect.
Although they accept any order from any menu they propose three different sets for lunch: Petite Palette (650 yen), normal lunch (1580 yen) and La Palette (1880 yen).
I chose the latter with a glass of wine I could choose from 4 different bottles.

It consisted of Jamon Serrano (Spain) atop a salad of organic greens from Hirokawa Garden and black and white rice in butter with sauteed wabuta (Japanese pork).

Cheese creme Brulee, Medai brandade (a brandade made with a local grouper), marinated mackerel and pan-fried black bass from Suruga Bay.

Non-mayonnaise potato salad and vegetables sticks, all organic from Hirokawa Garden.

Home-baked bread.

Organic Spring cabbage potage.

And the coffee was served with real milk and sugar, a clear indication of better attention in Japan!

This is only a start as there is a good menu to go through and also as I will have to visit Mishima City very regularly in the coming weeks.
See you at dinner next, then!

Bistro Gawa
411-0856, Shizuoka ken, Mishima Shi, Hirokoji Machi, 1-37, 2F
Business hours: 11:30~14:00, 18:00~
Closed on Sunday, Thursday lunch and Saturday dinner
Tel.: 055-972-5040
Cards OK (+5% handling fees)

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

野菜, 観光, French gastronomy, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Tourism, vegetables

French Cuisine: Local Shizuoka Land & Sea Products at Pissenlit

April 9, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

When one wishes to sample products both from the land and sea of Shizuoka Prefectures, there are many establishments worthwhile to visit, but Pissenlit and Chef Tooru Arima are certainly a top reference among them.

I recently had the opportunity to share lunch there with some friends, so let me describe what we sampled:

Organic carrot (Hirokawa Farm) soup for starter.

Organic spinach quiche and its organic vegetable salad. All organic vegetables used at Pissenlit come from Mr. Hirokawa’s Garden in Mishima (I will soon pay him a visit!)!

Some of my friends opted for the pan-fried suzuki/鱸/black bass caught in Sagara/相良 with its organic vegetables.

For a different view of the vegetables especially!

I personally opted for the fried/baked wild boar (hunted in Shimada City) in wine sauce with its garnish of organic vegetables.

A single will not give you a complete idea of the full dish, so here is one more!

And another one!

No so many explanations this time as I was busy socializing to note down everything, but I will make an extra effort next time!

No dessert?
Yes, but it was the same as in my last report! LOL

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

野菜, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Pissenlit (Spring)

March 6, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

I was really starving at lunch yesterday and since Pissenlit is just across the street from my work, I just couldn’t resist the temptation again!
At least it is a clever way to combine work am pleasure as this report will also go to Agrigraph!

Ordering was easy enough, but keep in mind we are talking about slow food. Therefore, I was served the above appetizer made with potatoes and octopus (cooked) to help me wait!

The vegetables dish consisted all of vegetables grwon organically by Mr. Hirokawa in Mishima City!
From bottom to top and right to left:
Stick Senior Broccoli, Beni Kururi Daikon, Black Daikon, Green daikon.
Milano Daikon, Carrot.
Romanesco Cauliflower (called Coral Cauliflower in Japanese), Kooshin Daikon and Ayame Turnip.

For another view.
The dressings were milk mousse and olive oil.

Now that I had satisfied my vegetarian steak, I turned carnivorous with wild boapoele with wine sauce.
A real boar of 35 kg which was hunted in Noda, Shimada City.

For a better view of the vegetables:
Leaf Garlic from Fujieda.
Rape plants, Chrysanthemum leaves, Petit Vert.
May Queen potato Dauphinois. All four vegetables organic and grown by Mr. Hirooka.

And now the dessert.
It deserves some explanations:

The strawberries are (right) Toukun, only grown in Shizuoka (for the moment) and Ookimi (left), only grown in Saga and Shizuoka Prefectures!
They are linked with raspberry sauce
Now, what is that cake?

It is a “biscuit chaud/hot cake) made with Hon Yama Green Tea from Abe River in Shizuoka City!

When you open it you will discover a tender cake inside the crispy outside and tea cream flowing out!
Superb!

And to finish, a great coffee with orange and ginger chocolates!

No, I don’t know yet when I’ll be back! LOL

Please check the new postings at:
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野菜, 農業, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka agricultural products, vegetables

French Gastronomy: Shizuoka Products at Tetsuya Sugimoto (spring 2011)

March 5, 2011 dragonlife Leave a comment

As it was my turn to look after Fabian, our new German intern at Agrigraph. I just took the opportunity of waht a talented French chef could create with Shizuoka products, me good friend Testuya Sugimoto at Tetsuya SUGIMOTO Restaurant in Shizuoka City!

Tetsuya was kind enough to take out all his treasures of the fridge for our young guest to discover before he chose the ingredients of the day!

Tetsuya prepared two hors d’oeuvres, the first one being yellow carrot mousse and an organic radish (the leaves were delicious) wrapped into burdock roots flakes (a non-vegan mayonnaise was used as the linking agent).

As for the second hors d’oeuvres he used 3 different types of rape flowers to be combined with

mackerel caught in the Suruga Bay off Yui!
The sauces were a dressing made with raspberry vinegar, while the other was an orange olive oil. The powder is crushed senbei/Japanese rice cracker.

He used the above organic vegetables for our main dish!

The same vegetables cooked and before their sauces were added.
One sauce was a mixture of grain mustard, miso paste and honey, while the other was pistachio oil.

The finished dish:
from bottom, right to left:
Black Daikon, Koushin Daikon, Faabe broad beans, Yacon.
Ayame Yuuki Turnip, Violet carrot, Yellow Turnip, Yellow carrot.
Petit Vert, Red Turnip, Kyoto Carrot, Hinona Turnip.
All cooked to perfection for crispiness and natural taste!

The dessert consisted of a mousse made with brown sugar and rum made from sugar cane grown in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, as for the mousse. The caramel sauce was made from the same sugar!

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
Cedit cards OK
ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ

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Kiwi Fruits & Agritourism at Kiwifruit Country Japan

December 30, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Masatoshi and Tsuneyo Hirano/平野正俊・常代 at Kiwifruit Country Japan in Kakegawa City.

“Let’s introduce the greatness of the nature, importance of agriculture and taste of the real thing! Let’s learn together! Discover the valuable life!” is Masatoshi Hirano’s motto, in his own words, for farm management.

Entrance to Kiwifruit Country Japan

Mr. Masatoshi Hirano (and his two sons, too) speaks fluent English, because he spent a long time researching about citruses in four different States in the US before starting agriculture at his parents’ farm. His family has seen a lot of history go by as he is the 19th generation!
Nonetheless, as a youngster he understood that tradition was one thing, and good farming management another.

Kiwi fruits across the parking lot!

This led him, originally against his parents’ disagreement, to enlarge the family enterprise and introduce new cultures.
One was that of kiwifruit which he started from a single spoonful of seeds he had brought back home!

Agritour programs in front of the shop.

Then for the last 21 years he has expanded the cultivated land to include the largest Kiwifruit Agritour Orchard in Japan, tea, organic citruses, organic vegetables, organic edible flowers, space for domestic animals (as food and pets), self service stand direct sale shop, a whole forest for kids and adults alike, a BBQ area capable of welcoming 500 guests, a campsite, onsite field classes for children and students and agritours for Japanese and foreigners.

Baby goat.

A pet sheep.

A　pet goat.

Pet rabbits.

Mischievous baby goats!

A baby pig, not a wild boar!

A peacock (there are two varieties, actually!)!

Kiwifruits, according to varieties (he grows 80 of them and conduct experiments on 500!), are either grown in an enormous greenhouse (which also serves as an BBQ and event space) or in open-air fields.

This kiwifruit tree wood is actually very popular with local artists!
Another great way to recycle nature!

Greenhouse-grown kiwifruit on display for practical information!

Kiwifruit varieties ready for sampling!

One can study about kiwifruits in Japanese and English while eating them!

Chickens for their meat and eggs.

More chickens!

And even more chickens! These are pets kept together with rabbits!

And more chickens. These always seem hungry!

The whole range of edible organic flowers and mountain vegetables/sansai/山菜 grown on site!

Organic shiitake.

Organic pumpkins!

Peaceful sheep.

Organic mandarines/mikan/蜜柑.

The grass and plants are left to grow naturally from the soil mixed with natural compost.

Another variety of organic mandarines.

Tea fields.

Vast open-fields of kiwifruit trees. Would you believe that Mr. Hirano pollinate them all by hand? A back and shoulder-breaking work!

A view inside the very old forest. It is actually crossed by a centuries-old path!

Small concerts are organized in that space inside the forest!

A kids’ heaven!

Look at these air-breathing roots. Now, this is an ancient tree!

100% organic potatoes sold at the shop!

Kiwis on sale at the shop.
One can eat as many as one wants onsite for a fee!

All kinds of varieties and packaged kiwifruit can be sent all over Japan directly from the shop!

These are the ones I took back hoe!

Obviously this is only the first of a long series of articles as the place will have to be visited every month by your servant or reporters from Agrigraph!

Kiwi Fruit Country/Experience & Learning Farm
Masatoshi & Tsuneyo Hirano
436-0012 Shizuoka Ken, Kakegwa Shi, Kamiuchida, 2040
Tel.: 0537-22-6543
Fax: 0537-22-7498
Free dial: 0120-014791
E-mail: wbs02626@mail.wbs.ne.jp
HOMEPAGE(Japanese, but phone calls can be taken in English)

Business hours: 09:00~17:00
BBQ (even by rainy weather) and tours possible on reservation.

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Shizuoka Agricultural Products from The Producers to the Gastronomic Table: Dinner at UZU

December 2, 2010 dragonlife 3 Comments

Organic vegetables shabu-shabu

Uzu has become the reference in the whole Shizuoka Prefecture when it comes to enjoy local ingredients of the highest quality in a Japanese Izakaya or Restaurant!

The “oyakata”/Chef, Mr. Yoshimura constantly scours the whole Prefecture for the best vegetables, meat, fish and fruit.
But he will neither scorn a great product if it is not from Shizuoka, especially shochu! But more than 90% of the food was grown, caught or raised in our plains, mountains and sea!
The overwhelming result of his enthusiasm is that he can please anyone whatever his/her gastronomic priorities.
A phone call beforehand will be enough to devise a vegan, vegetarian or omnivore meal!

As an example, let me describe what the four of us ordered there a couple of weeks ago. Do not forget we also had plenty of local sake/jizake/地酒!
The above picture features sashimi Shizuoka is particularly famous for:
-Katsuo/鰹/Bonito from Suruga Bay.
-Kinmedai/金目鯛/Splendid Alfonsino (interesting name in English!) from the Izu peninsula.
-Benimasu/紅鱒/Rainbow Trout raised in Fujinomya City at the foot of Mount Fuji!

Shamo Chicken/軍鶏 from Umegashima up the Abe River.
This dish solely consists of grilled or fried offal including shirako/白子/sperm sacs! Don’t worry, these morsels can be served only if they are super fresh and the chef has a special license!

Organic green tomatoes from Matsuki Biofarm in Fujinomiya City served as tempura!

Fried (enormous) lotus roots/renkon/蓮根 from Asabata/麻端 in Shizuoka City. So crunchy and satisfying!

Salad of organic mushrooms and broccoli from Matsuki Biofarm!

Organic Vegetables (from Matsuki Biofarm) Shabu Shabu!
Bear in mind this particular dish must be ordered at least 2 days in advance!

The Shabu Shabu is served with a great soup (can be ordered vegan!) in which you either dip or simmer the fresh vegetables to your liking!

Depending on the season and the ever-changing menu one can order organic salads such as above (I had it one month ago!) and many other delicacies!
Make a point of checking their homepage first (even if you don’t read Japanese, the pictures will give you a good idea of what’s in store for you!)

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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French gastronomy with local products: Roasted Pork and Organic Vegetables at Pissenlit

September 16, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

The main reason for my choosing a restaurant is whether it serves cuisine made with as many locla products as possible, be they vegetables, meat, fruit or fish. or all of them!

Luckily enough, Shziuoka Prefecture is a mine gold when it comes to local poducts as proved in this latest seasonal creation by Tooru Arima at Pissenlit in Shizuoka city!

The pork is “Yusui Buta/湧水豚” from Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji which was served roasted with a dijon seed mustard sauce.

All the vegetables were organic and grown by Mr. Hirooka in Mishima City (also at the foot Mount Fuji!).
The vegetables represented here are from the top: Okra. Shishito pepper, Shikaku Ingen/squre string bean, and Ingen mame/String bean.

The pork lay partly over a slice of roasted white eggplant/aubergine.
The later is topped with okra and its flower!

For a better view of the okra flower!
Succulent!

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Where to eat locally grown organic vegetables in Shizuoka

August 24, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

Salad of organic vegetables from Bio Farm at Uzu

UZU

Deep-fried organic potatoes from Bio Farm

Check their homepage as they update it as the menu changes, which is almost everyday as they serve only seasonal food.

UZU-4

Vegetables Shabu shabu

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)

———————

TETSUYA SUGIMOTO

All these were organic vegetables grown by different farmers in Hamamatsu City.
The dish included egg-plants/aubergines, 3 varieties of zucchini, tomato and “manganji” Chili pepper.

————————

PISSENLIT

Even if I have nurtured a special relation with chef Tooru Arima (and many others), he he is only too happy to oblige with his custon\mers’ selfish requests!

The above is a sample of the greens grown by Mr. Hirokawa!

And these the other organic vegetables grown by the same farmer!

If you have the occasion to visit Mishima City this is the address of our great farmer!

Mr. Hideyaki Hirokawa, Mishima City, Kawaharagaya Yamada, 765
Tel.: 055-973-2702

————————-

STILL LOOKING AROUND!

————————-

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Organic French Fries at Uzu/An Interesting Cooking Technique

August 12, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

The other day when I visited Uzu with the Missus, I had found the fried potatoes included in the Vegan Oarganic Salad so intriguing that I couldn’t help ordering them separately!

The potatoes are of two kinds:
Pinkish ones called Red Moon and the other yellowish called Inca Mezame.
Both were gron organically by Mr. Matsuki at Bio Farm in Shibakawa Cho in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji.

Now the cooking technique was a bit out of the ordinary:
The potatoes are first steamed whole with their skins.
Instead of slicing them or cutting them into sticks, the potatoes are broken by hand. The potates are chosen small enough to be broken only in two to four chunks of irregular shape.
They are then deep-fried in high quality oil.
The fact their shape is uneven allows for a bigger outer surface with a lot of crispiness, especially when accounting with the skins!
Having been steamed, the potatoes have acquired the perfect balance of outside crispiness and inside tenderness, but keeping their firmness at the same time, allowing for a deep and satisfactory bite!

Do try it!

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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Vegan Local Organic Salad at Uzu

August 9, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

I wish all my vegan and vegeterian friends could at least visit once Uzu Izakaya in Shizuoka City!
They try really hard to serve local organic vegetables, especially those grown by Mr Satsuki at Satsuki Bio Farm in Shibakawa Cho, Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mount Fuji!

The above salad was ordered last Thursday by the Missus.
It was enormous and I was certainly supposed to help finishi it!
We were actually lucky to get as they they were limited to 5 serving only.
We always make a point of ordering it as the vegetables will be different next time!

They did include many varieties, some of which I can’t remember.
There are red okra, white goya, Red Moon and Inca mezame potatoes (first fried), black tomatoes, green peppers, shishito chili pepper, red chickory/endive, orange, zucchini, the whole basket!

Another view!

To be savored one at a time, with chopsticks (and a great glass of sake!)!

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)