Red Shiso Juice: Recipe

One of two bundles harvested from the garden.

My mother often advises me to be careful what you wish for. Most of the time it works out well. Once, on a hike in Hokkaido I really wished for a hiking pole. A day or so later a friend discovered one discarded along the trail. The timing couldn't have been better as I'd just bruised pride and right knee in a fall coming down to a natural onsen (hot spring). Later, I wished for a pair of gloves. They, too, magically appeared along the side of the trail.

"Why don't you wish for a million bucks?" quipped my husband, and we all laughed.

"The universe does seem to be listening to you," said our friend, Ryan, and I sent up a small word of thanks. I still have the gloves and the hiking pole.

However, when it comes to aka shiso (red shiso) I should have been more careful. "I wish aka shiso grew in my garden," I said this spring. Used for making umeboshi, the deep red almost purple leaves of akashiso give the pickled plums their distinctive color and add flavor. The leaves are later dried to make furikake that is out of this world. Since moving to Japan seven years ago, I have become an ardent fan of these tasty leaves, incorporating them in salad, asazuke, and the occasional cocktail.

So, when two small seedlings appeared in my Kanagawa garden I carefully dug them up and replanted them. "How cute!" I exclaimed. They did look rather lovely, I must admit, next to the violas and alyssum on the border.

Like Gremlins, Tribbles, and even mint, the shiso expanded beyond belief in short order. Two plants became three then four. I turned my back for a minute - one minute! -  to find four small shrubs of red and two of aoi shiso (green shiso). This was a bit beyond my expectations and the capacity of my garden.

I called in the reserves and we hauled home two giant bundles and began making shiso juice. (I've already made umeboshi for the year.) Twelve liters and a small batch of asazuke later, the shiso was gone. The juice - sweet, sour, and distinctively shiso - makes a great gift, can be frozen, goes well with gin or vodka or water (carbonated and regular), and is darn tasty.

Aka Shiso Juice
300 grams shiso
450-700 grams sugar*
2 liters of water
20 grams citric acid OR 400 ml vinegar

Remove the leaves from the stems and wash. Bring the two liters of water to a rolling boil and add the shiso leaves. Let them simmer a good five minutes or until they turn green. Drain off the liquid and add the sugar. Stir to help it dissolve. Add the vinegar and watch it turn a vivid red. Let it cool before bottling. Mix with water using a 1:2 ratio or to taste.

*I opt for less sugar, but that's just us. Some recipes I've seen suggest 800 grams.

Tokyo and Yokohama Regional Farmers Markets: Saturday, August 22nd and Sunday, August 23rd

Shopping for seasonal delights at the Ebisu Farmers Market.

Still hot as the dickens, but oh, imagine the joys of those summer vegetables when they get home. Not to mention how hot the farmer must have been harvesting and tending them, so quit fussing and get out there. Just plan to go early and grab some ice cream before and/or after. It makes everything better!

Kamakura Farmers Market
Every day
A small local affair featuring Kamakura heirloom fruits and vegetables raised in yet another former capital city, the Kamakura Market is a small but wonderful venue. Head in early to get the best selection and pick up a loaf of Paradise Alley's charcoal infused bread while you're there.
7am until sold out
Map

Futamatagawa Farmers Market - Yokohama
Every Friday
A charming little weekly market tucked conveniently just outside the turnstile at Futamatagawa Station in Yokohama where a nice selection of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables await. Joining them are baked goods, rice, miso, and all the other fixings one might need for the week or just a good snack. Plenty of Kanagawa goodies, too, so be sure to ask!
10am to 6pm
Look for the tables when you step out the gate!

UN University Market

Every Saturday and Sunday

A massive weekend affair that is great fun and features a variety of fruits and vegetables and prepared products from all over Japan. Plus, there's a most excellent selection of food trucks offering everything from salad to zingy curry to roast chicken to falafel!

10am to 4pm

Map

Roppongi Market

Every Saturday
Back up and running after a refurbishment of the market space, the Roppongi Farmers Market is as booming and bountiful as ever. Don't miss this chance to meet a grower from Tokyo's very own Kokobunji and sample seasonal bounty.
10am to 4pm (Usually. Do check their website for schedule fluctuations.)
Map

Yurakucho Farmer's Market
Every Saturday and Sunday
Smaller than the UNU Market, Yurakacho features a particular region of Japan each week along with an excellent selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables. Growers from nearby Chiba, Kamakura, and Saitama are also on hand to help fill the larder.
11am to 5pm
Directions: Turn left out of Yurakacho station and cross the courtyard toward Tokyo Kouku Keitan. Look for the fun under the overhang!

Know of a market? Give me a shout and we'll add it to the list!

Thursday Snapshot: Snapping the Ebisu Community Garden

Vegetable geeks go to great lengths to get their story.

I don't usually include photos of myself here, but this one is hilarious. That's me standing on the railing across from the community garden spot I found while walking the neighborhood. We'd just been to the Ebisu Farmers Market, and so I was feeling quite happy. That happiness doubled when I spotted the little garden area overflowing with luscious and delicious greenery. It was locked, hence the pose here. I wiped the railing off when I got down.

Tokyo and Yokohama Regional Farmers Markets: Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th

The Ebisu Farmers Market in a cooler time.

Cicadas continue their strumming and the heat stays firm. I'm off in the US at the moment, but feel certain it is still warm in Japan. While I'm lolling in a lake or hiking with nieces and nephews, find your own vegetable adventure at one of these great markets!

Ebisu Market
Sunday, August 2nd and Sunday, August 16th

Don't miss the opportunity to head to a nifty part of the city where on these sweet Sundays you'll find farmers and producers galore. (One even comes from Okutama with a lovely array of vegetables and a vegetable-based spread that will knock your socks off.) It's worth noting, too, that Do One Good, an animal NPO will be on hand with some of the cutest dogs ever waiting to go home with you! I'd also recommend a trip to Afuri Ramen when you're done for some of the best yuzu tsukemen in town.
11am to 5pm
Map

Koenji Farmer's Market
Saturday, August 15th*
A new market I spotted while riding the train on a Saturday morning into the city center. That circle of red awnings in front of the Za-Koenji Public Theatre could only mean one thing! Sure enough, I found a small group of area growers and producers, and the bounty surely continues!
11am - 5pm
Map

Nippori Farmer's Market

Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th

Another great market in the city found with a little help from friends, this one is sure to not disappoint. A small but lively market, particularly on Saturday, it is well worth the trip. Plus, Tohoku growers are on hand sharing their best-of-the-best, so come on out to be part of the recovery and get something good to eat.

No map, but just head out the east exit and look for the green awnings!

10am to 5pm

Oiso Farmers Market
Sunday, August 16th
This little gem of a community shindig is one of the best things going outside of the Earth Day Market, and I don't say that lightly. A nice little community affair started a handful of years ago, it blossomed into a full-on monthly festival that just happens to feature Shonan area produce in its fresh, seasonal form as well as pickled, dried, and prepared-hot-in-a-bowl. In summer it turns into a night market, but in fall it will swing back to regular daylight hours. More than worth the trek down to see what's going on!
10am to 3pm
Oiso Port Building

Kamakura Farmers Market
Every day
A small local affair featuring Kamakura heirloom fruits and vegetables raised in yet another former capital city, the Kamakura Market is a small but wonderful venue. Head in early to get the best selection and pick up a loaf of Paradise Alley's charcoal infused bread while you're there.
7am until sold out
Map

Futamatagawa Farmers Market - Yokohama
Every Friday
A charming little weekly market tucked conveniently just outside the turnstile at Futamatagawa Station in Yokohama where a nice selection of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables await. Joining them are baked goods, rice, miso, and all the other fixings one might need for the week or just a good snack. Plenty of Kanagawa goodies, too, so be sure to ask!
10am to 6pm
Look for the tables when you step out the gate!

UN University Market

Every Saturday and Sunday

A massive weekend affair that is great fun and features a variety of fruits and vegetables and prepared products from all over Japan. Plus, there's a most excellent selection of food trucks offering everything from salad to zingy curry to roast chicken to falafel!

10am to 4pm

Map

Roppongi Market

Every Saturday
Back up and running after a refurbishment of the market space, the Roppongi Farmers Market is as booming and bountiful as ever. Don't miss this chance to meet a grower from Tokyo's very own Kokobunji and sample seasonal bounty.
10am to 4pm (Usually. Do check their website for schedule fluctuations.)
Map

Yurakucho Farmer's Market
Every Saturday and Sunday
Smaller than the UNU Market, Yurakacho features a particular region of Japan each week along with an excellent selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables. Growers from nearby Chiba, Kamakura, and Saitama are also on hand to help fill the larder.
11am to 5pm
Directions: Turn left out of Yurakacho station and cross the courtyard toward Tokyo Kouku Keitan. Look for the fun under the overhang!

Know of a market? Give me a shout and we'll add it to the list!

Thursday Snapshot: An American Heirloom in Japan

Hutterite Soup beans drying.

I have long wanted to grow my own dry beans. Since I am lucky enough to have found a community garden space out here in Kanagawa, I decided this was the year. Hutterite Soup Beans were planted a wee bit late alongside the popcorn and left to their own devices. I managed to forget to thin them, and still they thrived.

Somewhere in the first week of August I picked the not quite dry pods and set them to dry on the zaru I use for umeboshi and popcorn. I'm visiting in the US and won't be in Japan to rescue them from typhoons, marauding tanuki, or anything else that may come along. We'll see what happens.

Zucchini Quick Pickle Coleslaw: Recipe

Shredding it! Zucchini and carrot get together in the pickler.

The recent theme of my garden and, subsequently, my kitchen is zucchini. The farmers gave me some seeds last year, which I promptly forgot about until this spring. I started them, they sprouted, thrived, and were transplanted to the garden. Despite a certain amount of neglect, a period during which I felt quite sure they would not survive and once again our household would be bereft of a favorite vegetable, they began to thrive.

They are now beyond thriving. They are fearsome.

Tokyo and Yokohama Regional Farmers Markets: Saturday, August 8th and Sunday, August 9th

Mushrooms about as fresh as they can be at the Ebisu Market.

Hot enough? Jeepers. Even my tomatoes seem to mind this heat and humidity a bit. The zucchini, though is booming and the little frogs that call my garden home seem happy, too. Who am I to complain? Here's this weekend's round-up of marketly goodness. Obon fast approaches, so get to the market while they are on. Do double check schedules and proceed with a Plan B in mind. (I suggest ice cream as a Plan B.) Have fun!

Earth Day Market

Sunday, August 9th
I could go wax on forever about how great this market is and how important it is for the future of Japanese farming and global food security. Instead, I'll just insist that folks go and see for themselves what great things the market and these innovative growers are doing. This month the market will be a a three-day wonderland of organic and fair trade goodness not to be missed. Come frolic and enjoy!

10am to 4pm, Rain or shine!

Map

Kamakura Farmers Market
Every day
A small local affair featuring Kamakura heirloom fruits and vegetables raised in yet another former capital city, the Kamakura Market is a small but wonderful venue. Head in early to get the best selection and pick up a loaf of Paradise Alley's charcoal infused bread while you're there.
7am until sold out
Map

Futamatagawa Farmers Market - Yokohama
Every Friday
A charming little weekly market tucked conveniently just outside the turnstile at Futamatagawa Station in Yokohama where a nice selection of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables await. Joining them are baked goods, rice, miso, and all the other fixings one might need for the week or just a good snack. Plenty of Kanagawa goodies, too, so be sure to ask!
10am to 6pm
Look for the tables when you step out the gate!

UN University Market

Every Saturday and Sunday

A massive weekend affair that is great fun and features a variety of fruits and vegetables and prepared products from all over Japan. Plus, there's a most excellent selection of food trucks offering everything from salad to zingy curry to roast chicken to falafel!

10am to 4pm

Map

Roppongi Market

Every Saturday
Back up and running after a refurbishment of the market space, the Roppongi Farmers Market is as booming and bountiful as ever. Don't miss this chance to meet a grower from Tokyo's very own Kokobunji and sample seasonal bounty.
10am to 4pm (Usually. Do check their website for schedule fluctuations.)
Map

Yurakucho Farmer's Market
Every Saturday and Sunday
Smaller than the UNU Market, Yurakacho features a particular region of Japan each week along with an excellent selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables. Growers from nearby Chiba, Kamakura, and Saitama are also on hand to help fill the larder.
11am to 5pm
Directions: Turn left out of Yurakacho station and cross the courtyard toward Tokyo Kouku Keitan. Look for the fun under the overhang!

Know of a market? Give me a shout and we'll add it to the list!

Thursday Snapshot: Frog in the Garden

One of my colleagues.

One of the great joys of my garden are the frogs. They are always leaping ahead of me, appearing on a leaf or tomato as I look for what to harvest, or landing on my foot between hops. This little guy is at head height in my popcorn, enjoying the view. He and his compatriots sing a delightful song as evening comes, their chirping rolling from one end of the valley to the other and back again.