OP Japanese heritage veg and fruit

[dokutaaguriin]

Hi Jenn,
konbu or kombu...There is only one pure consonant sound in Japanese the nasal like "n"written as "n" in our alphabet. However, before a ba,bi,bu,be,bo,bya, byu,byo or similar p sounds it takes on an 'm' like sound so either konbu or kombu is acceptable.
I find it curious to soak to eggplants in salted water...perhaps just so they do not oxidize, because Japanese eggplants are never bitter. First or second week of August we bring our harvest of eggplants camping. I grill them whole and then use kitchen tongs to peel the skins. My mother in law can peel the hot eggplants with her hands.! A little soya sauce and freshly grated ginger and it is pure gastronomic heaven!!!!
You should also grow some Japanese cucumbers and dip them in a combination of miso and mayonaise, another taste of summer.
Jeff

[landarc]

miso and mayo is a great combination for all kinds of stuff. Mix in a little vinegar and it also serves as a salad dressing. Actually, one of my favorite dishes is mizutaki, a mix of chicken (or tofu or seafood) and veggies that is simmered in a water broth. Served with a miso/mayo dipping sauce, delish.

Also, I have to say, having grown up with Japanese cucumbers and Japanese eggplant, my intro to American jumbo sized versions was a 'bitter' disappointment.

You gotta love those Japanese crawling sounds, like F, which sounds like F but also H and a little breathy also.

[honu]

Jennifer,
If I have any Asian varieties you are looking for, I can share with you...send me PM or EM. They're not from Japan, but either local or ordered from the US mainland.

Jeff:

I find it curious to soak to eggplants in salted water...perhaps just so they do not oxidize, because Japanese eggplants are never bitter.

True, I grew up w/ Japanese eggplants, and it's never necessary to salt/soak, as they are never bitter. I was confused when I first learned to cook, and all the mainland cookbooks said to said to salt and soak.

Jeff/Bob: You guys are making me hungry!
How about some warabi salad:
- bunch of warabi - parboil quickly, then immediately chill in ice cubes, cut in 1" pieces (you want it bright green and crunchy)
- shredded dried cod fish
- kamaboko - slivered
- shiofuke konbu
- finely chopped Kula sweet onion
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped Japanese cucumber
- Hawaiian chile peppers (if you want some kick)
- garlic
- ginger
- sesame oil to taste
- 1 tsp of patis (fish sauce) (may add or substitute soy sauce to taste)
- rice vinegar and/or lemon juice to taste
- if you prefer a sweeter sauce, you can add sugar
- garnish w/ Chinese parsley (cilantro) & chopped green onion & toasted goma
- this can turn out very salty, depending on how much kombu, shoyu, fish sauce you add, so taste as you go.

[landarc]

warabi=fiddlehead fern or bracken right?

Now that oughta be something kinda hard to find in Canada. I haven't had that in years. Definitely not to be overcooked

[dokutaaguriin]

Fiddleheads should be easy to find in Ontario as I remember eating them as a child. Out West it is too cold (and too dry) for that plan.
I can almost taste the cold sansai (mountain vegetables including warabi) soba with plenty of grated daikon radish right now. It is also very tasty dried and then rehydrated. Served slightly warm with nice sprinkling of ichimi or shichimi or sudachi mi or yuzu mi (dried japanese citrus fruits with spicy red peppers ground up)
Jeff

[cdntomato]

Yup, Jeff, fiddleheads are plentiful in the spring, here and eastward especially. Considered essential Canuck cuisine. Of course, so are poutine and beaver tails (the pastry, NOT the animal part!) so I'm not sure what that says

Honu, I would be honoured if you would be willing to share some of your seeds. Will send a PM shortly. Many, many thanks!

And everyone, thanks for sharing, really sharing, info. I think it's going to be a very exciting year in the gardens. And then in our tummies. :wink:

Jennifer

[landarc]

I have a friend from Toronto that has mentioned Tim Hortons all of the time, but, never Beavertails. And it is a good thing you said it was a pastry, I was a little over that one