Monday, December 31, 2007

Hakusai

The head of hakusai can be seen.
Hakusai is typical vegetable in winter.
Hakusai has a variety of uses, such as tsukemono, itamemono nabemono, shirumono and others.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Daidai

Daidai, lemmon and the rest of hassaku were harvested.
Daidai fruits are counted about 50.
The name of daidai is lucky meaning, "from generation to generation."

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Cabbage


Cabbage was known to the acient Greeks and Romans.
English name cabbage derived from "head."
It is neccessary for the ingredent of okomomi.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Sazanka

Sazanka is a member of "sechu-no-shiyu."
Robai blooms first of them and sazanka is second to bloom today.
Other members, suisen and ume need more days to bloom.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Hassku

There are five hassaku trees in my garden.
This is named no.4 tree and its fruits are picked off today.
67 fruits are harvested from this tree and are stocked in storeroom.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Broccoli and cauliflower

Broccoli and cauliflower are very similar.
They are different cultivar groups of the same species.
They are planted side by side in my garden.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Onion


The onion is growing steadily.
When it was planted, the stems lay down.
Now the stems stand vertically.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Roubai

Robai is one of four typical flowers in the snow, "sechu-no-shiyu."
Four flowers are robai, ume, sasanka and suisen.
In my garden, robai blooms first of them.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Parsley


Parsley is used as garnish.
It is planted the corner of our garden.
It can be used at any time when it is needed.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Google Sketchup

Google Sketchup 3D soft-ware is challenged.
This is my work drawing the house.
You can see a sofa through the window.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Tendril

The tendrils of kinugasoendou coil around the support.
Kinugasadendou is to be grown during winter.
It is picked whiler is iimmature and is eaten with the pod.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Chingensai

Chingensai is crispy.
Chingensai fied up with squid in chinese dish style was served for last-night supper.
Wikepedia tells it comes to Japan form Chiana in 1970s.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Mikan


This is the memorial mikan tree of Ryuta birthday.
It's second year, It produces five mikans.
It looks delicious.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Daikon is going to be dry in the sun and cold wind.
After dryin for one or two weeks, it will be put into the pickle barrel with rice bran, salt and other condiments.
Hope good result.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Kinkan


Kinkan is going to be ripe with yellow color.
It is very good taste to put it into the mouth with peel.
Kinkan wine is the medicine for a cold.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Hassku

Hassaku will be harvested soon.
They are kept as they are in the store house for several weeks.
Then they are served as the fruits and the peels are processed to marmalade.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Tsubaki


Full-fledged tsubaki season will come.
This one blooms ahead of my tsubakis trees.
Tsubaki is the season term, kigo for spring of haiku.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Takana

Takana is one of three major tsukemono materials together with nozawana and hiroshimana.
It will be cooked soon as soute, itamemono with deep fried tofu, aburaage.
It is not so much planted for tsukemono.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Cauliflower

Caulifower and broccoli are the same species and have many similar structurs.
Broccoli has the green flower buds, while cauliflower has white inflorescence meristem.
They are planted side by side in my garden.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Daikon

Daikon's white oot can be seen.
Tenpura and grated daikon (daikonsuri) was served at supper the day before yesterday.
This year daikon did not grow at first, so the seeds were seeded again.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Negi


It's one fat year for naganegi.
We use it almost everdy as condiment vegitable.
It is also called naganegi for it's shape.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Shiitake

Traditional way of cultivating shiitake is made from kunugi or nara logs inoculated shiitake fungus and placed open field.
But this one is placed in green house at Mikkaichi, Shobara.
Today over 60% of shiitake are made from saw dust inoculated shiitake fungus in green house.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Mother's 98th birthday


Go to Shobara for celebrating my mother's 98th birthday.
Every day she moves from the bed and sits under the kotatsu with the aid of her daughter.
She listens and speaks to those nearby.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Shiro nanten


Shiro nanten is stands in the front garden.
Aka and shiro are both lucky charms.
They are favorite dietary items for winter birds.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Kabu

The leaf of kabu has another name, suzuna that is one of seven spring herbs.
The root of kabu looks like a bell, so kabu is also named suzuna.
Kabu-no-senmaizuke takes my fancy for its crunch.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Broccoli

The flesh flower head of broccoli is growing.
Broccloli is a plant of cabbage family.
The word broccoli comes from the Latin word, meaning strong arm or branch that grow from main stem , each one sprouting a sturding budding cluster surrounded by leaves.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Onion


Onions are growing steadily.
Last month 500 sets of oninos are planted.
Onions are used every day in misoshilru at my home.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Daidai

Daidai means orange color and generatrion after generatrion.
Daidai fruit will not fall easily from the tree and remain till next generation will come.
So it is used one of the bringer of good luck attached shimekazari of New Yeas Day.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Asa zoo

This is Ryuta and Malay tapir (Mareibaku) at Asa zoo.
After visiting the zoo, he watches Shinkansen arrivals and departures on the Shinkansen platform at Hiroshima JR station.
He is good boy all the day.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Manryo

Manryo is a good luck charm used flower arrangement on New Year's Day just as senryo.
There are many senryo and manryo trees in the garden.
May win the Nenmatu Jumbo lotterry.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Senryo


Senryo is the flower arrenged often on New Year's Day.
It is a lucky charm.
It's red berry is the symbol of wealth.