Soba no mi, buckwheat as rice

Buckwheat groats (sometimes called buckwheat berries) are called 蕎麦の実 soba no mi in Japanese. Mi means fruit/nut, and maybe that’s not too far from the botanical reality as that’s not really a grain. They are often added to cook together with rice. And they can simply replace rice.

Raw.

Cooked in the rice cooker on brown rice program.

I’ve added a few drops of sesame oil and black sesame for even more nutty flavor. No salt because I add it with :

Umeboshi natto.

Satsuma imo (sweet potato) and mizu nasu.

Platter of steamed veggies : suguna kabocha, satsuma imo, bok choi and chestnuts.

Not a pretty dish… This type of aubergine mizu nasu is usually served raw. I’ve sliced (I did) and cut in ribbons (roughly) the flesh. Salted. Rinsed after 19 minutes and sprinkles shikwasa lime juice.

A nice old fashioned meal.

Le retour de la tarte polenta

Tarte polenta aux légumes.
It’s a new and more French version of :

la gritzza

Same sunshine crust.

Ratatouille vegetables.

Tama konnyaku, tama aubergine

玉 tama in Japanese means sphere, ball. Like an egg (tamago), or an eggplant (=aubergine). That’s today’s topic.

Tama konnyaku. They are balls of konnyaku. At this point, they are flavorless, and zero calories. No interest except that they favor digestion. And they have a cute shape. And the texture is pleasant. And they will catch the flavor of spicing… So, it’s very interesting for me.
I bought the balls, but you can carve some from a block with a melon spoon.

After rinsing, I stir-fried them in a little oil with a few sticks of fresh ginger. Then added soy sauce, mirin, sake, powdered paprika and turmeric. Let simmer till the color is nice.

Ginger tama konnyaku, to eat hot with toothpicks. As you can see on the final photo, the inside stays white.

Natt’oats. Cooked oats with slices of ginger + kuromame black beans + natto + soy sauce + blanched spinach + hot chili + olive oil.

Arlequin aubergine :
-steam slices of aubergine, paint with olive oil, bake
-garnish with tomato paste + salt , add a tbs of pesto and bits of yellow pepper. Drizzle olive oil.Bake again.

Vitamin colors

Three refreshing dishes to munch over hot days. Mix and wait. They served as side for several meals.

Step 1 : leafy tabouleh

Grating ginger.

Grating yuzu peel.

Cutting molokheya. Adding the ginger, citrus peel, leaves, turmeric, onion (grated too), garlic (grated too), salt and water to couscous.

Mix and wait.

Step 2 : green purple coleslaw

Just red cabbage, green bell pepper, daikon radish (grated in threads), yuzu citrus juice. Mix and wait.

Step 3 : grilled Summer salad

Aubergine, red bell pepper and green bell pepper roasted in the oven toaster. Then seasoned with olive oil, rosemary, chili flakes, salt. Mix and wait.

Japanese aubergines, moros and Moorish spices

We have lots of nasu or nasubi (aubergine or eggplant) in Summer here, many types and sizes. These small ones, I think are those known in the US as Japanese eggplants.
Moros, the Moors. Or black beans. And Moorish spices, that seem to be red pepper, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, pimentón…
This is a free adaptation of these stuffed aubergines by Rick Stein. The main change is it’s plant-based. I have not eaten the original but this version is delicious and perfect for the season.