Sunday, May 12, 2024


5月8日(水曜日)2024
 大型連休はそれなりに賑わっていた絵馬通りも連休が終わって再びひっそりした街並みに戻りました。気温も低めで初夏に行きつ戻りつという感じです。
 一方、駅前のもんぜん市では、季節のイキイキした野菜や花々が並んでいます。今回はわらびを買ってきました。筍、ふき、わらびなど初夏ならではの野菜ですが、どれもアク抜きが必要。今回のわらびにはアク抜き用の灰が袋に入って添えられていました。レジの方に教えてもらったように、鍋に蕨を並べ、灰をかけ、そこに熱湯を注ぎ、数時間放置。それから、水でよく洗って、新たに水につけて冷蔵庫で保存。今日はわらびの卵とじを作ってみました。
 昔は特に考えもなく食べていた山菜ですが、少し粘りのあるサクっとしたわらびをあらためて味わい深くいただきました。


    During the long holidays from the end of April to May, we had many tourists walking on the street toward Taga Taisha, but after the holidays the street got quiet again. It's rather cold these days as if we are still in winter.

    At the local morning market, I see many fresh seasonal vegetables and flowers. Among them, I bought a bunch of Warabi (bracken). Takenoko (bamboo shoot), Fuki (butterbur) and Warabi are all spring vegetables which one needs to remove the foam of before cooking individually. This time, a pack of ash was attached to the Warabi for that, so I followed the suggestion of the woman at the register on how to remove foam.

    First, I put them in the pan. Next, pour the ash on them. Third, pour very hot water there and leave for several hours. Fourth, wash them thoroughly with water. Then, I cooked with egg.

    When I was a child, I ate them without thinking about anything, but I enjoyed the texture of these wild vegetables this time.








Saturday, May 4, 2024

5月2日(木曜日)2024 
 5月に入り、はたと端午の節句が近いことを思い出しました。樟脳(しょうのう)を入れて片付けたのがついこの間。「えっ〜もう?!」と正直取り出すのが面倒で今年は止めようかとの思いが頭をよぎるも気を取り直して武者人形を床の間に飾りました。 
 我が家のイケメン大将たちに出てきてもらうとやっぱり清々しい気持ちになります。掛け軸の日本画は平井東庵(1860-?)のコロコロの犬?とわらび。滋賀で生まれ西陣の織物卸商の平井家に入った実業家で画や茶道に精通していたとのこと。 
 大型連休もほぼ真ん中。遠く関東や大阪からの方も多賀大社にいらっしゃっています。

    It turned to May and I suddenly remembered that the Boy's Festival is coming shortly. It seems like only a few months ago that I put warrior's dolls in the cases and kept them in the outhouse after the Boy's Festival last year. Actually I felt it would be a hassle to retrieve and display them again for now, but I changed the mood by collecting myself and displaying them in the guest room.

    They are so nice and I feel very good looking at these dolls. The Japanese painting of the hanging scroll is by Hirai Tohan.

    It is in the middle of the Long Holidays and I have customers who stop by my cafe after visiting Taga Taisha. I am a bit surprised that many of them are from the Tokyo and Osaka area which are a long way to Taga.