薄曇りの少し肌寒い霜月のはじまり。今日から１１月。別名のように昔の人は白い霜や雪に季節の趣を感じていたのでしょう。
さて、開店の支度をしていると、表にどなたか立っていらっしゃる。見ると彦根のA先生。慌てて中へお入りいただくもお急ぎのご様子。新聞紙の包みを手に持って「福島の蓮根です」と渡してくださいました。ご高齢のご兄弟を訪ね昨日の朝採ったものをお持ちくださったのです。いくつも繋がった蓮根の前兆は５０センチ余り、直径も８センチぐらいある立派なもの。泥の中から蓮根を収穫するのは大変だと聞いていたので、どれほど貴重なものかわかります。店頭で見る蓮根は土つきか洗ったものですが、採りたての蓮根は白くて透明感あるものだそうで変色してしまって申し訳ないとおっしゃいました。いえいえ、こんなに新鮮で立派な蓮根を手にするのは初めてで恐縮しているのは私のほうです。
カフェで提供するいなり寿司には蓮根を入れるし、お弁当のおかずにもよく蓮根を使っており、いくつかレシピが頭に浮かびました。蓮根の効用をみると沢山ありすぎて列挙しきれないくらい、実に健康的な食材です。
１１月のお朔（ついたち）は新鮮な蓮根の到来からはじまりました。
November has just started with a cloudy and a bit cold morning. Since it was called "Shimo-tsuki (Frost Month)" by people in the past, it seems they felt beauty in nature in white such as frost and snow.
When I was preparing my cafe, I saw someone standing outside the cafe. It was Mr. A from Hikone. I opened the entrance sliding door and let him in. He seemed like he didn't have much time and gave something wrapped in the newspaper to me saying it was lotus root from Fukushima. He said that he visited his old brother in Fukushima and the family member took some lotus roots from a bog just the morning of his leaving day. It was a beautiful fresh lotus root which was about 50 centimeters (1.64 feet) and 8 centimeters in diameter. I heard that taking lotus root is very hard, so I appreciated this precious gift. We find two kinds of lotus root at the shop, one is with mud and another one is washed, but according to Mr. A, it's white and clean when it appears in the air. He apologized for being late to bring it to me after it had turned a darker color. It was the first time for me to receive such a fresh lotus root. I thanked him very much.
I like lotus root very much and use it often in my cooking. It is also a very healthy ingredient. There are several recipes in my head.
My November has started with receiving a fresh lotus root!
