日本語のレシピは　最後の方に載っています。

 

One of a few strawberries grown in my garden

When is the season of the strawberries ?

If you live in Singapore, Malaysia or other countries where the strawberries can not grow, you might be toatlly at a loss.

Because they are imported from all over the world and available all the year round at supermarkets.

When I ask the same question to people living in Japan,

many say "It is December and January",  some say "from December to March", may be some who don't care about the strawberries would be puzzled, not knowing when it is.

Answer  →　Both are wrong.

The real season of the strawberries is now, the end of May in Japan.

Like Sakura/cherry blossoms,  Ichigo /strawberry's season is only one to two weeks.

The reason that most of the people think its season is December and January is that they see the strawberries more often during Christmas and New Year season.

 

 

 

The normal Japanese strawberries raised in the green houses.

Japanese Christmas cake is always decorated with lots of strawberries.

But they are manipulated to grow in the green houses in order to be in time for this festive season, using unnecessary fosil fuels and the chemicals.

When I was a small kid, I used to think how fortunate I was to be born in June.

On my birthday party, my mother always treated me and my friends with the strawberries and the cherries.

If my birthday was a week earlier,  I could have only strawberries, if it was a week later, I could have only cherries.

It was an exciting moment to eat both strawberries and cherries at the same time, especially for cherries as it was always my first cherry of the year.

It is such a fond memory of my childhood.

This is the story of old days now.

Yes, I must admit that there were alreay chemicals and unnatural method of farming gnawing into our lives when I was small,

but I could eat the strawberries only in late May to early June,

the cherries in June, cucumbers and tomatoes only in summer.

Our life used to follow the rule of nature better than now, at least. 

 

 

 

About 10 pieces of strawberries can be harvested from my garden every year

though I do not do anything to grow them.    

This one will  turn red and be popped into my mouth soon.

Let me tell you about my most favorite fruit of my childhood, banana too,

it was such a luxury and my mother packed a piece of it only on special occasions such as school excursion and sports day.

(Bananas can't grow in Japan, so it used to be imported from Taiwan.  They are now imported from philipines, the countries of South America also, and sold in very low price all the year round abundantly in all the supermarkets now. )

All right,  Macrobiotic lecture ends up!

Let's move to the practical cooking session!

Today's recipe is "Vegan Pudding with Strawberry Sauce".

It is a creamy and mellow taste pudding.

Kuzu powder is playing an important role for this texture, but if it is not availabe where you live, replace it with other starch.

You can make it with the strawberries or with other local fruit such as papaya, mango and passion fruit.

But don't forget to wash the strawberries throughly, and soak in salt water for a few minutes if you use normal strawberries from the supermarket as they are usually grown with repeated usge of strong pesticide (It is so in Japan).

 

 

Vegan Pudding with Strawberry Sauce  ( for 4 ~6 servings) 

(for sauce)

100g Strawberries 

2Tbsp Beat sugar, maple syrup or agave syrup 

Procedure

Blend them in the blender or mash with a fork

(for pudding)

6g Kuzu starch, or potato or corn starch diluted with 1 Tbsp of water

400ml Soy milk or other type of plant base milk

2Tbsp Rice syrup, or malt syrup

3Tbsp Amazake syrup, or maple syrup

1Tbsp beat sugar, or your local unrefined sugar

a pinch of salt

1g or 1/2 tsp agar powder

Procedure

1. Put all the ingredients in a pot,  heat up over medium heat, constantly stirring until reaches boiling point.    
2. Turn to low heat and keep stirring for a few minutes.
3. Place the pot in a bowl with ice water to cool down.  keep stirring !
4. When excess heat is removed, transfer into the cups, and into the fridge.
5. Top up with strawberry sauce and garnish with a mint leaf.

Tips

• For the best result, stick to the ingredients written first.  But if they are not available, go the the alternative ingredients written after " or ".
• When you use "beat sugar" and "corn starch", make sure that they are non GMO before purchasing.
   

ブラマンジェの苺ソースのせ

いちごソース用

いちご100ｇ　　てんさい糖大さじ2、　　塩ひとつまみ

全部をブレンダーに入れて　ブレンドする。　あるいはフォークでつぶして混ぜる。

ブラマンジェ用

葛粉　6ｇ　水　大さじ1で　溶いておく。

豆乳　400cc  　　　寒天粉1ｇ(小さじ1/2)    

米飴大さじ2　　　　甘酒大さじ3　　　てんさい糖大さじ1　　　塩一つまみ  

作り方

1. 材料を全部、鍋に入れて　中火にかける。　絶えずかき混ぜて、沸騰してきたら、火力を弱くして、そのまま数分　火にかける。　（絶えずかき混ぜる事。）
2. 氷を張った水に鍋ごと入れて、かき混ぜながら　粗熱を取る。
3. 粗熱が取れたら、カップに取り分け、冷蔵庫で冷やす。
4. いちごソースをのせ、ミントの葉を飾り、できあがり。
   

HAPPY COOKING !