A Frog on a Rose

Lots and lots of baby frogs in my garden. I found this one on a rose last week.

Cute, huh?

Lovely Lotus

Lotus flowers are so beautiful! And of course, lotus root (renkon) is great to eat.

When I married I stopped eating lotus root so much because my husband said he disliked it. I don't remember why, but last year I bought it and he tried it. Now he says it's delicious!

Maybe the reason is that the one he ate before (in Western Japan) was not so fresh or not good quality. Tsuchiura is the lotus root capital of Japan and it is said to be the best. Try driving around Lake Kasumigaura to see fields upon fields of swaying leaves and pink flowers. You'll have to hurry though because the flowering season is almost over. Ueno Park in Tokyo also has a small lake with many lotus.

The only problem is that I think the water in Kasumigaura probably isn't too clean. Hmm, just try not to think about it when you buy lotus root this winter!

By the way, if you want to try a new dish, slice the root thinly and fry it in a tablespoon of olive oil. (Just a little oil is enough.)

A Step Back in Time

Would you like to step back in time? It's really easy if you go to Sobaya in Yanagibashi, Tsukuba. It is a handmade soba restaurant inside a 150 year old farmhouse. Actually, the farmhouse was originally somewhere else in Ibaraki and it was moved to Tsukuba.

You can find Sobaya really easily because it is next to Mizuho vegetable and flower shop on Route 19. It's just south of Banpakukinen Koen. Please check the map and more info here -->

http://mizuhonomuraichiba.com/sobaya.htm

Sobaya is probably my favorite soba restaurant in this area, and the best choice on the menu is the hot kamo-jiru soba (wild duck soba). Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive!!! (And be forewarned, the amount of soba you get mightn't fill you up.) However, it is really delicious and the texture is great.

Here are some photos from a rainy day when I went to Sobaya recently. It is better to go on a weekday because weekends are so crowded and sometimes they finish up all the soba before closing time.