I got a lunch booking from Christchurch. メールでご予約いただいたお客様、ディナーではなく、ランチにいらっしゃいました。 何とクライストチャーチから！
The guest, Masako-san, runs "Yumesato Farm" there, and grows spray-free UME (plum) and KURI (chestnuts) there. The products of UME-boshi, UME-vinegar, UME-jam are made from them with use of organic ingredients, and are also available to purchase. クライストチャーチで『夢里ファーム』を営むマサコさん、無農薬の南高梅と和栗を栽培、 梅干やジャムなどの製造・販売もされてます。 そして梅酢も・・・・ 少し前の「桜の花漬け」記事に、「梅酢はNZでは手に入らない」と書いたばかりでしたが、ナント！マサコさんのファームで作っていらっしゃったとは！ これは見逃せません！ 商品要チェック!! ご案内はこちらのブログから： YUMESATO Farm
She took her friend, Toshiko-san, of Wanaka. It was the first time to met her as well. ご一緒されたお友達のトシコさんはワナカ在住ですが、この日、初めてお目にかかり ました。 これから観光関係のお仕事を始められるとのことで、今後何かとお世話になるかもしれません。
I prepared lunch for the ladies with: ご用意させていただいたランチは：
**Fried chicken marinade with salad vegetables & leaves
**フライドチキンのマリネ・サラダ
**Fried tofu & vegetables with creamy spinach sauce
**揚げ豆腐と野菜、 ほうれん草のクリーミーソース
Each mains are come with:
**Blue cheese steamed egg custard **Shira-ae (mashed Tofu salad) with mushroom, broccoli, and olives **Special brown rice mixed with grains
Since I found a picture of dish "Samma Confit" in a wine magazine (7 years ago), I have always wanted to cook If I could get the fish in NZ. The "Confit" is a different cooking method from the traditional Japanese way of Samma cooking. "The method would make the taste dramatically matching to Pinot Noir" the magazine said.
Finally I got a chance to cook it here after waiting for 7-years !!
***************** Recipe of My dream dish of "Samma Confit" ********************
At first, I chose a good size of baking tray to be just fitted for Samma and for the quantity. They should be wholly coverd by oil, so the tray size and the Samma quantity were important not to waste oil as much as possible. I used a smaller tray for 6 of Samma.
(Preparation) Sprinkle salt all over the surface of Samma well. After 2 hours, wash them lightly (to take off the fish smell) then pat with kitchen paper.
3 pcs Garlic (cut to slices) 1 branch Rosemary (cut into 3~4) 4 branches Thyme 3 Bay leaves
Scatter above garlic & herbs at the bottom of tray, then lay Samma on it. Pour mix of olive oil and cooking oil to cover them. To make them soaked perfectly, I cut 2 of Samma into 2 pieces diagonally. (Make sure not cut the internal organs, because it's the most delicious part.)
Put in 80~90C oven (low temperature cooking for 3 hours). I could see small bubbles came from fish after 1 hour through to the end of cooking. After 3 hours, off the power and left it until it was cooled. Time made them wholly soft and tender!
The taste was beautiful !!! Enjoyed them with my Samurai husband and friend's family who visited. What a fabulous double combinations of Pinot Noir & the upper part of Samma, and Chardonnay & the other part near the tail.
As they lasts in a fridge as oil pickles for 2-3 weeks, we could enjoy them in several times if we cook many at once. Make the surface crispy with quick grill (toast) just before serve each time. The left overed oil could be re-used for cooking as it's good herbal oil.
The Sakura (Cherry blossom) pickles, I enjoy them for cooking in my kitchen now. The story dates back, but I report the progress through since I picked up the blossoms.... as a memorandum of my own as well.
The blossom bloomed early~mid October in my garden. I picked them up before they would gone by strong wind. Just picked flowers opened with 70% (not one of flowering 100% completely, nor 50% which is not opened enough).
Lots of picked flowers were needed to reach 200g, and probably I picked over 300 pieces.
たった200g欲しいだけですが、数でいったら かなり！ （たぶん300以上の花）
Washed gently in the sink, then took the excess water off with kitchen paper.
シンクで丁寧に水洗いしてザルにあげ、 キッチンペーパーで水気を取ります。
Sprinkle salt (40g), then transfer the flowers into re-sealable bag. It was like a Sakura-pillowcase ! Put a weight (around 400g) on it. Left it for 2 nights...
After 2 nights, the volume was less than the half. Took the excess water out from the bag, then added apple cider vinegar (60ml) into the bag. The flower colour changed to bright pink soon. Put a weight (lighter one this time around 100g) then left for a week at dark place.
A week later, I noted the fragrant like a Japanese Sakura-sweets when I opened the bag. Shifted flowers one by one onto kitchen paper to be aired. (They were full on 3 big trays!)
Bright pink liquid was left in the bag! Nice, I got home-made Sakura-vinegar, besides! 花が漬かっていた袋には、濃いピンク色の 液体が残りました。 花の色素と香りが ついた桜ヴィネガー、これは何に使おう・・ 取りあえず容器に移して冷蔵庫へ。 トレイの上の花は、陰干しすること丸一日。 しっとりとした花漬けのできあがり。
The next day, it was done. I transfer them into an air-tight container, with salt. It is preserved over 1 or 2 years.
I'm sometimes using them for decoration of dishes, just after soaking them in water to take excess salt off. They could be used for cooking of Sakura-paella-rice or Sakura sweets in the next September (at the flower viewing time).
In addition, I made Sakura-salt from the pickled flowers. Just add sea-salt with 3 times of volume to the flowers, then grind them. Great pleasant Sakura fragrant....
Currently having a sushi course （of 3 sessions） in my cooking class. At the 1st one "Basic sushi", everybody did great work to make rolled sushi included inside out rolls, most of them hadn't cooked any Japanese style dishes before though.
The next stage, 2nd session, is "Nigiri-zushi". A piece of fresh sashimi-fish on top of small vinegard rice ball which rolled by hand. I put it in a learning plan for people to be used to handling of the rice and also to experience sushi culture.
A Japanese couple (Mr&Mrs.Maeda from Osaka), who were traveling NZ and stayed here as B&B guests, joined to this class.
After the demonstration, they made rolled egg individually. ( Mr&Mrs.Maeda helped each one, so grateful ! ) デモンストレーション後、角型の卵焼き器を使って、それぞれが順番に自分のだし巻き卵を作ります。（気づいたら、前田様ご夫妻が他の方たちのサポートをしていらっしゃって、大助かりでした。 ありがとうございました。） 角型フライパンを持っていない方用に、直径20cmの丸型フライパンで作る場合のレシピと形の整え方などの説明を加えて。
****************************** NIGIRI-ZUSHI ************************************** I got Salmon and Tuna for sushi, but couldn't get any white fish since it's just after long weekend and the bad weather. Then decided to use steamed chicken tenderloin which was marinated with Umami-salt (URBAN HIPPIE products). 魚ネタは、サーモン、マグロ、その日の白身魚でいきたかったのですが、悪天候の3連休明け、新鮮な白身魚は仕入れられず、残念！ ならば代わりに何を使おうか・・・急遽、鶏ささみを塩麹漬けにしてスティーム。 （塩麹は URBAN HIPPIE 社の Umami-salt を使用）
"Take an appropriate amount of sushi rice, to make a rice ball much smaller than the golf ball" おにぎりにならないように、「スシライスはゴルフボールより小さく」と伝えながら、4~5回、ゆっくりとデモンストレーションしました。 その後、皆さん集中して握ってました。
I prepared "Sakura-zuke (=pickled cherry blossom)" as a decoration of the chicken sushi. Of course we can eat this pretty decoration,too. The fragrant and light salty taste adds an pleasant accent to the delicate flovour of chicken sushi.
***************************** USEFUL RECIPE IDEA ***************************** At the end, I introduced recipe using with the left overed sushi vinegar. その他に、寿司酢を使ったアイデア・レシピを2種ご紹介。 寿司酢は多めに作っておくと便利。 日持ちする上、こんな使い道も・・・
Simple & easy Japanese dressing for fresh salad ! 調味料を加えて簡単和風ドレッシング： 生野菜サラダ、冷やしトマト、海草や豆腐のサラダにも、さっぱり美味しい！
Bright yellow colour of Kimisu (Egg yolk sauce) is beautifully matching to asparagus ! Adding steamed prawn, scallope, or piece of white fish made it a great appetizer 卵黄を使って作る黄身酢： 今が旬のアスパラガスにぴったり、海老やホタテなどの 魚介類も添えると、彩り鮮やかな一品料理になりますよ。 （写真は、アスパラガスと浅漬け塩麹大根）
*************************************************************************************** " Kampai for our wonderful works ! " 実習を終えて、お酒とワインで乾杯！
3 pcs Garlic (cut to slices)
途中オーブンの窓から中を覗いて様子を
As they lasts in a fridge as oil pickles for 
The blossom bloomed early~mid October in my garden. I picked them up before they would gone by strong wind. Just picked 
Sprinkle salt (40g), then transfer 
After 2 nights, the volume was less than 
A week later, I noted the fragrant like a 
Bright pink liquid was left in the bag!
The next day, it was done. I transfer them into 
Currently having a sushi course 
I prepared "Sakura-zuke (=pickled cherry blossom)" 
At the class before this, 
