[No. 86] Finally, the Harvest—Uneven but Certain Fruits, the Season of Butternut Squash 🎃🌾
The Butternut Trilogy 🎃📖
In my field articles so far, I have been writing about the same butternut squash.
Deep in the soil of the field, life was moving in ways unseen—starting from that conviction, I spent days believing it was growing steadily even while hidden by leaves.
And now, in this [No. 86], I have finally reached the moment where I can hold the 'harvest' in my hands.
It all began with a single flower 🌼🌱
On a summer morning, a yellow flower peeked out from the shadows of green leaves, illuminated by the sunlight.
Its vibrancy held a fleeting quality that seemed as if it might vanish in an instant, yet it also harbored the strength of a story just beginning.
When I saw that flower, there was no fruit to be found anywhere yet.
But I remember thinking, 'It will surely grow,' from the buzzing of insects visiting to collect nectar and the vitality conveyed by the spreading leaves.
Looking back now, that small flower was the first step toward a great harvest.
Uneven shapes are also 'individuality' 🎃✨
The butternut squashes I took from the field are truly unique when lined up.
Rounded ones, long and slender ones, bumpy and humorous ones... no two are the same shape.
They may not have the uniform shape of store-bought produce.
However, that unevenness is proof of the conditions unique to the field, reflecting the 'power of the soil,' 'the intensity of the sunlight,' and 'the cycle of the rain.'
The 'artistic beauty with character' drawn by nature is the very joy of a home garden.
Even before eating them, just looking at these shapes fills me with gratitude, thinking, 'You did well to grow this far.'
Like homework, stacking them up one by one— Before I knew it, they had taken a certain shape.
The joy and lessons of the harvest 🌾🔍
When I pick them up, their solid weight is transmitted to my palms, and I realize that the time spent in the field is packed inside.
To get here, there were days when flowers bloomed but failed to pollinate, and times when they were covered in weeds and I thought, 'Is this the end?'
Even so, the summer sun, the rain, and the daily care added up, and they bore fruit like this.
Harvesting is not just a goal; it is also a way to check the answers to the time spent growing them.
The fun of the field is being able to learn, including from the parts that didn't go well, and think, 'I'll try this next time.'Looking back, I feel once again that this repetition is what supports my cultivation every year.
Food for the future 🍲📖
Butternut squash is characterized by its sweetness when cooked.
While it is often made into soup, I don't cook, so I eat it exclusively as 'tempura.'
If you coat it in batter and fry it, it's crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. A sprinkle of salt is enough to make it a feast.
This year's harvest not only brightens our dining table but also serves as 'seeds' of experience for next year.
Which timing produced the sweetest fruit, which plants grew most vigorously—those records become hints for the next cultivation.
Behind a single plate of tempura lies the accumulation of work in the field.
Caution 🛠️
🌱 This article is based solely on personal experience and impressions.
📍 Appropriate methods vary depending on the region and environment.
⚠️ Please ensure safety when carrying out any activities.
✅ Please take responsibility for your own judgments and actions.
Fields, bodies, and investments—a way of life that keeps on tilling.
Renji Enko