Dinner on a Sunny Day in the Rainy Season

[Country Life, A Hermit's Kitchen Diary] — Savoring the evening of life, thank you for the meal again today

Friday, July 3, Reiwa 8

When I went outside to take out the trash in the morning, I found myself looking up at the sky.
Even though it shouldn't be the end of the rainy season yet, the sunlight was exactly like midsummer. Under the sun pouring down mercilessly from the blue sky, I thought in that instant, "It's going to be a hot day today."
The morning was my weekly massage day.
After receiving treatment for about an hour, I returned to the parking lot and opened the car door; the inside was like a sauna. I turned the air conditioning to the maximum, started driving, and headed straight to a vegetable stand in the mountains.
Summer vegetables were lined up in the storefront, filling every available space.
Glossy eggplants, crisp cucumbers, and vibrant green beans. Each one is full of vitality, as if just harvested from the field. I think vegetables tell us about the seasons before the calendar does.
After finishing lunch, I immediately picked up a kitchen knife.
Eggplant, cucumber, Japanese ginger, ginger, shiso leaves, shredded kelp, and mountain yam. I chop each one as finely as possible and gently mix them together in a large bowl.
In our home, this "Yamagata Dashi" is indispensable for summer.
It is a simple task of chopping, but strangely, it calms my heart. Listening to the sound of the knife, I feel as if I am capturing the scent of the season.
If you chill it well in the refrigerator, by evening the flavors will have melded, making it a dish that helps you forget the heat.
Tonight's main dish is eggplant baked with meat and cheese.
The side dish is green beans with sesame dressing. And, I will serve it with well-chilled Yamagata Dashi.
Piping hot baked cheese and cool dashi. Having both warmth and coolness on the same dining table is a pleasure unique to summer.
When I was young, I thought that being surrounded by luxurious food was what wealth meant.
But now, it is different.
Choosing seasonal vegetables, chopping them with my own hands, and sitting at the table facing my wife. I think that casual time is the greatest luxury of all.
The end of the rainy season must be just around the corner.
This year again, with the help of summer vegetables, I want to spend the hot season in good health.

[Today's Menu Recipe]

Main Dish: Eggplant Baked with Meat and Cheese
Side Dish: Green Beans with Sesame Dressing
Side Dish: Chilled Yamagata Dashi
Soup: Mushroom and Onion Consommé Soup

Main Dish: Eggplant Baked with Meat and Cheese

Ingredients (for 2 people)
Eggplant... 3
Onion... 1/2 (finely chopped)
Mixed ground meat... 200g
Ketchup... 3 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce... 1 tbsp
Consommé granules... 1/2 tsp
Red wine (or sake)... 1 tbsp
Black pepper... a little

A

Ketchup... 3 tbsp
Worcestershire sauce... 1 tbsp
Salt... a little
Pepper... a little

Instructions
・Cut the eggplant into 1cm thick rounds or diagonal slices.
・Heat oil in a frying pan, brown the eggplant on both sides, and remove from the pan.
・In the same pan, sauté the onion, and when it becomes translucent, add the mixed ground meat and sauté.
・When the meat changes color, add A and simmer slightly. (= Meat sauce)
・Arrange the eggplant in a heat-resistant dish, pour the meat sauce over it, and top with plenty of cheese.
・Bake in an oven for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is browned.

Side Dish: Green Beans with Sesame Dressing

Ingredients
Green beans... 150g
Dressing: Ground sesame seeds... 2 tbsp
Soy sauce... 2 tsp
Sugar... 1 tsp

Instructions
・Boil the green beans for 3-4 minutes.
・Place in cold water, drain, and cut into 4cm lengths.
・Toss with the dressing.

Side Dish: Yamagata Dashi

Just chill well in the refrigerator and serve in a bowl.

Soup: Mushroom and Onion Consommé Soup

Ingredients
Onion... 1/2
Shimeji mushrooms... 1/2 pack (or mushrooms of your choice)
Consommé... 1 cube
Water... 400ml
Black pepper... a little
Instructions
・Slice the onion thinly.
・Lightly sauté the onion and mushrooms in a pot.
・Add water and consommé, and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
・Sprinkle with black pepper to finish.
・Sprinkle with pepper to finish.