KitchenNippon

＜Ingredients＞ (5 servings)

Field mustard (菜の花 / ※1Nanohana) 70g
Tomato (トマト / Tomahto) (Medium-size) 1
Summer tangerine (夏みかん / Natsumikan) 1/2
Spring onion (新玉ねぎ / Shin tamanegi) 1/３
Udo (うど / ※2Udo) (Skinned) 30g
Vinegar water (酢水 / Sumizu) 1tsp of vinegar in 500ml of water
Shio kōji (塩麹 / Shio kōji) 1 1/2tbsp
Olive oil (オリーブオイル / Orīhbu oiru) 1tbsp
Black pepper (ブラックペッパー / Burakku peppāh) Pinch

＜How to Make＞
① Fill a medium-size pot about three-quarters full with water, throw in a pinch of salt (not included in the ingredients above), and bring it to a boil. Place the nanohana into the boiling water for about 10 seconds and then remove to cold water. Once the nanohana have cooled, squeeze out the water and cut into 5cm lengths. Save 5 lengths for garnishing the spring carrot soup.
② Blanch and peel the tomato, then cut it into 10 wedges. Peel the natsumikan and separate it into bite-size pieces. Cut the spring onion into thin slices, place the slices into a bowl of water, gently knead them, and then drain off the water. Cut the udo into rectangular slices, soak them in the vinegar water for about 5 minutes, and then drain off the water.
③ Mix the shio kōji, olive oil, and black pepper in a bowl. Add the nanohana, tomato, natsumikan, spring onion, and udo, and mix.

※1Nanohana / 菜の花 (Field mustard or “rapeseed blossoms” in English [Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera])
Nanohana is another springtime vegetable appreciated for its bitterness. Ordinarily prepared by boiling in slightly salted water, it is eaten as hitashi (boiled, with only the addition of soy sauce or other flavoring), in soups, and as tsukemono (pickled).

※2Udo / 独活 or うど (Aralia cordata)
Udo is a perennial plant native to China, the Korean peninsula, and Japan. The unique aroma, bitterness, and texture of its sprouts have made it a springtime favorite since long ago in Japan. Udo is skinned before it is cooked, but the skin too is eaten in dishes such as kinpira. A vegetable of great versatility, udo is included as an ingredient for salads, tempura, soups, fried dishes, and simmered dishes. When udo is used, it is soaked in vinegar water for about 5 minutes after it is cut to remove most of the bitterness.

Recipe Developed by: Machiko Tateno