black tomatoes

The black tomatoes that i have always wanted to try, i finally found them at the regular supermart and a regular price.

i have seen them many times at eye popping prices at special marts, so when i saw them at Yokado, i was elated!

Just 2 of them in a mixed pack we bought, so we each had one.

It was not the usual tomato taste. less sweet, but deep in flavour.

was nice~

Dinner tonight

Grilled sake fermented hokke and snapper fillets

Got this at the famous sake fermented fish shop at Takashimaya on wednesday.

the usual long queue for the 4 piece pack had just ended when i walked pass, but i was one of the lucky few to be able to get the last few packs available. =)

one piece costs 800yen on the regular price list, so when the assorted 4 piece pack (priced 735yen) is sold at 4.30pm on some days of the month, the well informed housewives are already forming a queue before the time sale starts.

the sake taste was quite strong, and i guess not anyone will like this, but i found it quite appetising.

Mentaiko enoki salad

yuba (beancurd skins) with toasted nori and anchovies

with shoyu and yuzu peppers

greens with bonito flakes,

and mini squids with sweet vinegar miso

The rainy season has started, but i still haven"t got any plums yet. the farmers mart is not producing enough plums this year, and i don"t seem to have any luck catching them. they usually get sold out by mid morning.

梅雨 (read as tsuyu) starts in june each year, before the real summer heat sets in. during this time, it just rains and rains and rains. and people who are into pickling their sour plums usually start pickling during this time. coincidentally 梅 (ume) is the characted for sour plum, so whenever the news officially announces the 梅雨　season, you know it is time to start the 梅pickling process, so when the sun is out in mid summer, we can start drying out the salted plums.

i am still waiting to find some pretty ume at some mart.