Lotus root

I like to stock up on my precious 2 logs of lotus roots during the weekend supermarket "imperfect vegetable sale". Lotus roots are not grown in the area where i live in so that is probably the only vegetable i get outside the farmers' mart. And they are really expensive. Well, not REALLY expensive, but if i get it at the usual supermart rate, i have to eat it daintily. The imperfect vegetable sale puts out stuff that are not japanese standard pretty for the usual price to be charged. Over the last few weeks, when i had fresh ground nuts from the farmers, we had lots of lotus root and peanut soup. And then i totally forgot all about the precious lotus root stock in my fridge since the groundnut harvesting season ended. Oh no!!! Good thing there weren't any green polka dots on them!!!

I made a super duper lotus root packed soup.

Meatballs with root vegetables, with lotus root soba kaki.

Soba kaki is like gnocchi but made with soba flour. I kneaded a whole lot of lotus root into the soba kaki which made it soooo chewy i suddenly have the urge to go make some gnocchi with lotus root!!!
Dinner was simply a big bowl of soup, hot tofu and homemade baked pumpkin patties.

As usual, with my pumpkin problem, i just have to have pumpkin once in while while it is still in season. I just crave it! This time, i steamed the pumpkin whole, mashed it (yup, with the skin), added in some sakura prawns, chicken stock granules, soy sauce, topped with breadcrumbs, drizzled some olive oil over before grilling in the oven. YUMMY!!!

OK pumpkin craving solved for the day.