Saffron, figs, etc...

Just returned home to Japan after a little visit to my native country, Malaysia...

It is about 5 degrees here, compared to about 30 degrees in Malaysia...

Shot these pictures some time ago but did not have the opportunity to post them...
The above shot is that of the Crocus sativus...
We have quite a few bulbs but have not been taking good care of them...
Still, we can harvest some saffron from the flowers (which we use for cooking)...
Apparently, the saffron is among the most expensive spices in the world...

Had the opportunity to harvest a few fruits from our fig tree...
We got their seedlings from a neighbor some years ago...

They tasted really sweet and good...
Next season, I certainly plan to give more care to this plant as figs are one of my favorite, favorite fruits...

The Chingen-sai, as this vegetable is called in Japan, was thriving well before we left for Malaysia...
I took a look at the potager after coming home today...
Hmmm, they looked kind of wrinkled, probably from the effects of the cold...
And yes, I mean, no... the wild boars have definitely made their mark on my potager...
Their foot prints can be found here and there on the beds...

The Chingen-sai stir-fried with a little ginger and garlic...
 Lovely taste...

The cauliflower plant is still growing well, despite the cold...

The lettuce too, is thriving and giving us a lot to chew on...

The Komatsu-na too, is quite resistant to the cold and is growing well..

This is the last post for the year 2012.... I'd like to wish all my friends and readers a very happy 2013, and may the new year bring you and your loved ones much joy and happiness...

Red 'ume' and three greens

Our two white Japanese 'ume' somehow bloom earlier than the red one... 

The white is lovely, but hmm, in my humble opinion, the red is perhaps more radiant... no?

Early spring sees the greens from autumn, bolting... 

This specimen is the 山東菜 or Shantong Sai, a Chinese green...

I grew quite a lot of 小松菜 Komatsuna last autumn... 

This is one of their 'remnants', should I say?

And ターサイ Ta-sai (another Chinese green) too, which is the favorite of my sweeto haato... 

Yes, when the greens bolt, we harvest the young buds and treat them as 菜の花 Nanohana...

We just lightly boil them and sprinkle some sesame seeds over them... 

Their taste... a little bitter-ish perhaps? 

But delicious, in any case... 

Greens growing well...

Due to the unexpectedly constant rain for the past few weeks

The greens in our potager have been flourishing...

Bayam or amaranth(green pointed leaves)...
red ladies finger, nasturtium...

Parsnip... seeds from Cairns...
trying it for the first time...

Daikon (Japanese radish)...
First time to grow this crop...

Korean perilla amongst komatsu-na...
The perilla self-seeded and they grow faster than the weeds...
Good for us as we love the taste of it...

Komatsu-na... aka mustard greens...
A patch of moroheya...

Am not sure of the name of this vegetable....
Got the seeds from my mum...
in the village, we call it 'mak choy'...
I like its plain taste... excellent as a soup...

Red amaranth...
bought the seeds from Malaysia...
The taste is as good as the green version...

Planted swede for the first time...
also called rutabaga or yellow turnip...
supposedly a cross between cabbage and turnip...
Bought the seeds from Cairns...

Some folks say swedes do not like transplanting...
I did, un-knowingly...
And it is looking surprisingly good...