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...

Cauliflower, the mini and the normal...

Am now actually transiting at Singapore Changi Airport, waiting for my flight to Osaka...
Had spend a few days at Perth meeting up with some fine folks at the University of Western Australia...

Here is a post that I did not get to upload successfully before leaving for Perth the other day...

I have tried growing cauliflower on and off for a while... this picture above shows the mini-cauliflower we had.... it was only about 4 centimeters across... oohooo....
Still, a lovely vegetable it is...

Cauliflower apparently originates from around the Mediterranean region...
That veggie is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate...

It is a very good source of vitamin B5, potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, and molybdenum. Additionally, it is a good source of protein, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and iron. (Source)

Yes, folate... what is this stuff, anyway....

Answer: Folate helps tissues grow and cells work.

This one was about 10 centimeters across... a little bit more 'normal' than the first one...

According to the same web source, boiling reduces the levels of these compounds, with losses of 20–30% after five minutes, 40–50% after ten minutes, and 75% after thirty minutes.
However, other preparation methods, such as steaming or stir frying have no significant effect on the compounds.

Furthermore, a high intake of cauliflower has been associated with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

But sometimes I wonder, how much volume is this 'high intake' thingy...  hopefully, it is not like having to eat three heads of cauliflower per day to enjoy this benefit... no?
Am just being cheeky here.... ;=)

Anyway, my suweeto haato cooked a really delicious curry with the cauliflower... that dish once again reminded me of how excellent the taste of home-grown veggies are, really....

Vegetable bed preparation

Did some weeding and tilling in the vegetable garden to prepare for spring planting...
The soils is still cold but the weeds are having a head-start already.
So, need to remove them before they get too big.
Am putting up a boundary for all the beds with materials such as planks.
The idea of the boundary, slightly raised higher than the soil levels, is to provide some space to do mulching with dry leaves.
The raised boundary-planks is also intended to give the leaves some protection from the winds, which can be quite strong in the spring.
But oops! While working on the soil, I inadvertently woke up a couple of frogs that were probably hibernating in the soil.

They seemed a bit agitated as they hopped away from the intruder.
Sorrrreeeee...
Managed to snap some shots after they settled down...
This one found its space under one of the planks.
We thought it was a 'tono sama gaeru' (literally, the 'king of frogs') due to its color and patterns.
Apparently, they take on the color of the surroundings, camouflaging...

But from the same vicinity came this equally cute little one...
It was hopping away from me, profusely... until it settled upon some dry twigs near a bush.
My missus is particularly fond of this 'ama gaeru' (rain frog).
But, how come this cutie is green while the other, light brown... beats me...

Harvested some red and white radishes...
They mature in about three weeks and are easy to grow.
Real crunchy and sweet they are...

And a purple cauliflower as well...
They lose their color when we boil them.

Looks quite nice but I think they taste just about the same as the white ones.