From green markets - botanical art works

Heirloom tomatoes

2010-09-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

While I was working on a painting of sunflowers, the season has changed. Maybe it is still summer. The temperature is more than 90 degree in the midday, and I cannot stop using an air conditioner when I sleep. However, there is a definite change at the market.

I have been working on the portraits series of heirloom tomatoes since last summer. These tomatoes are so seasonal. Last summer, farmers told me that I could see heirloom tomatoes until around the end of September, or a little less depends on the weather. I remember that I constantly worried when the tomato season would end. My bad habit is that if I have something specific to get for my painting, I cannot see other. As soon as I get it, only one thing I think of is going home. Because of the sunflower, I haven’t paid great attention to the other. Of course, I buy vegetable and fruit for my dinner table, but it is different. How different? Don’t ask me, it is just....different. So, when I became ready for the tomato paintings, the season of the tomatoes was almost gone. Now, the tomatoes are too ripen and looks like rotten already. It smells nice as aged wine, so is probably good for eating today, but I need them to keep the shape at least for a week. At the end, I got some for my salad, not for my paintings for the day. It tasted good. I thought about the series- what I could do for the paintings which I had planned for this year - while I was eating the salad. It’s gonna be terribly fewer that I thought. I will keep looking for fresh ones for the paintings, but most of tomatoes would go for my salad... Gosh, I have to but a lot of mozzarella cheese.

Special Sunflowers

2010-08-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers are the symbol of the summer. As many said, the yellow pedals reminded me of the scorching sun. There was a big sun burning my face and shoulders in the sky, and so many small suns in the market emitting their slight fresh scent in the air. It looked like a smily face of a baby sun. I smiled back.
Then I found special sunflowers, It's like these you can see in Van Gogh's paintings! I was wondering how the sunflowers in his paintings looked like in real. I pictured that it might have been just the center part of the flower after all the pedals are gone, but, honestly, it didn't exactly look like that. I believe he was sane when he painted them, and his eyes captured the world much more clearly than any of us would do. His sunflowers couldn't just come from imagination. Finally, I got the answer. The answer was in front of me, and I was staring of those sunflowers for... I don't know how long. It wasn't that long, but don't you ever have a moment when the world stops for you--the wind freezes and the water drops stay in the air. Okay, it wasn't that dramatic, just that I was VERY happy to find those special sunflowers. But the farmers were not happy because I took a long time to select only three of them. I wished I could have bought all of them, but I knew cut flowers die quickly, especially in this hot weather. I need to come back to the market every other day to get new ones until I finish my piece. Bad news for the farmer, I feel sorry to occupy their narrow space in front of the sunflower buckets and touch and examine them one by one. In the end, I will pick just one or two flowers. Then I thought it might be good for them because people like to buy things from a popular store. When people see me picking the flowers so seriously, they might think the flowers are really special. First of all, it it truly true. Second of all, that's a good advertisement!
Now, I feel so much better going back to the farmer. In real, I'm not sure how much they care about me.....

Workshop in Mexico

2010-07-23T15:37:00.001-07:00

I had a watercolor workshop in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It was a beautiful city. Especially, the place where I taught was excellent! It was an art enter called Centro de las Artes run by the government. The buildings are amazing! It used to be a jail, but thanks to the remarkable renovation, now it was revived as a stunning architecture! Of course, it still reminds creepy features in some way. When you enter one of the buildings, the cool air catch you immediately. You can call it refreshing, but I called it frightening. I was told that so many people died in this building..... Woooo... But it was really amazing place, and I really like it. You can check it on their site: http://centrodelasartesslp.gob.mx/home/
Also, people are so nice over there. The students were diligent and showed great interest in my workshop. Also, because of my friend, Nadia who is incredibly friendly, I became a good friend of many people. A lot of laughs and a lot of beer!! In San Luis Potosi, people are living on such a different time schedule. A long lunch time with their family and evening parties.

My vacation was not fully vacation because of the workshop. However, surrounded by different culture and warm welcoming, I felt that I was in heaven, especially with good music.

I went a market in the city. Of course, this is the place I have to check. I shall see different vegetables and fruits I haven’t seen in NY. In general, things are very colorful and bright in Mexico, and it was even brighter in the market! Unfortunately, I didn’t see that much of strange vegetables and fruits as I expected. I don’t say that the farmer’s market in Union Sq. has all, but I could see a lot more there than in a Mexican market. Certainly, there are native vegetables and fruits though. Tuna was one of those. It is a cactus fruit with full of seeds which I found a little bit annoying to chew. Nevertheless, it tasted great. Nopales will be native in Mexico as well. It is a thin cactus. I saw the elderly lady pilling its skin off and slicing into small pieces for sale on the street.

It was less than two weeks I spent there, and I had so much fun. It was so powerful, and now I’m having trouble to adjust myself to the reality in NYC.... It’s going to be fine since I found Van Gogh’s sunflowers at the farmers’ market.

Just a little bit feeling melancholic, missing dried air and vibration of music.

Summer market

2010-06-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

It was a little chilly spring and extremely busy spring for me. While I was working on something else, the market has turned to their summer face from the deserted winter face. Don't get me wrong, I love the winter market getting hot apple cider in a chilly wind. But compare to the summer market... in the summer, there are so many farmers. Every week, all booth has some new vegetable on the corner of the table like a secret treasure. Looking for them is one of my pleasures. Maybe, it happens because I simply miss them. but it is the wide variety - so many kinds of fruits, vegetable, and flowers the farmers carry to the summer market! The week after the next, my parents will come to visit me from Japan. The market is the number one destination for my tour. Actually, number one will be the American Museum of Natural History! However, I'm sure that my mom will go crazy over the exotic flowers and fresh fruits. Especially, I want her to taste a doughnut peach. It has such an ugly (but somehow very cute) shape, I assume it's for jam or something you cook. Still, it is so sweet and tasty and my special treat for the summer. I have to come back and make sure it is on the market when they come.

BOTANICA @ Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, NJ

2010-05-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

The museum was standing on the bank of the river. The building used to be a mill. It was renovated and then turned into a beautiful museum. There is another water mill in front of it. Best of all, there was so much green surrounding the museum.
Inside was also nice. The old mill was maintained well. The strong wood ceiling and floor gave us a slight nostalgia as if we had been here before.
The curator of the museum, Mary, (who is such a nice lady. I enjoyed working with her. Thanks, Mary!) told me that there would be different type of art work in the show. As she mentioned, there were sculptures, photographs, paintings, installations. collages, printmaking, prints, and so on. I was a only one who did traditional botanical art work. Somehow, all works were connected to each other in a way. That's what the attendees felt at the opening. Also, everyone I talked to said that Mary had done such a good job on curating the art, and I felt very happy being one of them.
This was a wonderful show to see. Please visit and check it out if you are in the neighborhood. you won't be disappointed!

Of a Botanical Nature-upcoming group show

2010-05-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Fresh Green Leaves

2010-04-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

In front of the school where I'm teaching art to children, there was a tree cut from the lower part of trunk lying on the ground. It might be turn down because of storms in early spring. It may have been cut by accident. Who knows? Whatever the cause, I felt so sorry. The tree had baby buds on its brunches, but it turned brown and dried out completely. However, when I got close to it, I felt the tree was still alive. Enclosed dried calyces, the buds contains tiny bit of water. I touched it and pushed softly with my fingers. It was bent easily, and bounced back with its own strength. I even saw the sign. A tiny tiny piece of fresh green, I didn't know what it was exactly, was struggling to come out from the droughty hazel calyces. I broke several branches and took them home.
Yes, I was right!
It is alive. After two weeks, look at these fresh green leaves from the brunches. It gave me cheers every morning.

Upcoming group show ; Focus on Nature XI

2010-04-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'm very happy to announce that I am participating an upcoming group show held at New York State Museum. Here, I posted the press release to introduce it to you!

NYS MUSEUM EXHIBIT TO FEATURE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM 13 COUNTRIES
(ALBANY, NY) Focus on Nature XI: Natural History Illustration opens April 12 at the New York State Museum, showcasing world-class, juried artwork by top illustrators from 13 countries.
This exhibition, open through October 31in the Photography Gallery, will feature 93 natural history illustrations, representing the work of 73 illustrators from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. The subjects represented are diverse, ranging from those only found in the artists’ home country to those that have a worldwide distribution. They include the Short-beaked Echidna, the Platypus, and the Leadbeater’s Possum, all mammals found only in Australia, and the Red Andreaea, a plant endemic to the Agulhas Negras Mountains of Brazil. Also represented are many birds familiar in the northeastern U.S. such as the Peregrine Falcon, Barred Owl, Connecticut Warbler, House Sparrow, and one of the world’s most widespread -- the Barn Owl. There also are illustrations of an African Dung Beetle, along with the producer of its nourishment -- an African elephant. Also included are recreations of extinct organisms such as the Apatosaurus (a dinosaur), Deinosuchus (an ancient crocodile), and Odontochelys (the ancestor of turtles.)
A five-member jury of artists and scientists selected the pieces on display, based on the illustration’s educational value and artistic quality. The exhibition’s goal is to demonstrate the important role illustration has in natural science research and education, to stimulate curiosity about the world, and bring clearly into focus images of nature that people might not otherwise be able to visualize. Jury Awards will recognize the outstanding achievement of these artists.
“Natural history illustration is both useful to science and appealing to the general public and yet it is an art form that is not often exhibited.” said Patricia Kernan, exhibition curator and scientific illustrator at the Museum. “Most people do not realize that illustrations are still often the primary means used to record science and give explanations of the natural world. While very useful, photography cannot completely replace the accuracy, clarity, and flexibility of good illustrations. For instance, special
diagnostic features can be highlighted, the juxtapositioning of important information can be accomplished, abstract concepts can be diagramed, and extinct organisms can be brought to life. There are examples of all of these in this exhibition.”
Many of the illustrations are created for field guides, textbooks, science articles and presentations. Some of these publications are included in exhibition cases. More information about Focus on Nature can be found at:http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/fon/ An online catalog with images and statements by the artists, as well as the names of Jury Award winners, will be available on this website after April 13. An interactive with this information also will be in the exhibition gallery.
The State Museum, a cultural program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education, was founded on a tradition of scientific inquiry. Started in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. The Museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. Further information is available by calling 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

Spring in the market

2010-03-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Suddenly, spring has come. I cannot believe we had such horrible snow days just a couple of weeks ago. Maybe a bit longer before, but honestly, I don't remember when the two seasons switched.
I went out to the Brooklyn Bridge with my friends first and came back to the market because, you know, in this weather it's hard to refuse being outside. On the bridge, the air was light and warm. There were so many people on the bridge, but luckly we found an empty chair as if the bridge welcomed us sitting a while. We finished two scopes of ice cream and headed to the market.
At the market, so many spring flowers welcomed us again. I definitely felt that spring was here. Still, farmers didn't have many kinds of vegetables, but many had small spring flower pots beside their vegetable table. It looked like a small backyard for each tent. I took so many pictures of the flowers.

When there are farmers at Union square, it has always some sort of fresh scent in the air. The more farmers, the stronger smell.
The spring flowers were so humble and its fragrance were very faint. However, the air contained such a dense spring aroma. I wish the pictures could bring the aroma to you!

Beet paintings with kids

2010-02-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

I teach art to children at a Japanese school in NJ. The children are 3 to 16 years old. Of course, they are not all in the same class at the same time. I love working with children!

Their imaginations fly like butterflies, and the shapes and lines they create are pure and innocent. They reminds me the famous quote from Picasso, "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." Let's skip the latter part because it's too complicated to comment on in a short blog space, but it is so true! Children's paintings have great power to attract people.

My Saturday class is for older kids and every kids has great ability. Some are great at cutting and holding paper, and some love drawing with paint. One likes playing color and draws bold lines, others prefer detailed drawings.

Once a while, I bring in a motif for "observation painting" in the classroom. We draw tulips, strawberries, crabs, and fish. When I bring the fish, children scream "Stink! Please take away these stinky fish!" However, once they start to draw, everyone calms down and concentrates on their observation.

When I showed a bunch of beets, children screamed as I expected, and they claimed that they didn't like carrots. I told them they were not carrots. They are called beets.

I brought regular beets and golden beets which were absolutely beautiful. As I expected, once they started to draw, they were absolved in their paintings. The dense color of the beets gave them a little trouble, but we tried to find the right color with mixing many colors. Actually, we have worked on creating color. I always tell kids if you want to get orange and your palette doesn't have one, make one by yourself! "You know how to make orange, right?" After I ask this, most of them say aloud "red and yellow!" right away.

The beet paintings came out very nice. I would like to share some of them with you. I hope you love them!

A snow day

2010-02-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

In New York city, snow storms didn't hit us as harder as the weather forecasts warned us. The first one last Saturday brought a few flakes of snow. The second one on Wednesday was supposed to be a very big snow storm, but it wasn't. On Tuesday night, I was thinking of the market while the weather forecaster kept warning and estimated how much snow we would have. If subway works tomorrow, I will go and check an empty farmer's market on particularly snowy Wednesday.

The title of my blog would be "Snow day off" or " Empty farmer's market."
Maybe, "A nice snow day with no farmers."

However, I was surprised that there were three farmers at the market! Even more surprising to me was that there were many people in the union square. There wasn't that much snow piled at that time, but I expected the strong warning to scare people off the streets. I thought I would be the only one.

I bought some of Fuji apples and had a cup of hot apple cider. When I confessed that I didn't expect anyone to be there, a farmer told me that she didn't either.She thought her tent would be the only one at the market. "But (snow is) not that bad." I couldn't tell if she was complaining about a snow-working day or proud of being there as a one of diligent workers.
One thing that has always amazed me is how diligent farmers are. I can imagine growing vegetables and fruits is a hard work. Selling them at the market is an extra job for them. Of course, it might be very rewarding in many ways, but I really appreciate and admire their hard work. Specifically on such a snowy day.

Sweet potato pancakes

2010-02-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

I was staring at a pile of steamed sweet potatoes in the kitchen. The red sweet potatoes had a rich taste and the yellow ones were so-so.

I got some sweet potatoes on a dark evening last Monday. I couldn't see what I was getting, not only because of the darkness, but they were completely covered with mud. A farmer told me I grabbed some of red ones and a few yellow ones. All looked almost same, so it was actually amazing that he knew which ones were which kind without seeing the color!

I don’t remember how much I ate. I must have been thinking about something else when I steamed those. After my stomach refused another helping of it, I still saw a good amount of steamed potatoes in front of me. Even though the potatoes were great treats, too many of them made me sick.

Then I remembered sweet potato pancakes my grandma made for my sister and I. I mashed the potatoes and added things to it -- sugar, vanilla extract, and an egg... There was no butter in the fridge, so I added margarine instead. Also, I couldn't find any cream either, so I used milk as a substitute. The mix looked very watery, so I added a little bit of flour into the bowl.

When I fried it, I noticed that it became a lot softer than I expected and I had a difficult time turing it upside down. However, the smell was excellent! Heat released special sweet aroma of Mexican real vanilla extract and margarin in the air. It brought back my days I spent with my grandma with a little bit of nostalgia.

It looked all right, but it actually tasted completely different from what I had imagined. They were edible for sure. Yes, I used so many substitutions; so, maybe I added something I didn't need.

Again, I found myself staring at a another pile of sweet potato pancakes in the kitchen with my stomach still full. The worst of all, it was double of the original amount of food since I kept adding things to it. The pictures came out nicely at least. I ended up eating the very same pancakes for a few days... Maybe my roommates could help me out.

Seckel Pears

2010-01-01T10:43:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! I wish you another great year. What are your new year's resolutions? I have plenty. One of those is to make my blog more fruitful. I will upload more paintings more often. Maybe... By the way, I like the word "fruitful." (Don't you?) It's very visual. "Full of fruit," so it is fruitful. As winter gets deeper, chilly air freeze my cheeks. There are fewer vegetables and fewer farmers at the market. Hot apple cider seems to be the only solution for warming up. Potatoes and other root vegetables are the main cast in a winter market. I know how delicious those are, but this day was like doomsday. Potatoes didn't cheer me up. I passed a fruit farmer, and various kinds of beautiful red color of apples reminded me that I was going to make an illustrated apple guide. Then, I saw a girl next me grab some small dark pears. Yes, she literally grabbed those and put them into a plastic bag which was almost bursting with the weight. I asked her if the pears were delicious. She told me everything she knew about the pear in one breath. It was so quick that I only got "very delicious" and "ripen faster if I wrap it with..." With something, but her words were lost in the chilly air. I barely could manage saying "Thank you." but she left before I finished with "for telling me that."

So, I decided to get some. The were sweet and had rich texture. I had some in my salad, and it matched well with walnuts. I'm thinking about simmering them in red wine. The seckel pear compote should be good with the blue cheese I have in my fridge!

Sweet Dumpling Pumpkin

2009-10-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

It has been super busy.

During the summer, I just spent my time on paintings. Now it’s time to come back into reality!

I teach art to children in NJ. Last week, they asked me if I was preparing a costume for a halloween party. Nope. I didn’t even notice that halloween displays are already everywhere. Instead going out shopping for a costume, I visited the farmers market after a long while.

Halloween has arrived at the farmer’s market. Actually, the market is full of orange pumpkins and a spooky atmosphere. It won't stimulate my appetite, but next to the huge Jack-o'-lantern pumpkins, there are boxes and boxes of many different types of squashes. All of them looked nice, and I picked several cute pumpkins which were white with green striped jackets on.

I cut of the tops and scooped the seeds out with a spoon. I was going to add some butter and brown sugar before I put it in a oven, but I noticed while cutting the top off that there was something shiny on the surface. It was actually a sweet syrup! Like the
name suggests, these pumpkins are super sweet.
I just baked it and it tasted like pumpkin pie.

Thank you for coming the opening show.

2009-10-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

So many people were at the show even though there were no announcements about the show at the entrance!
Also, it was my first chance to see and talk to another botanical artists. I wasn't trained as a botanical artist. Maybe, many of the artists are similar. They may just happen to be called botanical artists because they paint botanical subjects - like I do. However, I felt like it was the first day of high school. I was very nervous to see others because I would be the only one who didn't know anything. What a negative attitude! But it was stuck with me until the very moment of the show's opening. It turned out to be a wonderful experience. All of the artists who I met that night were very friendly, and had sincere respect for each other. The exhibition organizer was very a charming and thoughtful lady. I felt so relieved. It was not only fun to meet the artists, but very encouraging for me. Particularly, one lady, who painted a pine corn, deeply affected to me. We had an interesting conversation and she told me about her shadow -how she drew the color of the shadow which has many many layers of color, but it is still light and with beautiful transparency. I knew the color of the shadow is the key, but just tried to find the color I'm seeing. She actually creates the color of her own, yet very realistic.

At the end of the night, one thing I could think of was the next painting I would start.

I would like to thank all of my friends who came to visit me at that night again. Thank you everyone. I couldn't find the way to keep going without your support!!

Arugula and tomato pasta

2009-09-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

The bitter taste of arugula was a sensation to me. The first time I had it was at a small restaurant downtown. My friend and I sat outside and I ordered a salad. I honestly don’t remember what kind of salad it was, but the bitterness of the green matched the other ingredients very well. I asked my friend what the name of the green was? He answered “Uh? It’s arugula.”, as if he is talking about broccoli or some other regular vegetable! Later, I figured our that it is very regular vegetable here. Also, another friend of mine in Japan pointed out that I had it several times with her. The worst of all, she said, is that I liked it very much and asked a waiter what it was. I assumed the flavor of arugula here was much stronger. It was probably a much stronger sensation because it had been some time since I last had it.

Anyway, since then, arugula is on my standard menu for summer salad. Today, I wanted to try something different. In a hot summer day, I love eating pasta salad. Tada! Cold tomato salad with arugula!

Gooseberry

2009-08-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Berries are always a fancy sight to me. It looks like a bead made from precious gemstone. At the market, berries are sold in a blue green cup. Rows of berry cups are very neat and people who pass by the cups cannot resist picking up one or two from the cup.... I wanted to, but I always hesitate to pick anything offered on the street, even when it’s completely free to try.

“Which one should I get”, I was thinking in front of the rows. I could get two, but one at a time. Blue berry, raspberry, red currant, white currant, and gooseberry!!! Oh, this was totally new to me, and it caught my attention immediately. I was so excited to taste it. I thought it must taste like a secret, hidden fruit --rich like a fully ripen peach and juicy like a newly picked watermelon. It didn’t taste that good so I guess I expected too much.

Anyway, the look of the berries was still very attractive! I started to draw and thought I would finish very soon, but its complicated color got me! I took a long time to finish only one small berry! Through the half transparent skin, I saw a few white fibers and several black seeds among its watery and transparent flesh. These made the color more complicated. On the top of that, each skin has red sparkles on it. So many layers in a tiny berry. When I finished my painting, the berries were not in good shape any more. So, I cooked berry sauce adding a little bit of lemon juice and sugar. It matched very well with plain yogurt.

Watermelon raddish

2009-08-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

The name tag in front of a radish box said "Watermelon radish, but it's not a watermelon." It was strange enough to stop by. It looked like a regular radish to me, but I understood as soon as I saw one cut in half. It looked just like a watermelon – beautiful and rosy inside with a white and green rim. Actually, it was slightly bitter.
I cut it paper thin with a slicer and soaked it in a icy water for a little while. After adding lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, some green leaves that I found in my fridge, salt, and pepper… the fresh radish salad was very crunchy! I also added crushed deep fried YUBA (Tofu skin) to make it extra crunchy.

Evil Okras

2009-08-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

The sign said "Isn't it special?"

It was from a wooden basket that looked like a barrel which was almost empty. I leaned over to the basket to see what was inside. I thought there were a few hot peppers laying on the bottom, but these were Okras. Surely, its beautiful but rare maroon color made it very special. The silverly hair of Okra is remarkably striking because of the color. Tiny tiny hair is all over its skin! My roommate told me that it reminded her of a snake. Yes, she got an idea, like poisoned snakes, these vivid light green seems to be a warning of poisoned snakes, telling us "DO NOT eat me because I AM POISONOUS!" One more reason she thought of a snake was the shape of Okra, which I don't agree much with her.

To me, the Okra remind me of a devil's fingers or horns. The deep bloody maroon color is proof of a hot spicy angry taste! Actually, the taste was fresh and mild as regular Okra.

Have you seen this flower?

2009-07-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

I found this delicate flower in our apartment backyard. I thought it must be NOBIRU, which is a wild flower in a spring field. (I think NOBIRU is a plant native to Japan, but its scientific name is A.macrostemon. ) NOBIRU bulbs are tasty and fresh like a spring wind.

However, it wasn't NOBIRU, not scallion, not chive, of course, not garlic flower, but it should be in the Alliaceae family! Its bulbs look very similar to NOBIRUs', and I assumed it might be as tasty and fresh as NOBIRU bulbs.

It reminds me of a professor at an art university where I was studying. He was a crazy mushroom lover, and once he was poisoned by eating a mushroom which he found in neighbor's bush. Often he told us was : you never know about mushrooms until you actually eat and experience it.

I won't dear to risk my life for it, but does anyone possibly know what flower this is??

Spinach & left over omelette

2009-07-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

I was thinking how I wanted to cook a bunch of spinach that was in our fridge for more than a week. It;s getting slightly old. I searched our fridge again and found a half tomato, two eggs, a few slices of swiss cheese, and a tiny piece of pecorino romano cheese.

Yes, omelette!

Green asparagus

2009-07-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

Many stores in the market carry asparagus. Beautifully bunched asparagus look like artistic flower arrangements. I was wondering how farmers rase asparagus so straight and in almost the same shape. It was like rows of soldiers marching in town. I didn't like the idea. Then, I saw a pile of asparagus easily placed on the table, not bunched. Each asparagus has very different size and color, and most importantly, one grew a lot and one looked much younger. So, I picked one by one. Tall asparagus, thick asparagus, grandma asparagus, skinny model type asparagus. One had a spiraling head, this must be a contrary one -- doesn't look like an asparagus any more.

Don't worry, they all tasted very good!

French breakfast radish pickles

2009-06-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's been long since I last went the market. These days, the weather in NYC was like fall. It rained all the time. It didn't feel like summer had arrived even though it's already officially summer now.

I went the farmers market last Wednesday, and there were more farmers and more vegetables! Yes, summer is here. I picked a bunch of french breakfast radishes and black tuscan kales. They were so fresh and their slightly hot taste went well with its crunchy texture. I was going to eat it raw--no cooking, no complication! Then I suddenly remembered great radish pickles I ahd before. Kyoto, the city I'm from, if famous for food and pickles is high on the list.

They were slightly bitter, but still crunchy and had a really good taste. Actually, I had it as salad for the first day. The next day, I added a little soy sauce and had it with rice! Very Japanese.

Gold Cipollini Onions

2009-04-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

These flat, UFO-looking onions have a very sweet taste. I peeled the outer skin and baked it on a frying pan. I didn't need to add anything. Without even a sprinkle of salt, the baked onions were tasty.

It reminds me of a french cook book. The author said that wouldn't have become a cook if she knew that fresh vegetables are full of flavor without cooking. All you need to do is cut or boil it properly and a little bit of good butter and salt. At the time, it didn't impress me a lot. Anyway, she is a French chef dying to find a new menu on a book! That's what I thought. Now, I understand what she meant.

There are so many ways you can cook which bring out unique tastes. This is what I think now.

Fingerling Potatoes

2009-04-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

I found this cute little potato at the market. It was in a bag and named "Mixed fingerling potatoes". I thought these are all baby of different type of potato because of the size! It wasn't newly cultivated. Fingerling potatoes are fully mature. Unlike new potatoes, its skin is thicker and tougher, but it doesn't mean it taste bad, rather it gives a deeper, rich taste and a crisp texture. I simply boiled them and compared the taste. Each potato had very unique flavor. I specifically liked the texture of the skin. When I bit it, the skin made an almost snapping sound!

The red round potato is french fingerling potato, the black ones are purple peruvian potatoes, and the light yellow potatoes are russian banana potatoes. The last ones tasted very mild and creamy. The other pink potato is a rose finn apple. This gorgeous rose colored potato has a slightly sweet taste and a smooth texture. I will buy a pile of rose finn apple potatoes the next time I go to a market and make a big dish of roast potatoes. It might be quite good with a glass of thick beer or British apple cider.