Nou-En

In rural Japan, as in many areas around the world, small communities are suffering from rapid population decline as young people flock to the cities. A self perpetuating cycle develops in which rural communities lose their youth to entertainment and work opportunities in the city, which cripples the local economy by leaving behind small towns and villages lacking an able workforce.
Here in Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture, the evidence of this can be easily seen on any walk or bike ride around the valley. In some villages more than half of the houses are vacant. Many fields have been abandoned and have begun the rapid transition back to a more natural state. Elementary schools with great facilities are being forced to close due to low enrollment. At our local elementary school this year's First Grade class has three students. Village elders possess a lifetime of priceless skills and knowlege that is not being passed on because of a lack of interested youth. Looking forward in time, it is worrisome to imagine the state of these communities if current trends continue.
Seeing these things, we here at Nou En have been motivated to work for positive change. Our aim is to encourage young people from around the world to return to rural communities. We organize enthusiastic volunteers (mostly through the WWOOF organization, http://www.wwoofjapan.com) to help local farmers in exchange for healthy food and invaluable local knowlege. We network and assist local organic farms with vegetable and rice production on a regular basis. We try to enthusiastically jump in and help local villagers whenever we can. In addition to these projects, we also have our own fields and gardens as well as chickens and goats that we care for.
Because part of our aim is encouraging people to want to live in the country side we also take time to enjoy the benefits of country living. We go hiking in the surrounding mountains, swimming in ponds and streams (especially during the hot humid Japanese summer!), barbecues with friends on weekends, kendo lessons at the local gymnasium and much more.
Mostly we try to provide a communal living environment where we work, learn, and grow together, all while striving to benefit and elevate the local community.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

mochi making

Habe-san had all the WWOOFers over for mochi making and a barbecue to celebrate the first day of autumn. Habe-san lives up the road from Tsuji house and they were the first Nou En farmers we helped out last year. We still work for them often and in return they have made us part of their family. I think that most WWOOFers who get to know them come to think of them as grandparents, they are that welcoming and generous.

So for those of you who don't know, mochi is pounded rice paste made from special glutinous rice. The rice is steamed, placed into a hollowed out stump, and whacked a hundred times or so with a big hammer until it becomes smooth and taffy-like. As you can see in the video, it's a two person job. It can become a wrapping for anko (sweetened bean paste) to make Japanese sweets, or it can be left to cool in various shapes. Then it can be toasted until it's puffy and melty inside and put into soup, or seasoned with a little sweetened soy sauce. It's totally bland but strangely addictive.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Nou En Recipe #1: Shiso Pesto

Many people who come here have never heard of Shiso (perilla frutescens). It's a versatile herb, showing up often in sushi, salads, and as a garnish, and you see it all over Japan. It's about 10 yen per leaf at the grocery store so the bill adds up quickly if you want to use it in any quantity. It's a vigorous, somewhat weedy member of the mint family (it will re-seed and come back with a vengeance next year) with a flavor that combines mint and basil with hints of anise, clove and maybe even cumin.

Last year, there were lots of little baby shiso seedlings popping up everywhere and someone decided to plant a row of it. The little plants quickly grew into bushes. A few hundred leaves turned into thousands. They flapped in the wind. We wondered what to do with it all.

Not wanting to see a good thing go to waste, I stripped all the leaves off one of the plants and made a batch of pesto, replacing the basil with shiso. To my surprise, nobody complained at lunch, and actually most people really liked it. So shiso became a new staple. We made batch after batch and ate it all through the year... and here we are now, finishing up our last bag right as we're harvesting this year's shiso.

This is a good example of of how growing your own food and eating locally can challenge you to be more creative in the kitchen. This, combined with the sheer number of WWOOFers passing through, each bringing in different approaches to the same ingredients, means that I am always on my toes and constantly learning. I like learning how to deal with large amounts of one ingredient (I'm thinking back on how we ate turnips every meal for quite a while last winter) just as I like learning how to cope without ingredients I'm accustomed to using because they're not in season or not available in Japan.

Shiso Pesto

a few cups green shiso leaves
a handful of nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, cashews, or whatever you've got)
a few peeled garlic cloves
half a cup or so parmesan cheese
olive oil (add enough to make it a nice smooth consistency)
salt to taste

Blend everything in a blender. Serve over pasta.

p.s. This year the recipe has devolved quite a bit-- we've nixed the nuts, cheese, and olive oil (I know, it hurts!) because they aren't locally made and they're somewhat expensive. Not as good as the original but it still does the job.