Sado - Mapo Tofu and Fieldwork with Megumi

Today, we're visiting Megumi again to cook and help with fieldwork. In the morning, we start by collecting these fake strawberries that we sometimes have in Germany too. Megumi uses them to make mosquito bite medicine with alcohol. After that, we split into two groups. The two boys go to the field to cut grass, just like last time. Grace, who is sharing a room with me, and I ride with Megumi in her car to fetch some soil. Megumi needs good soil to mix with her compost piles. The best soil is from the forest, but it's not particularly easy to obtain. So, she collects soil from the roadside rain gutter. It washes some soil from the forest during rain, and at the same time, it clears the road of weeds. We gather three bags of soil, trying to remove as much of the plants and roots as possible to prevent them from growing in the field later. Megumi also takes a few of the plants that grew by the roadside. She plans to plant the yellow raspberries and oaks in her garden later. We drive back to her house and start cooking for lunch. This time, we're making a Japanese version of Mapo Tofu. Normally, it's made with tofu, ground meat, and some spicy seasonings, but instead, we use shiitake mushrooms and miso paste. However, we still add some spiciness with classic chili paste. After lunch, we drive back to Koninji Temple with Megumi. We bring some tools like an axe and a hoe into the bamboo forest. It doesn't take long, and we find several bamboo shoots, which we diligently dig up despite the rain. Once they are dug up, we carefully separate them from the root. Then, we peel the shoots, which resemble alien eggs. About a third of the shoot is discarded afterward. We take them to the kitchen and cook them with some vinegar for a while. Afterward, they are ready to be further processed. Megumi gets some of our curry, which we have now cooked for the second time, before she has to leave for a rehearsal with her string ensemble