A ginkgo tree is lovely with its summer grey-green fan-shaped leaves fluttering in the slightest breeze. We are lucky to have a female gingko in our front yard. This is our first year in this house, and I’ve watched the tree, waiting for the edible “nuts” to fall. The fleshy seed coat may look like yellow cherries, but it smells something like very stinky cheese or even dog feces. This post describes how to prepare ginkgo nuts for a fun and tasty snack.
One of my favorite summer vegetable dishes in Hiroko Shimbo’s book, The Japanese Kitchen, features splendid fresh tomatoes and steamed eggplant. Steaming small Japanese eggplant transforms the flesh into a creamy sweet treat. I expected this vegetable dish to be as delicious, and perhaps it is. J enjoyed it. But the grey-tan mushy look of the dish put me off.
Suggestions: Add the soy sauce to the eggplant rather than to the eggs; they would look much better if they were yellow.
Also, find small eggplants with thin skins: a bit of darker color in the mix would make a more interesting dish.
Tess's Japanese Kitchen 