Adventures in Tad and Bridget's Garden

I'm missing Kyoto town. Especially during Australia's crazy heatwave and bushfire epidemic. I'd just been musing about winter in Japan, craving to be rugged up and crunching through freshly fallen snow, when I stumbled across a couple of shots of an early summer in Higashiyama, Kyoto's Eastern border and thought I'd share. 

Scene: Tad and Bridget were proudly showing me their blooming garden. 

Their blushing strawberries. 

The new growth of aromatic red shiso  -which they later turned into gloriously vibrant shiso syrup -so refreshing when added to ice cold sparkling water on a humid day. 

The incredibly fast growing bamboo - barely poking through the ground one day and touching the clouds just a few days later. I've never seen bamboo at this stage before - the new shoots stripping off their papery husk to reveal their taught, green connective piping.

Then there was the snake. 

OK, a small one. 

And.... It was dead, so no threat, but I very quickly leapt out of that veggie patch! There aren't many really dangerous animals in Japan (ok a few scary bears, some screechy monkeys, poisonous centipedes and the odd giant wasp) but some of the snake varieties are particularly nasty...  I've met a few in Japan in recent times - on mountain walks, near lake Biwa and just up the road and Tad and Bridgie's...  I've had my fill thanks.  

Tadget cooks

A couple of weeks ago, when Japan was still quietly enjoying a blissful winter  - unaware of the horror that would shortly present itself - I spent a wonderful, laugh filled night over a delicious meal cooked by my lovely, lovely friends Tad and Bridget ('Tadget'). 

 Well, to be fair Tad did the majority of the work - cooking several seasonal courses featuring wintery Daikon (including a butter tender furofuki daikon with miso topping, oyster soup with sake kasu and grated daikon, a refreshing raw daikon and carrot side dish) plus silky fish which had been marinated for several days before grilling and sprinkling with kinome and great seasoned rice and pickles. 

Tad is obsessed with Japanese cuisine (and an enviable cook) and has been so very generous with his comprehensive knowledge on the topic. (thanks Tad)

  I can still taste it all. And the sake... and the homemade umeshu moonshine (note the cute duck ice cubes!). And the divine flourless chocolate cake baked by Bridget - who's precious hands are more commonly used in her shiatsu practice.. and traditional and avante guarde dance... yes, very talented all round. And a bloody top chick to boot.

Joining us was another new friend, Liz who has led me astray in more than one Kyoto bar (I can hear her squeals of protest from here - ok, so maybe it was partially my fault... and "best walk" down Kawaramachi will always belong to moi). 

Great friends, great food and a beautiful town which I am so sorry to have left behind but right now, I must admit I am feeling a little apprehensive about returning to. I pray that feeling will change soon.  I send the people of Japan much love and hold onto the hope that one day things will return to "normal" whatever that may be. Please don't let this escalate. Please let this wondrous country return to a safe state. I know it won't be next week, next month or perhaps even next year but in time....  

Please my Kyoto friends - stay safe  xx