Ai Hosokawa's cooking is like a work of art. The clear colors and shapes of her dishes are beautiful, and the flavors are gentle and deep. She is sure to fill those who taste it with a sense of happiness.

This time, he introduced a recipe using beans that Hosokawa says is ``just delicious!'' Bean dishes are familiar to Hosokawa, who experienced Italian cuisine while traveling between Japan and Italy from his early 20s to his late 30s after graduating from university. “When you think of bean dishes in Japan, you may think of boiled beans, but these beans have a presence that surpasses even meat or fish. Even when added to beef stew or other chunk meat dishes, they are sure to be a hit with everyone. ``These beans are delicious!'' On the other hand, just adding salt to boiled beans makes a great soup.''

Ingredients that fully absorb the blessings of the land
Enjoy it slowly from the heart

My first encounter with beans began with Tomoko Sogo of Taneka Shoten. ``Tanekara Shoten'' is a greengrocer that mainly sells naturally grown ingredients to restaurants and retail stores, and carries special products from farmers who grow vegetables with conviction. General consumers can either use online shops or hold a morning market every Saturday in front of Akote, a general store next to Katane Bakery, a bakery in Yoyogi-Uehara.

These beans are purchased by Tanekara Shoten from Kiichi Katsumizu of Sitakara Farm in Kushiro, Hokkaido. “Mr. Katsumi is a natural cultivation farmer, and in the winter he is also active as a woodworker who breathes life into felled trees. He is actively working on recycling seeds and soil, and before the coronavirus, converting waste oil into biofuel. "While aiming to coexist with nature, we are trying to bring out the deliciousness of vegetables and beans. Beans in particular come in a wide variety of varieties, and above all, they are exceptionally beautiful," says Sogo. A farmer but also a woodworker? I'm curious about what kind of person Kiichi Katsumizu is. “Being a farmer and a woodworker are both my main jobs.There is a saying that I have two pairs of straw sandals, but for me, it's two pairs of shoes,” says Katsumizu.

"Farmers and woodworkers have something in common in that they both work with nature, and I feel like we're able to learn more from each other by influencing each other." Originally from Kushiro, Katsumi was active as a woodworker and wanted to do something with the abandoned farmland in front of his workshop. So he took the plunge and started farming about 10 years ago, he says. He was interested in natural cultivation, which was beginning to attract attention at the time, and learned the technique under the guidance of Hideo Kawana, the representative of Natural Harmony. Natural Harmony is said to be a pioneer in natural cultivation, selling and planning naturally grown vegetables and rice, naturally fermented miso and soy sauce, and additive-free foods. “People tend to think that natural cultivation means no pesticides, but natural cultivation is an agriculture that doesn't bring in anything from outside, makes use of the nature and soil of the land, collects seeds from its own seeds, and draws out the power of the plants themselves. Of course, we do not use any fertilizers or pesticides.The beans from Sitakara Farm are said to be delicious because they are made with the help of nature. I don't know much about it myself, but I'm happy," says Katsumi, who is trying his hand at growing beans in an ancient Japanese way and also helping to pass them on to the next generation.

Graciously receiving the blessings of a region's soil and climate is truly respecting life. Hosokawa always values ​​the thoughts of producers and sellers, and expresses his gratitude. Hosokawa says that if you have good materials, you don't need anything extra, but there may be no technique that can beat the blessings of nature. Hosokawa's careful work and sensibility are born out of compassion for the materials and gratitude for the producers, and that is probably why his work touches our hearts.

(Titles omitted)

Basic preparation of beans

Beans of your choice (other than red beans)
Wed

Wash the beans and put them in a bowl.
Pour enough boiling water to cover it and leave it until it has cooled down.
When it swells up a bit, make sure that the beans are covered with plenty of water, and if the beans are sticking out, add more boiling water.
Place in a steamer with steam and steam over high heat for about 40 to 60 minutes until the beans are soft to the core.

*By soaking the beans in boiling water and then steaming them, the skins will not break, the beans will be fluffy and cooked through, and the flavor and aroma of the beans will not escape into the soup, making them very delicious. You can also put it in a pot, cover it, and steam it in an oven at 150℃.

Nanoka and beans (for 4 people)

Gintefu 100g of dried beans prepared using the above method
1 bunch of rapeseed
1 stem of green onion
1-XNUMX red chili peppers
plenty of olive oil
salt

Wash the greens and soak in plenty of water.
Add the greens, onion stems, and red chili pepper to the pot.
Add the soft steamed Gintefu and a little of its steamed juice, and sprinkle with salt.
Drizzle plenty of olive oil until everything is glossy, cover and heat over medium heat.
When it starts to make noises, reduce the heat to very low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the greens lose their color and become thick and soft.
Removes salty taste.

*It goes well with crispy country bread and grilled pork. Here, pork loin is sprinkled with garlic, rosemary, and olive oil, then fried in a frying pan.

tomato and bean salad

Tomato as appropriate
Sakura beans (or other beans of your choice) as appropriate
Leaf onion as appropriate
Italian parsley as needed
olive oil
red wine vinegar
coarse salt

Cut the tomatoes into desired shapes and place in a bowl.
Roughly drain the boiling water from the steamed sakura beans and sprinkle with them.
Sprinkle with thinly sliced ​​green onions and coarsely chopped Italian parsley.
Toss with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and coarse salt.

This time's order

beans
Meditation

An online shop that sells ingredients and products selected by Ai Hosokawa.
Products: 200g of shell beans, white flower beans, green shellfish, silver beans, etc.
Price: 880 yen (shipping fee is separate)
How to purchase: Can be purchased at online shop

Ai Hosokawa

Cook. He hosts cooking classes and cooking parties in taishoji, Kumamoto. "Toast" (BON Publishing), "Standard Cooking Collection" (Anonyma Studio), "Travel and Cooking" (CCC Media House), and "Taishoji Cookbook 1.2" (Shobunsha) are currently on sale.

Photography by Ai Hosokawa