After coming back from our vacation, I was kind of eager to get back into the kitchen to use the produce we got from Mirai Ginoza. Mirai Ginoza is a roadside farmer's market (there are actually a lot of these roadside markets here and there, each showcasing fruits and veggies from their area). Farmers from the area bring their veggies and fruits to sell. The prices were so reasonable, I wished I could shop here everyday!


Dragonfruit was going for about 200 yen each (about US$2), mangoes depended on the size, one was 900 yen (about US$9..okay that wasn't too reasonable...but the aroma was so sweet)!

Okra were longer than my fingers and were 100 yen a package (about US$1). The okra we get on mainland Japan are stubby and cost a little more, plus there are only 10 in a package, the one in Okinawa looked to have more.

Kabocha pumpkins were going for 300 yen a piece (about US$3), I've never seen a whole pumpkin in our markets.
Togan (winter melon) for about 300 yen a piece (about US$3)...for the whole thing! you'll never see this price in the markets on mainland Japan, especially for togan this big and fresh.
After oohing and aahing at everything that they had to sell, I bought some beni-imo (purple sweet potato), 2 for 200 yen (about US$2...not as reasonable as the
roadside for 300 yen, but carryable on the flight home) and a pack with 22 shiquasa (I counted), a lime found in Okinawa, for 157 yen (about US$1.57)

With 10 shiquasa, I was able to squeeze 1/4 cup of juice and diluted that with water and added some blueberry honey to make a
shiquasa drink for breakfast. (did this two times for two breakfasts, very refreshing.)

Also with some shiquasa (2 to be exact), I used it to make some fig jam (post on that a little later).


With the beni-imo (purple sweet potato), I steamed it. We ate part of it as is and it was really sweet. With the rest, I made a creamy dill dressing and we had beni-imo salad. 1 tablespoon mayo (Best Foods if possible), 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, several dashes of dill...delicious.

With the rest of the King's sweetbread that we got from
Nate, I made some french toast for a breakfast and a bread pudding for another breakfast...delicious (thanks again, Nate!)

Did you know that Ginoza has a sister city in Italy? Thought that was pretty cool.

This little guy said it all "watashi wa shiawase" (I'm happy).