cook

The kabocha was sitting on top of my counter for a couple of weeks waiting for me to cook it.  I love kabocha but peeling the thick skin is always a lot of work so I kept putting it off.   But once I make up my mind to cook kabocha,  the process of cutting and peeling is rather meditative. The skin is hard and thick so if you are not careful, you can cut your finger.  You have to pay attention. I use a Japanese deba-knife, which is also used to cut bones.  It as a nice weight and a thick blade that keeps your hand steady.  

Tonight, I felt like miso soup.  It must be this weather - it can't make up its mind whether it wants to be hot or cold.  In the evening, the temperature gets down enough to want something warm and soupy.  I made this Kabocha miso soup which is light and summery but filling.  I garnsihed it with "Myoga", which is a type of ginger that has a wonderful fragrance and spice.  You can find myoga in Japanese markets at this time of the year. They are a bit expensive, about $2 per myoga. But you don't need to use very much.  It's a garnish that gives it a spicy lift.  As a child, I used to pick the wild ones that grew in the shade of our garden in Kamakura.  I don't think we could grow them in California because it is too dry here.   I like to use chopped myoga not only to garnish miso soup but also on tofu, grilled meats, rice and noodles.

  kabocha sliced with my deba knife. 

KABOCHA MISO SOUP WITH MYOGA GINGER

Serves 4 

• 1/4 Kabocha, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces, about 2-inches long
• 2  myoga, sliced thinly or use 2 scallions, chopped
• 3 Tbls White miso paste or more to taste
• 3 cups Dashi broth (Go to Basics for Dashi Broth recipe) or Dried Maitake Mushrooms Dashi (here is the link for the vegan dashi recipe)

1. In a medium size pot, bring the dashi to a simmer. 
   
2. Add the sliced kabocha and cook over medium heat until the kabocha is tender, about 7 minutes.
   
3. Just before serving, dissolve the miso paste into the dashi broth. Turn off heat and serve immediately in small bowls with sliced myoga.

Kitchen note: Do not reheat the miso soup after the miso has been added. The flavor diminishes with reheating. So do it last minute.