It's the season of harvest! Various fresh vegetables are lined up at local farmers' markets, all grown with care by farmers. I recently visited a vegetable market in Abashiri, called "JA Okhotsk Vegetable Direct Sales Store", recommended by a local expert. I am a regular customer there, as the variety of vegetables available is impressive. I filled my basket with spinach, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, burdock, corn, zucchini, garlic, daikon radish, cabbage, and more. It's great to be able to buy fresh vegetables at such affordable prices. The store will be open for about one more month this season, and I definitely plan to visit again!

This place... I used to come here a lot when I didn't have a garden at home. How many years ago was that... 6, 7 years ago? Then I moved and got a big garden, so I haven't been here at all. My farmer friends give me corn, and my sister gives me some too, haha... (In Hokkaido, it's tough in winter without vegetables). Since my potato stock ran out, I came back after a long time. They charge for plastic bags now! I looked around and they have interesting things like small melons, haha. They even sell shiso with stems, haha. There are so many types and sizes of potatoes that I'm indecisive... like Danshaku, May Queen, Kitakogane, Snow March, Touya... By the way, there are lots of small ones that seem like rejects, and they come in a bag for 100 yen. I don't really care about the types, but I chose the ones that are just the right size, it says "Danshaku (Hokkai Kogane)" on it. It's 150 yen. I can't tell the difference even when I eat it, haha. It tastes delicious, haha.

This is a vegetable direct sales store in Abashiri. In late September 2016, it was amazing. Things sell out quickly, it seems. I went in the evening, and as soon as I entered, I couldn't help but say "Oh my!" (@_@). The shelves were almost empty. There was hardly anything left, except for potatoes and garlic. I bought Inca no Mezame and burdock and went home. This year's crops have suffered significant damage due to typhoons. My condolences to the affected producers. At this time of year, I enjoy visiting my favorite direct sales stores and buying vegetables. This was my first time here. It's on a road I often pass by, near the Hokuren gas station. The building is a prefab. I didn't know it was here. Inside, there is a wide selection of products. I bought potatoes, carrots, eggplants, burdock, garlic, and daikon. Normally, there would be more splendid vegetables lined up. But in times like these, I am grateful to the producers who deliver delicious vegetables. I appreciate it. I will go again. I'm delighted that keipon recommended this place. Please convey my thanks to your wife. ^^

I was planning to go far away, but last night I drank too much and walked too much, so today I'll just stay local and relax. But then, my grandma told me to take her to the vegetable market. Sometimes I listen to her, but I won't regret it if she disappears later. The JA Okhotsk vegetable market is just a 5-minute drive away. It's a very popular spot, with people lining up before it even opens. It's open from April to November, with set opening days. The selection is now rich with local produce. Today, there was no line when we arrived early, which was unusual. My grandma loves cucumbers, so we bought a lot. I went inside to take some photos and saw a wide variety of vegetables. I didn't bring my wallet, so my grandma's basket ended up with garlic, broccoli, and Inca wake-up potatoes. The garlic is delicious and great for pasta, while the broccoli will be boiled. The Inca wake-up potatoes will be grilled and then turned into potato salad. I'll probably be visiting this market many more times this year.

Just before 10 a.m. on Sunday, there was a long line with entry restrictions for up to 15 groups. People were buying boxes on the spot and filling them with corn, onions, and potatoes. I can understand the feeling of wanting to support local farmers. This farm stand seems to have opened around Golden Week. In the spring, they have more seedlings than vegetables. Due to a poor harvest of spring onions in mainland Japan this year, the stock of onions here ran out quickly. Finally, in late August, onions started to appear. Once the seedlings are gone, a variety of fresh vegetables are available, all at a great price. It's always exciting to see the seasonal vegetables, dried beans, root vegetables, and cut flowers. The direct delivery from the farmers is fantastic! This time, I got some rare bitter gourds. I will keep visiting until the end of October.

I'm glad we went early. I wonder if this was the main reason we came here. Basama said, "Let's go vote at 8:30," and I had no objections, so I just had to tell Yomesan the time. Before we got to the polling place, Basama said, "Take us to the vegetable market," and Yomesan also got in the car. "I wanted to go too..." Who was the real priority here? The first thing that came out was the salad. It doesn't look very appetizing, but it must be delicious because it uses the Sunny lettuce I grow. Caesar dressing is my specialty and it's delicious. Broccoli tastes great, and the peas I grow will be ready in 4-5 days. The items we bought were cheap, but probably not top quality. Some had tough skins and left a residue in the mouth. I like things that taste like beans, so I'll enjoy them. Miso soup is also good. I like to grill Chinese cabbage with pork and salt and pepper. Yomesan grills it on slow days. It used to be unthinkable to eat Chinese cabbage alone, but it's small and tender. I devoured it in no time. I like simmered eggplant. It looks okay, but I saw how it was made, so it feels like a shortcut. The taste is a bit lacking. There was no grated daikon, poor eggplant. I love the three brothers' sticky yam. It's sweet and delicious, especially with homemade mountain wasabi.

"I'll give you a ride." Say the subject!! It's Basama. It's Sunday, so I guess it's a vegetable market, but I have something to do, so I asked Yome-san to do it for me, and she also bought it. "Corn," "eggplant," "sasagi," "melon," "broccoli," "tomato," "cabbage." Hey, both the "tomato" and the "eggplant" are things you make, right? Broccoli is expensive, and corn is also expensive. Sasagi is delicious whether it's simmered or tempura. Tomatoes and cabbage are served as a side dish with meat. The tomatoes are not Aiko, but they are very sweet. These are exquisite tomatoes. Have you ever been to karaoke with your food log friends? I quit food log now, but I still have some friends, including a guy who is pretty harsh. He's younger than me, but he's not left-handed. Everyone was singing, but one person was looking for a song... Are they drunk? They can't seem to find the song they're looking for. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I can't find the song," they said. "What song?" "Katasumuri." "Huh?" "Whose song is it?" "Aiko's." Then everyone burst out laughing. The person who was laughed at looked bewildered... You won't find it no matter how long you look for it.