ギメルのアトリエの谷では… 1.June.2016

震災から2か月も経つと言うのにまだ復興の兆しが見えてきません。余震の回数は減ったとはいえ今なお、避難生活を続けられている多くの方々に一日も早く平穏な日常が取り戻せますよう心からお祈り申し上げます。

５月も半ばを過ぎるとギメルのアトリエの谷では山椒の実がつき始め、緑の葉は初夏の日差しをいっぱいに浴びてますます濃さを増して行きます。収穫した山椒の実は塩漬けにして1年分の薬味に、又すり潰して粉山椒に、オリーブ油につけて山椒風味のオリーブ油も作ります。ある者は沢山自生している雑草のようなイタドリで美味しいジャムを作ったり、梅酒や梅干しを作ったりと、この時期のギメルの職人達は仕事の他にそれぞれがお楽しみを見つけて大忙しです。

Two months have passed since the earthquake and we still do not see the end to all of this. They say that shakes have lessened a little and we pray from our hearts that people in those affected areas can go back to their peaceful days as before, at the earliest.

With month of May coming close to the end, the valleys of our Gimel Atelier are showing signs of early summer with its greenery deepening each day and growing little by little are the Japanese peppers. At its peak of growth, we will pick the peppers and pickle them in salt, in olive oil, and grind them as powder to keep as condiments. Growing wildly are the Japanese knotweeds and we will make delicious jams out of them. Japanese plums are pickled in Sake as a liqueur, and in salt as a preservative food. We are keeping ourselves very busy with regular work and also our hobbies in pickling.

Kaoru Kay Akihara