Recipe - Mizutaki: Japanese Hot Pot for Winter Days
A hot pot lunch from the Nagamine family evokes a story. As a traditional Japanese meal, the hot pot reflects the deep-rooted heritage and tradition the family carried with them when immigrating from Japan in the 1950s. The hot pot ingredients grown on the family’s farm in Watsonville--the komatsuna and mizuna greens, daikon, cucumbers, and kabu turnip--represent the generations of ancestral knowledge of agriculture that Janet Nagamine is upholding through Hikari Farms. As the community supporting Hikari Farms, we too have a part to play in the Nagamine family story when we learn about, prepare and eat this beautiful hot pot.
Janet has graciously shared tips for preparing a hot pot lunch, which during the cold months of winter, we couldn’t imagine anything better. Before you begin cooking, we invite you to learn even more about the agricultural roots of the Nagamine family by checking out this feature from our friends over at Good Eggs. Good Eggs is also your source of Hikari Farms ingredients for your hot pot lunch!
Mizutaki: Japanese Hot Pot (serves 4)
1 liter broth, chicken or vegetable
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced in half
1 block medium firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes
1 bunch kabu turnip, cut into halves (or quarters if they are larger)
2-3 bunches mixed Japanese greens, such as shungiku, komatsuna and mizuna
Daikon-soy-lemon Slurry (for serving)
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh daikon
Mix soy sauce, lemon juice and daikon in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add broth to pot and heat over medium heat until it simmers.
Add mushrooms, tofu and greens to the pot, and cook until tender.
To enjoy, dip cooked tofu and vegetables in slurry. Serve with rice and tsukemono (Japanese pickles).
Recipe note: This dish is best served at the table, in a metal or earthenware vessel specifically made for hot pot, over a table top stove.
Photos courtesy of Good Eggs.