We harvested the onions that had grown slowly under the snow.

We harvested the onions that had grown slowly under the snow. We finally harvested the
onions we planted last October. It’s been about eight months since we planted the small seedlings in the fall

. As Akita’s long winter set in, the onions waited patiently under the snow for spring to arrive.

Since the start of the year, we’ve had more snow than usual, and I even found myself worrying a little, wondering, “Will they be okay with all this snow?” I remember how the adjacent rose garden was completely covered in snow, and how eagerly I awaited the arrival of spring.

Still, for plants, snow acts like a natural blanket.Protected
from the bitter cold, they slowly built up their strength and then grew rapidly once spring arrived. The

harvested onions are plump and look magnificent. Once again
, they’ve grown into sweet, delicious onions. They’ve turned out even better than last year
—perhaps the heavy snow actually helped.

After harvesting, we hang them from the ceiling in a well-ventilated area to let them dry for a while. This improves
their shelf life, and we’ll be using them in our cooking over the coming months.

The dishes we serve at Farm To Table NORICHIE incorporate seasonal vegetables as much as possible. The harvested onions will also play a key role in a variety of dishes, such as soups, stews, and sauces.

The rhythms of the four seasons, unique to a snowy region, are woven into every meal we serve. We hope that when
you visit our inn, you’ll enjoy these seasonal gifts along with your meal.