Summer foods in Japan are about finding ways to stay cool and that can mean chilled dishes or ingredients that are believed to help the body regulate temperature and rehydrate the body. For me, summer foods also include those special “car food” items that Gma made for us as well as the summer barbecue and Maine-centric dishes. I’ve included some of her “specialties” and adaptions that she made over the year.
Cookout & “Car” Foods
Summer Chicken: Gma used a teriyaki base as a marinade, a kind of nimono and as a quasi-yakitori glaze for many kinds of chicken. Marinated chicken thighs were a stable at cookouts and the nimono and yakitori versions made appearances in our car food boxes from time to time.
Gma’s Summer Chicken
Potato Salad ポテトサラダ: The perfect companion to the teriyaki chicken thighs or any cookout meal.
Gma’s Potato Salad
Gomaae ほうれん草の胡麻味噌和え: A magic dressing for chilled green veggies
Gma’s Gomae dressing
Onigiri: This is perhaps my ultimate, favorite car food. Its just rice and salt, but whenever I make them, I think of the summer trips to and from Maine in the Ford station wagon, Betty Lou
Gma’s Onigiri
Tamagoyaki 焼き玉子: Also a car food staple
Gma’s Tamagoyaki
Maine Foods
Mackerel Pressed Sushi (Saba Oshizushi) 鯖押し寿司:
A very Maine-centric dish as fresh fish, especially mackerel was in abundance when we first started staying there for the summer.
Gma’s Saba Oshizushi
Crab salad: Another “Maine-centric” dish as we often fished for crabs or simply picked up a pint of this sweet, wonderful crabmeat. When it comes to fresh crabmeat, less is best and this dish does it best!
Gma’s Crab Salad