【Breaking Free from Monotony】I tried to think of a dinner menu using a vegetable vending machine in Takada, Yokohama

I visited an unmanned vegetable vending machine near Takada Station in Kohoku Ward, Yokohama. I challenged myself to think of that day's dinner menu after making a purchase, in reverse order. It seems to be popular among locals, but what kind of menu can I create!?

Tonight's dinner depends on the lineup of the vegetable vending machine

At the supermarket, I always end up putting the same vegetables in my basket. Since I decide the menu beforehand and then go shopping, I tend to lean towards easy-to-handle, staple vegetables.

So, I thought I would try the opposite approach this time. It's a simple method of buying all the types of vegetables lined up at the unmanned vegetable vending machine near Takada Station in Kohoku Ward, Yokohama, and then thinking on the spot about what to cook with them. When I came up with this idea, my heart was a little buoyant, even though I actually didn’t know what vegetables were available in the machine.

To the local vegetable vending machine "Yokohama Farm"

On a weekday just after 11 a.m., I headed there from Takada Station on the Yokohama Municipal Subway Green Line. After leaving the station, I walked along a large road for a while, then entered a narrow path in a residential area.

After walking for a while, I saw the Hayabuchi River, and just beyond the bridge, in about a 6-minute walk from the station, I spotted a corner in the apartment complex with a green sunshade curtain.

As I got closer, the outline of a vending machine shaped like a locker became clearer, and I unconsciously quickened my pace.

The banner reads the brand name "Yokohama Farm" with the words "Locally sourced, incorporated into daily life." It seems that locally grown vegetables handled by JA Yokohama are lined up here.

Finally standing in front of the locker, I glanced over the doors lined up from top to bottom. Eggplant, cucumber, okra, water spinach, with handwritten product names affixed to each door, all priced at 200 yen.

On the whiteboard above the locker, there was a description that read, "The stems are crispy, and stir-fried with large garlic + salt is recommended!" It was a selling point that conveyed the feelings of the producers. Just the time spent peering inside through the glass, wondering which door to open, felt like a small treasure hunt. However,

I intended to buy all the varieties, but the only one left was the cucumber.

As I eagerly checked each door one by one, the slots for eggplant, okra, and water spinach were already empty. The only thing left was cucumber, and there were only about three of them. The plan to "buy one of every kind" fell apart right at the start.

I had thought I would decide after buying, but if I had been able to get the eggplant, I wanted to make fried eggplant soaked in sauce; for okra, I wanted to boil it, chop it, and mix it with natto. I had intended to stir-fry the water spinach with garlic and salt as per the whiteboard, so each time I looked at the empty doors, I felt like one dish after another was disappearing from my menu.

That said, it was fortunate that cucumbers were still available. I inserted two 100-yen coins into the machine and turned the red lever to retrieve them.

At just the same time, a local grandmother came by to buy vegetables, so when I asked, "What time should I come to find a lot of vegetables?" she replied, "You won't know unless you come to check." Just before I left, another grandmother stopped by this vending machine, and I realized it was a place deeply rooted in the community.

I tried making two dishes with one bag of cucumbers.

In the end, the only thing I was able to buy that day was one bag of cucumbers. I wanted to arrange all the varieties into a luxurious menu, but instead, I found myself needing to think creatively about how to put together dinner from here.

Still, on the way home, I was constantly thinking about "what can be made with just cucumbers," and that was an enjoyable time in its own right.

When I got home and quickly opened the bag, it was packed with around 11 cucumbers. The substantial weight and the shiny, dark green skin made me feel fresher than I had expected. I quickly washed them and cut them into slices and cubes.

The first dish is a simple one made with sliced cucumbers mixed with Chinese seasoning, white sesame, salt, and sesame oil. The crunchy texture pairs well with the aroma of sesame oil.

The second dish is a taco-style dish using diced cucumbers. I stir-fried ground meat in a pan until it was crispy, and while it cooled down, I chopped lettuce and tomatoes. In a larger bowl, I added Doritos, ground meat, lettuce, tomatoes, and diced cucumbers, mixing everything quickly so it wouldn’t fall apart too much.

Taking a bite, I found the contrast between the warm ground meat and the cool cucumber surprisingly pleasant, and the saltiness of the taco-flavored chips brought everything together. The crisp texture of the chips added a nice accent to the juiciness of the cucumbers.

Although my initial plan was to buy up all the varieties, I think that even with just one bag of cucumbers, it turned out to be a satisfying dinner.

The joy of planning a menu from fresh ingredients right in front of me

In the end, I had intended to buy all the vegetable varieties from the vending machine, but I actually had fun figuring out what to make with only the ingredients I got.

Instead of recreating a decided menu, the experience of thinking about what can be made from what I had in front of me was something I hadn’t experienced in a while. When I visit this vending machine again, I would like to try to build a menu for that day without knowing what might be left.

Location: Charmantel, 3-1-6 Shin-Yoshida-Higashi, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Report and text by SYURI

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