Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 53 Tomato dish

Afternoon passes, and as I engage in various activities, evening approaches.

It’s finally time to prepare the eagerly awaited dinner.

Since this afternoon, I’ve been crushing tomatoes and throwing them into a pot.

I added salt, crushed onions, and simmered it for quite a while.

You probably already know.

It’s tomato ketchup.

One of Earth’s great inventions.

And thanks to our savings on Eggbird eggs, we already have some imitation eggs in hand.

Some of them were used in soup a few times upon Minya’s plea of “I want a tamagoyaki!”.

But we still have eggs left.

Using a mixture of salt, olive oil, and beaten eggs, I cooked them in a frying pan, creating a plain omelette.

Unfortunately, without rice, there won’t be any omurice for a while.

“It’s turned into a yellow mass!”

“Oh, this is an omelette.”

“Omelette!”

I prepare omelettes for each person.

Thanks to the persistence of Mina, who has become the fairy of scrambled eggs, and rejecting her requests multiple times, we have managed to save enough eggs.

And then there’s the tomato ketchup I made earlier.

To be honest, it looks more like tomato sauce, but since I’m an amateur, it’s understandable.

Now, I pour this tomato sauce over the omelettes.

“Amazing! It looks delicious with the yellow and red!”

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?”

Even Lania, who is still around, appreciates it.

Now, with the omelettes completed, but that’s not all.

The flavors may be somewhat similar, but it’s what I’ve been craving.

In the evening, while the tomato sauce was simmering, I worked diligently.

I indulgently used flour and kneaded it with water, then cut it into small pieces, about 3 centimeters each, and rolled them into simple shapes.

Since I don’t have any modern tools like a pasta machine, I thought of using homemade macaroni as a substitute to capture that home-cooked flavor.

Macaroni comes in various shapes, such as shells or tubes.

This particular one resembles a tube without holes.

Hmm, the closest resemblance would be gnocchi.

In the tomato ketchup, I added small pieces of wild boar meat and dried meat, along with onions and (kikurage)wood ear mushrooms. This will truly become a tomato sauce.

When it was time to eat, I boiled the homemade macaroni.

I poured the tomato sauce over the cooked macaroni, and voila, it was complete.

There’s the plain omelette with tomato ketchup and the macaroni with tomato sauce made from wild boar meat.

And thus, our pseudo-Italian meal was complete.

“Ed-kun, you really went all out today. It looks so impressive.”

“Yes, I must admit, I’m feeling quite pleased myself.”

Melun-san and Gid-san also marvel at the vibrant presentation.

“Can I eat it? Is it okay to eat?”

The hungry little elf, Minya-chan, wiggles her ears while gently rubbing her belly. So adorable.

“Ah, it’s finished. Please enjoy it while it’s hot.”

“With gratitude to Raffalier-sama, let’s dig in.”

“Itadakimasu!”

Holding the spoon and fork tightly in both hands, they awkwardly bring it to their mouths.

“Mmm, it’s delicious!”

“Yes, it’s really tasty.”

Indeed. Tomatoes might not be something that people pay much attention to in Japan, but they bring out a delightful umami flavor. There’s even tomato ramen, showing how popular they are. The rich taste, reminiscent of certain types of broth, is simply delicious.

For those who are only familiar with the taste of beans, the umami of tomatoes can be quite overwhelming.

“So good, so good. Ed-kun, it’s delicious.”

“It’s delicious.”

Melun-san and Gido-san are also satisfied, fully content.

And thus, tomato dishes have become another member of our home-cooked flavors, adding richness to our variety of ingredients.

Tomatoes seem to thrive in dry lands where the sun shines more than in forests. As I recall, the area where the tomatoes grew happened to have few tall trees and sparse shrubs, allowing ample sunlight to reach them. It’s interesting how they find the land that suits them best.

If I were to plant tomato seeds all over the clearing of the tree stump, they would propagate in large quantities, and I could make a fortune. Now, what should I do? But in reality, I don’t have any seeds at the moment. Yes, I discarded the seed parts with a nostalgic feeling, treating them as waste for the garbage pot.

By the way, this garbage pot, which contains only organic waste, is regularly thrown into the slime toilet and disposed of. It’s a feat made possible in a medieval-style world without plastic waste.

Although it’s inconvenient without transparent bags and such, I suppose we’ll get used to everything in due time.

I carefully observe Minya and Lania’s dresses to see if any tomato ketchup has splattered on them.

“Well, it seems like the tomatoes didn’t splatter. Let’s continue to be cautious.”

“Uh, yeah, okay. I understand.”

Now, it’s time to escort Lania.

“By the way, Rania, could you bring some tomatoes?”

“Oh, is it okay?”

“Yes.”

I think tomatoes have a relatively low circulation even in the occasional glimpse of the market. Well, I’m not entirely certain since I don’t often see the city markets, but I consider them a premium vegetable.

I place the tomatoes in a basket and hand them to Lania. I’m a bit worried if they will get squashed when she puts them in her bag. Even though I believe they’ll be fine, it’s important not to let our guard down.

Since I made a slightly larger amount of ketchup, I pour the leftovers into a jar and hand it to her.

“Thank you for having me.”

I escort Lania back home. Somehow managing to hold the basket of tomatoes and her staff with one hand, she reaches out and grabs my hand with her other hand on the opposite side. And of course, on the opposite side, Minya also holds my hand.

Normally, we don’t hold hands like this, but it’s different in moments like this.

“Hehehe, I received tomatoes today.”

“Oh, but we might not know how to cook them properly.”

“That’s true. Thinly sliced tomatoes with a dressing of salt and olive oil are delicious, right?”

“Yes. It’s also nice to add some onion slices.”

“Got it.”

Tomato salad is also a good option. If they’re cherry tomatoes, you can even eat them whole, just as they are. Although these tomatoes are slightly larger.

Despite being grown in the forest, they’re surprisingly red, contrary to my expectations. They’re splendid tomatoes.

I’m glad they haven’t been eaten by slugs. Speaking of which, do slugs exist here?

I’m not entirely sure, but in this world, there seems to be a general scarcity of insects that are considered pests. On Earth, even broad beans often attract aphids, but I have never seen a similar situation in this world.

Since some people find them quite unpleasant, it’s fortunate that we don’t encounter them frequently.