Adding to the usual hot and humid weather, heavy rains made this summer a particularly tiring one in Hida. But chef Kogawa Nobuko knows just the right ingredient to help overcome the sluggishness of the estival season - sansho, or Japanese pepper. With sansho from Mr. Okada, a local farmer specializing in Japanese pepper, as well as vegetables by Tom, a Swiss native who settled down in Hida and grows produce somewhat uncommon in Japan, Nobuko prepares a delicious feast to beat the summer heat!