Regional Revitalization
As we continued chatting over tea, discussing monsters and behind-the-scenes stories of the group, Grandmother returned to the parlor.
"It seems you had a meaningful time, Joan."
"Yes, Grandmother. Everyone has taught me so much."
"I see. Everyone, thank you so much for helping Joan."
"Oh, not at all. It was an honor to be of assistance to Young lady Joan.”
Olivia replied.
"Indeed, I was able to reunite with old friends after a long time, and the time with Young lady Joan was truly enjoyable. Thank you.”
Added Emma.
"If anything comes up, please don’t hesitate to let us know.”
Said Sophia.
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—After-dinner tea time.
"So, Joan. After hearing from the former members today, how do you feel? Have you decided against joining?"
Father asked, clearly hopeful.
"No, Father. After hearing their stories, I want to join even more."
"Ah~ I see. Well, I’m glad you were able to learn a lot.”
Father sighed, hanging his head, while the rest of the family nodded as if they had expected my answer.
"Oh, I’ve finished making the dried sweet potatoes you requested, Grandfather.”
I took the dried sweet potatoes out of my storage.
"Oh! I appreciate it."
[Dried sweet potatoes?]A chorus of voices rang out in unison.
Oh, right. I hadn’t mentioned it to Father and the others yet.
"Umm, they’re made by drying steamed sweet potatoes."
"If Father requested them, they must be delicious, right?"
"You’ll try them… won’t you? Here, please."
I took out some dried sweet potatoes I had set aside for myself and placed them on the table.
Munch.
"They have a mild sweetness and are delicious. Is sugar used in these?"
Mother asked.
"No, it's the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes."
"Do they also have some kind of special effect?"
Aunt Juliette inquired.
"… Yes. I’ll say this upfront—you’ll probably be surprised."
[Eh!?]"Alright, here we go. Search Open."
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[Dried Sweet Potatoes]Steamed sweet potatoes that have been turned into dried fruit.
Long shelf life.
Effects: Reduces swelling. Improves high blood pressure. Relieves constipation.
Prevents aging. Prevents dark spots. Aids fatigue recovery.
Prevents anemia. Prevents cold sensitivity.
How to eat: Tastes great as is. Even better when grilled.
Recommended as a sweet snack during dieting.
However, they are high in calories, so don’t eat too much!
Additional note: Since Joan dried them using her skill, their effects are currently tripled.
Perfect for beauty purposes!!
Due to their high calorie content, they also make excellent emergency rations!!
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Oh dear, everyone is frozen in shock.
I did warn them in advance that they’d be surprised.
"This… This has all the benefits of dried fruit combined… Amazing…"
Father muttered.
"Say~ Joan, can this be made without using your skill?"
Mother asked.
"Yes, it can. You just need to steam sweet potatoes and sun-dry them. Slicing them first makes the drying process easier."
"Stan, don’t you think this could solve the problem sweet potato farmers have been facing? If we produce dried sweet potatoes for sale, not only could they become a viable product, but they’d also make excellent rations for expeditions.”
Mother suggested to Father.
"There’s a problem with sweet potato farmers?"
Curious, I asked Father.
"Ah, sweet potatoes can only really be eaten baked or steamed. If they don’t sell, they end up as livestock feed. The farmers have been asking if there’s a way to make better use of them."
"Huh? They aren’t used for cooking or sweets?"
"Cooking or sweets? Sweet potatoes?"
Grandfather asked.
"Eh? There are so many possibilities…"
"Lindsay, let's extend our stay a bit longer. I want to try some of these dishes!"
[Haah!?]"That’s not fair, Father, Mother! We want to try them too, but we have to leave tomorrow!" Aunt Juliette pouted.
"Big sister Julie, what time are you leaving tomorrow?"
"We’ll be departing by late afternoon at the latest… Wait, are you thinking…?"
"Then, I’ll prepare a lunch using sweet potatoes tomorrow."
"Yay! Little Joan, I love you!"
Overcome with joy, Aunt Juliette squeezed me tightly.
"Ugh… It’s… hard to breathe… Big sister Julie…"
"Mother, Mother, you’re crushing Joan!"
Vee came to my rescue, allowing me to finally breathe again.
"Sorry, Little Joan, I was just too happy."
"It’s okay. Father, why don’t you try the dishes tomorrow before making a decision? If there are various ways to use sweet potatoes, the farmers won’t have to worry anymore."
"That makes sense. Alright, I’ll leave it to you tomorrow. So, Father… You’re staying just because you want to eat more, aren’t you?"
"I-It’s for the sake of the sweet potato farmers! They’ve been supporting our territory for years! This is for them!"
Grandfather insisted, but everyone gave him a knowing look.
Sweet potatoes… What should I make? If miso was widely available, I could make sweet potato soup, but that won’t work this time.
Hmm, salad, croquettes, glazed sweet potatoes, butter sautéed sweet potatoes, potage… There are so many options.
As for sweets, there’s sweet potato pie, potato chips, candied sweet potatoes, cakes, cookies… So many possibilities! And yet, no one has thought of them?
If this can help the people of our territory, I’ll do my best.
Time to revitalize the region! Let’s do this!
What do you think about this chapter?
What I don't understand is why she hasn't made a cook book yet...maybe with the sweet potatoes?