More Mushrooms! October 2012

Mushrooms are an amazing thing.  One minute there is nothing and "poof" the next you almost missed the harvest! We have been getting these awesome sporadic mushroom harvests.  A few weeks ago, I walked to the back side of the woods to the creek where we have our 2nd set of inoculated logs to see if there was any action.  Lo and behold and to my great excitement there was...

SHITAKES!!!

Shitakes from the logs located in the woods

 So in classic permaculture fashion we decided to do things the "lazy way".  A lot of people spend time dunking their logs in bath tubs and bins, hitting the ends of the logs with sledgehammers, and a whole host of other business.  Not Chris and I.  We got all excited about having our own mushrooms because we are too chicken to wild harvest (me more than Chris).  Last year for my birthday I asked for mushroom logs and in September we set out to make that happen.  We harvested some trees downed by Hurricane Irene (can't remember if that is the correct hurricane name - when you get old it all seems to run together) and made a garden bed out of some of them.  The south side of the bed we inoculated the logs with shitakes and oysters.  We also downed an oak tree in the woods and dragged it to the creek and inoculated those with shitakes.  We thought the garden logs would have access to water because we would be watering the garden that the bed was holding.  Makes sense, right?  It is also high and dry, roasting in the sunshine in the summer.  Not exactly what one would think of as a great mushroom spot.  The one in the woods is exactly what I would imagine a mushroom spot to look like.  I thought...this is perfect and I can use the creek water to water the logs.  Hahahahaha!  I hardly ever made it back there to even look at the logs much less water them.  And the garden ones didn't fair any better due to the fact that we hardly ever watered the garden.  We really do suck at these things!  So basically, the mushrooms just did whatever they could with exactly where they got inoculated.  Amazingly, we are getting mushrooms! Either this is idiot proof or we could have a crap load of mushrooms if we really tried!

Oyster mushrooms from today!

So the front garden logs produced some more oyster mushrooms today.  They are gorgeously beautiful!  I have been making the most amazing meals with all of them.  Here is one of my most favorite soups to date...

cut up bacon - uncooked

garlic cloves - minced

diced onion

Shitake - sliver sliced

kale - sliver sliced

chicken broth

water

lemon juice

cooked rice

cayenne pepper

garlic powder

salt to taste

Directions: In a soup pot cook bacon, onion and garlic together.  Before bacon is completely cooked add the mushrooms.  Cook until bacon is cooked through.  Add kale and cook for 5 minutes (do not overcook kale, beautiful green color and holds its shape).  Whatever broth you have you match with water.  I had 4 cups broth and added 4 cups water.  Add lemon juice and cooked rice. Add cayenne, garlic powder and salt to taste. Serve when it reaches adequate temperature.

I am notorious for not measuring ingredients.  I am the worst cook in that I can't hardly ever reproduce anything but I am the best cook in that I use things creatively by combining what I have available rather than shopping by a recipe list.  So you won't find amounts with my recipes usually because it is what's in it that counts and can usually be very flexible.  If you like mushrooms then load up on mushrooms. If greens are your thing then have at it.  If you don't have much then skimp on the broth and water and just make less soup.  That is the beauty of soup...it is hard to mess up.

Another favorite recipe of mine is a mushroom/kale open faced sandwich...

Olive oil/butter

garlic cloves

mushroom

kale

salt

spread - mayonnaise, garlic, basil, worcestershire sauce mixed together

flatbread

Directions: Melt butter and olive oil together in skillet.  Add garlic and sliver cut mushrooms.  Saute mushrooms.  Push mushrooms to the edge of the skillet.  Add kale (I cut the leaves into strips - like cole slaw), more olive oil and some salt.  Let kale get that beautiful rich green color but retains it's structure.  Mix mushrooms and kale together.  Add some chopped garlic and basil to some mayonnaise.  Add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and mix it all together.  Spread mayo mix on top of warm flatbread.  Lay the mushroom/kale mix on top of the bread.  And prepare for the taste bud happy dance!

Okay, can you tell I'm hungry???