by Mary Zak, HVParent.com & HVLifeOnline.com Salesperson
I'm lovin' this guinea pig gig! This time I got to bring home three varieties of organic mushrooms. I loved the minimal packaging; a little plastic bag with a window so you can see what you're getting. The Golden Gourmet Organic Maitake Mushrooms were perfectly formed, shaped a little like a trumpet or a morning glory bloom. Firm and nested together in a cluster. Clean as promised; no dirt when I rinsed them off. There was a handy recipe for sauteing or stir frying on the package but, feeling I must trump my Bear Naked blog entry, I ate them RAW. Well, not exactly. I put them into a salad with baby spinach, kale and plain grilled chicken ***. Topped that with organic olive oil, a little organic lemon juice, and some (yes, organic) ground black pepper. It looked like a bouquet - I bet some of you are thinking, it probably tasted like one, too. I sampled a few leafies before I forked out a piece of mushroom and nibbled. It yielded tenderly; no rubbery feeling here! The taste was soft-earthy, gentle, - I ate them all. Looking forward to sauteeing their cousins - more samples are waiting in the fridge.
Part II
I got to the white and brown beech shroomers tonight. No sauteeing; I was tired and just threw them into the steamer for 10 minutes. Scooped them over brown rice with some butter. Holy fungus heaven! First of all, they were adorable, in sizes from 2" to less than 1/4" tall. They were very tender and fresh, with extremely light flavor (maybe I just put too much butter in there!). A delightful dinner experience.