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'Shrooms Grow Into Obsession
June 18, 2008
'Shrooms Grow Into Obsession
Farmers' Markets DENISE MILLER For the Journal
EDITOR'S NOTE: Every other week during growing season, Denise Miller of the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association spotlights local growers and their crops.
Sometimes just one menu item can change an entire meal. Oyster mushrooms, like those grown by Exotic Edibles of Edgewood, are that kind of food.
Light-colored and oceanic, these gourmet mushrooms take their name from their white shell-like appearance -- not their flavor.
Their taste can vary from mild to strong; sometimes they are known to smell a bit like anise. However, of all the mushrooms I've purchased from Gael Fishel and Scott Adams, I've tasted only tender and mild, with not a hint of licorice.
Fishel and Adams have been selling the mushrooms at the Albuquerque Downtown Growers' Market for seven years, and Fishel said she always enjoys hearing about how her customers cook with them.
"One lady loves to make shrimp alfredo, one rolls them in red chile and one man inserted them into the middle of a round of brie cheese that he then baked," Fishel said.
Fishel and Adams prefer them simply prepared: chopped and sautéed with butter, garlic and eggs.
Whether you want to serve them with seafood or steak, or stirfried with other veggies, these mushrooms blend well with many foods while adding a special flavor all their own.
No need to overdo it
At $12 a pound, it's nice to know that most people (except the regulars who are addicted) find one-quarter pound sufficient. Additionally, the mushrooms are fairly light and the entire mushroom is edible. Because the stems can sometimes be a bit woody, Fishel suggests trimming them off and shredding them into your stir fry or drying and crumbling them into mushroom seasoning.
Fishel and Adams always send the mushrooms home in a paper bag, and they will sit quite happily for a week like that in the refrigerator. If they happen to get temporarily lost in the fridge and look a little dry when you find them, just soak them in water, Fishel says.
As fungi, mushrooms have a different lifecycle than plants, but they are an extremely sustainable form of agriculture. When found in the wild, they tend to grow on dead trees, but they are easily cultivated on a variety of substrates such as straw, which Fishel and Adams use.
All of Fishel and Adams' mushrooms are pesticidefree, and they are so clean they don't need to be washed or brushed off.
Fascination with fungi
This dynamic duo became interested in mushroom growing about 10 years ago when they assisted a mycologist friend who was leading a workshop on growing oyster mushrooms.
"The more we found out about mushrooms, the more interesting they became. We just have an affinity for them," says Fishel, who with Adams oversees two small buildings on their property dedicated to the species.
While there are plenty of technical details related to mushroom production, Fishel says the two most important aspects are keeping them at a constant temperature of 65 to 68 degrees and keeping the humidity between 75 percent and 85 percent.
Heating and cooling are such an important part of mushroom production that Adams has taken classes on heating and ventilation, as well as welding, so he could design and build the right kind of equipment for the operation.
Fishel said she and Adams particularly like growing oyster mushrooms because they are hearty and forgiving, and also because they prefer using a substrate like straw rather than compost that mushrooms like shitakes prefer.
Enough to go around
While they don't face the same weather challenges of many growers, Fishel said their greatest challenge is having enough consistent production to supply all of their customers.
Some weeks they have 25 pounds and some weeks they have 60 pounds. While growers' market customers are always their first priority, Fishel said that hopefully they will soon be able to serve everyone, including La Montanita Coop and their restaurant clients, all year-round.
It wasn't long ago that the general population wasn't familiar with shiitakes or portabellos: it just takes time and education to earn consumer demand.
To continue the best part of your oyster mushroom education -- the tasting! -- stop by and see Fishel and Adams. There's nothing they would rather do on a Saturday morning than talk to you about oyster mushrooms.
Featured growers: Gael Fishel and Scott Adams, Exotic Edibles of Edgewood
WHERE TO FIND THEM: Albuquerque Downtown Market, Nob Hill Market (occasionally), Los Ranchos Market (occasionally) FEATURED CROP: Oyster mushrooms, which are low in calories and high in protein. They are a natural source of statins, agents that lower "bad" cholesterol. They are also a good source of niacin, riboflavin and vitamin D.
SEASON: All year
