An old friend with a new twist, Tendral Melons are the new and improved version of Spanish Melons. They are super sweet (13 to 14 on the refractometer), and a great addition to the Melon line up. Similar in shape to Crenshaw Melons, they have a heavily ridged exterior and an interior similar to Canary…
As the wood upon which Shiitake Mushrooms is grown gets older, the mushrooms it produces become smaller and smaller. The result? Adorable little Baby Shiitake Mushrooms, grown in California. Each Shiitake has a cap that’ s no bigger than one-inch in diameter…the applications for a diminutive, tasty mushroom like this are myriad and fabulous!
Black Trumpet Mushrooms (Craterellus cornucopiodes) are a member of the chanterelle family, one of the most beloved wild mushroom groups. Black Trumpets are a favorite for cooking. They are great in soups, stews and casseroles, with a buttery woodsy flavor. Good partners for mushrooms include butter, sour cream, cream, olive oil, dark sesame oil, garlic,…
Also known as the Pied Blue, the Blue Foot is cultivated in France. The blue stem is topped off with a wavy whitish cap slightly tinted blue throughout. About two inches in diameter, its firm flesh is supported by a lavender-blue stem that thickens toward the base. Though mild in flavor when compared with its…
Shimeji is a widely used word for several types of delicious mushrooms grown and consumed in Japan. The true shemeji, which the Jananese refer to as hon-shimeji, is really Lyophyllum shimeji, which ironically is not a cultivated type. The cultivated species, shown here, is known as BROWN CLAMSHELL or BUNA-SHIMEJI (or bun-shimeji). BROWN CLAMSHELL is…
Cauliflower Mushrooms are considered a wood mushroom, and can grow to fifty pounds or more apiece. They are considered one of the gems of the mushroom family with a texture similar to jelly fungi but not quite as firm. They need to be cooked for at least an hour in chicken broth to become tender…
Gold Chanterelles are among the most favored of all the forest mushrooms. Distinguished from Hedge Hog Mushrooms by their prominent gills under every cap, Gold Chanterelles grow on the forest floor. Very visible in the forest especially after a heavy rain this wild mushroom is typified by a very fragrant, woodsy apricot aroma. It is…
These mushrooms do not have gills, but they do have teeth or at least small, tooth-like projections on the under-side of their caps. Also known as Sweet Tooth mushrooms, they can be found in the wilds along the Pacific Coast in winter some growing on trees as shelves, others on the ground in colors so…
These mushrooms do not have gills, but they do have teeth or at least small, tooth-like projections on the under-side of their caps. Also known as Sweet Tooth mushrooms, they can be found in the wilds along the Pacific Coast in winter some growing on trees as shelves, others on the ground in colors so…
Pleurotus eryngii is the latin name for KING OYSTER MUSHROOMS, a large cultivated wood mushroom. Wood mushrooms fall into two broad groups: fleshy mushrooms that have a characteristic stalk and cap and look like any other mushroom and polypores, which have amorphous shapes that do not resemble the general idea of mushrooms at all. The…
True mushroom wonks know Lobster Mushroms as hypomyces lactifluorum, and know that the Lobster Mushroom is actually the result of a specific fungus that wraps its bright orange-red self around another wild mushroom. No, this mushroom doesn’ t taste like lobster, but its color is that of a cooked lobster. Lobster mushrooms have a pleasant…
Also known as hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, MAITAKE MUSHROOMS have a mild flavor, and go well with smoked meats such as sausage and with cream sauces for pasta. Maitakes are considered a wood mushroom. Easy to identify and certainly easy to spot at the base of dying oaks and other hardwoods, it is a polypore (fungi that…
With a delicious earthy taste, the Matsutake and its relatives are among the most sought after and prized mushrooms in the world. In the Orient, the Matsutake or pine mushroom symbolizes strength and vigor and is used in many ceremonial gatherings. It is a large, thick-fleshed, white mushroom whose cap is two to nine inches…
Eat more Morels! Although they are not mushrooms in the strict scientific sense (mushrooms are generally from a class of fungi known as Basidiomycetes, and morels and truffles are Ascomycetes) MORELS are a fungi considered to be mushrooms and have always been highly prized, especially in ancient times by Egyptian pharaohs who believed mushrooms were…
Available Monday, Oct 9! Also known as Fairy Ring Mushrooms, Mousserons have very thin stems and small, open caps with deep gills. Their texture when cooked is soft and chewy and the flavor is reminiscent of Porcinis. Imported from France, Mousserons are perfect for stuffings, soups, stews and work well when added to pasta, rice…
These cultivated little mushrooms combine the best of both worlds: The enoki’s lovely, elegant shape, and the color and flavor of the richer mushroom varieties. PERSIMMON ENOKI MUSHROOMS are grown in Japan and shipped to the United States where appreciative chefs from coast to coast await their arrival. Their golden brown caps rest atop tan…
These beautiful examples of the mushroom family are PIED BLEUS, flown in from France. Pied Bleu mushrooms are wild versions of the cultivated blue foot mushrooms grown in the United States. Pied Bleus are dry, velvety, and have a hue of striking blue. They have great texture, and are wonderful sliced into omelets sauteed with…
Pleurotus djamor is the Latin name for Pink Oyster Mushrooms (also known as salmon oyster mushrooms, strawberry oyster, flamingo mushroom, takiiro hiratake). They are, by far, the most spectacular looking of the oyster group or of any domestic mushroom. They are a bright, coral-pink when raw, but the color is lost on cooking. They are…
POM POM (Pom pom blanc) MUSHROOMS are wood mushrooms, cultivated members of the Hericium group. Pom pom’s wild relatives are known as tooth fungi, lion’s mane, monkey’s head, bear’s head, old man’s beard, Satyr’s beard, and yamabushi-take. Wild Hericium inhabit branch scars of living hardwoods or fallen logs, mostly oak 8ing from late fall to…
The PORCINI MUSHROOM is prized for its texture, rich and buttery flavor, and rarity. PORCINI is Italian for ” little pigs” , quite appropriate since they can grow up to an amazing 2 pounds! Their color is common with tan to brown tops and pale undersides, but a closer look will reveal a swollen appearance…
