BELLOWS FALLS — Whether or not you grew up foraging lion's manes or hens-of-the-woods, stalking the wild mushroom has become much easier in southern Vermont. In fact, you have to go only as far as your local farmstand or farmers' market to find delicious, succulent varieties.
In recent years, many area farmers have added cultivated “crops” of this wild delicacy to their offerings - natives such as oyster mushrooms and wine caps, and exotics such as shiitake.
“There's not a ton of agroforestry products, but this is a cool crop,” Kate Bowen of Meadowdale Farm in Putney said. “We're trying to maximize as much square footage as possible.”
Bowen and her husband Mark grow shiitake, wine caps, and oyster mushrooms in their sugar bush, making double use of that part of their forest. They've grown them on logs and in wood chips, and they've even used a totem-pole method.
“We're still in the beginning stage, but we hope to branch out next year to include turkey tail,” she said. Although it takes many months to get a variety started, she said, the process of growing mushrooms is fairly hands-off unless it is really dry and you have to water them.
“You can easily do it at home,” Bowen said.
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Locally grown mushrooms are available from May to October. Extremely nutritious and a great source of B vitamins and minerals, they have a considerably deeper flavor than those shipped to New England from other regions. Plump and meaty, they keep a little longer in your refrigerator as well.
Connor Cash and his company, 1Up Mushrooms, in Westminster West, offers a cultivated strain of our local wild pearl oyster mushrooms, and they are popular at the Bellows Falls Farmers' Market. His crop is grown indoors in an environmentally controlled room in a “drafty old barn,” a new use for that structure, he said.
The weather has been warm this fall, and Cash said he'll harvest until the temperature starts dropping below 40 degrees. This temperate weather has been a bonus, but it can also cause the mushrooms to grow too fast.
This is the company's first year in production, and 1Up sells only retail so far, but it might expand to wholesale.
“This is a learning curve,” he said, adding that he, too, plans to add new varieties next year.
Cash's mushrooms were originally produced from wild spores and are genetically identical to those natives.
“They are very happy to be mass produced,” Cash said.
His favorite way to enjoy them? Prepared simply, he said, such as in a stir-fry.
I agree. In addition to stir fries, mushrooms are great additions to soups, stews, and omelets, or as a side or topping. There's nothing better than mushrooms sautéed in butter and olive oil served atop a toasted piece of sourdough baguette, or just a simple bowl of mushroom soup.
But when I say “wild mushrooms” to my family, they immediately think risotto. It is one of our favorites because it is both delicious and fun to make.
Wild Mushroom Risotto
This traditional Italian rice dish is created by slowly adding hot broth in batches to arborio, a short-grained, starchy rice, which is now widely available. The already flavorful local mushrooms get an extra flavor boost in this recipe with the support of the dried.
For an even deeper flavor, you can replace some of the wine with cognac. I've also experimented with different cheeses. Parmesan is the classic, but Vermont Shepherd's Verano is my new favorite in this dish. Its nuttiness pairs beautifully with the mushrooms, and local is always best.
Of course, if need be, you can substitute any favorite mushroom - just look for one that has a deep flavor, such as crimini.
Although absolutely delicious, I must confess, mushroom risotto is rather a boring dish to look at. It is brown on brown, and has to be dressed up, especially if company is coming! I add the peas for color and a pop of texture. You could use asparagus in spring, or green beans in the summer. The red pepper is here to provide a colorful accessory. The parsley is pretty, too, and the lemon brightens it up, but it doesn't hurt to serve it with bright orange carrots on the side, and I always reserve some of the sautéed fresh mushrooms to garnish.
We prep everything early in the day, then share the cooking and ritual ladling of the broth together. It's a nice time to talk to each other, and there are no hands available for holding electronic devices!
¶1 oz. dried mushrooms of choice
¶2 cups water
¶1 quart vegetable or chicken stock, heated
¶3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
¶1 Tbsp. butter
¶1 lb. mixed fresh oyster and shiitake mushrooms
¶2 large shallots, fine dice
¶{1/4} cup red pepper, fine dice
¶3 cloves garlic, finely minced
¶1{1/2} cups Arborio rice
¶1 cup dry white wine
¶1 cup frozen peas, thawed
¶{1/2}cup grated Shepherd or Parmesan cheese
¶Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¶{1/4} cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Place the dried mushrooms in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit for at least a half hour. Remove the mushrooms from their broth and dice them up if there are large pieces. Return them to the broth, combine with the quart of vegetable stock, and place on a low burner to heat to a simmer.
Cut the fresh oyster mushrooms into 1-inch pieces, and slice the shiitakes, leaving the odd one whole for visual interest. Dice the rest of the vegetables and have them ready.
In a deep skillet, over medium-high, heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and the butter. Add the fresh mushrooms and sauté until they are fragrant and browning. Remove from the pan and set aside. (Don't wash the pan - you will want to make use of the glaze on the inside of the pan. This is gold!)
Return the pan to the heat. Add the rest of the olive oil, the shallots, and the red peppers. Sauté until soft, and add the garlic, stirring for a minute or so until the fragrance is released.
Reduce the heat to just above medium. Add the rice, and stir until completely coated with the oil; you don't want to brown it, but you want it to get well-mixed with the vegetables and oil.
Add the wine to deglaze, and stir until it is almost totally absorbed by the rice. This step won't take long. Reduce the heat to just below medium.
Once the wine is absorbed, ladle the stock to the rice 1 cup or so at a time. Stir until a wooden spoon makes an almost-dry trail through the rice, then add more liquid.
Adjust the heat as necessary; you want the liquid to be bubbling, but not boiling fiercely. The rice will begin to release its starch, which will start to thicken the liquids.
The process of adding the stock and stirring should take from 17 to 20 minutes. You will want the sauce to be creamy and the rice to be separate, but still with body or “tooth” to it.
Your end result will be a loose plate of soft, creamy rice that moves as you tilt your plate.
Once you are at the right consistency, stir in the reserved fresh mushrooms (save a few for garnish), the lemon zest and juice, the peas, and the cheese. Sprinkle with the parsley.