Bourbeuse Creek Shiitake Mushrooms: Forest Farm Fresh Fungi

Until I visited Bourbeuse Creek Mushrooms at the market last week, I had never seen such beautiful shiitake mushrooms.

These mushrooms are grown on logs cut from maple trees near St. James, Missouri. The logs are drilled with holes and inoculated. After sealing the holes with wax, the logs sit for one year. After one year, the logs are soaked in water for 24 hours. The logs are then placed in a cool, dark place where they will begin fruiting. Within 5-6 days, the logs look like this.

The mushrooms are ready to harvest when the top no longer curls over the gills. Notice the plugged holes on this log.

Commercially grown shiitake mushrooms are often grown on sawdust blocks and may not have the same nutrition profile of the log-grown version. Log-grown shiitakes will have varying shapes and pure white gills. Commercially grown shiitakes may appear more uniform in shape and will have a less meaty texture. Sawdust block shiitake mushrooms can be labeled USDA organic. Check labels to see if “forest farmed” appears on the package.

“…shiitake mushrooms are an excellent source of three B vitamins (vitamins B2, B5 and B6); a very good source of one additional B vitamin (B2); a very good source of six minerals (manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, copper and zinc); a very good source of dietary fiber; and a good source of protein, magnesium, and vitamin D (in the D2 form).” – WHFoods

With my shiitake mushrooms, I removed the stems, sliced them and prepared a simple saute in order to add the mushrooms to a roast beef wrap with lettuce and goat cheese for lunch. I ended up wishing I had more mushrooms and less roast beef! They were absolutely delicious.

Visit Bourbeuse Creek Mushrooms at the Ellisville Community Farmer’s Market, Thursdays from 4-7 pm.

Stormy Week Six

Last week family obligations that me from visiting the market. Rene and I asked Valerie Dalton to cover the market as a guest blogger. As I saw the wild weather move in, I wondered what was happening at Bluebird Park. Here is Valerie’s report on the market before the rain began.

Rene described the scene as the windy storm was upon the market. “The wind and rain came in torrents. We all had to hold tents down and then many of them buckled & collapsed with the weight of the rainwater on top of them. It was quite the storm. Everything & everyone got soaked. When the rain died down, we all pitched in, worked together and took it all down…everyone was soaked and getting cold.”

Rene and George finished the night by assessing the repairs needed on the tents and drying everything out. George got to work on the tents that can be fixed this week. Only two were beyond repair.

Storms continue to hit the region this week. We all hope for a more dry Thursday tomorrow afternoon.

Rough Shop plays the market this week

The St. Louis band Rough Shop will play at the Ellisville Community Farmers Market this Thursday, July 7. With a video from their holiday show in December 2010, here’s a little Christmas in July music to help stay cool.

Healthy Harvest Gardens: Olives are here!

Photo: Healthy Harvest Gardens, Olea Estates

Karl Burgart reported in his newsletter that the much-anticipated olives arrived from Greece last week!  Healthy Harvest Gardens is packing the olives in eco-friendly containers in #1 ($15.99) and #2 ($28.99) pound size.  Orders can also be made for an entire barrel at $15/lb (27 lb barrel). When you order the barrel you will get 2 pounds free!

Healthy Harvest Gardens currently has fresh picked kale, chard, basil, turnips and some new potatoes to offer at the markets.

Karl says fresh cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, beans, potatoes, eggplant, melons, and peppers are on the way very soon.

Tell us what you love

Fresh and Fired Up with Jack Mac

Chef Jack Mac preparing farm fresh food

Chef Jack Mac stole the show last night at the Ellisville Community Farmer’s Market. With equal parts cooking instruction and demonstration, Jack MacMurray III talked easily with the crowd in his outdoor tented kitchen.

His passion for quality ingredients came through in the delicious food he prepared. “This garlic was just picked,” he would mention while prepping ingredients. Summer squash with blackberries simmered in beer started things off, followed by a warm cabbage and kale salad with a spicy dressing. Lamb sliders with a three-cheese sauce and crispy onions were possibly the biggest crowd pleasers. Market regular Mike Brabo from Vesterbrook Farm provided the lamb for the cooking demonstration. Not surprisingly, he sold out of lamb last night. Handing the last two pounds to his customer, he assured other market goers that he would be back with more next week and it will still be on special.

To learn more about Jack Mac’s Distinctive Taste, visit his website. Be sure to check out the complete gallery of pictures from Week Five at the Ellisville Community Farmer’s Market.

Sweet Neems: Chemical-free garden pest prevention

If you are a gardener looking for a way to control pests without the use of chemicals, visit Eadie Branson at the Sweet Anny’s Soaps tent this week. While surrounded by a delightful scent of homemade soap and candles, Eadie will explain how the use of Sweet Neems can control all kind of little garden bugs like aphids and scales.

Use Sweet Neem oil to control garden pests

What is Neems? Neem oil comes from the pressed seed of the neem tree and has been used for thousands of years in India. It is not only safe for humans, but is also used in some medicines. It has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics such as soaps and shampoos, and is useful for skin care such as acne treatment, and keeping skin elasticity. Neem oil has been found to be an effective mosquito repellent.

Sources: http://www.sweetannyssoaps.com/sweet-neems.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indica

At the Market: Week Five Preview

Homemade Cheese by Janet Hurst http://www.cheesewriter.com

Each week at the Ellisville Community Farmer’s Market we bring together growers, artisans, bakers, bbq’ers, and musicians. Here are some features for Thursday, June 30th:

Cheesemaking class continues with Janet Hurst, author of “Homemade Cheese”

This week in Janet Hurst’s cheesemaking class, students will learn to make cottage cheese from Jersey cow milk. Janet’s cheesemaking classes are totally hands on and each participant takes home their finished product.

Remaining class dates:
June 30, July 7, and July 14

Cheesemaking classes are two hours and start at 6 PM in the Bluebird Park Administration Building. Students receive equipment, recipes, and participate in tastings while they learn the art of cheesemaking.

Cooking Demonstration and Food Sampling with Chef Jack Mac

Reigning Taste of St. Louis Champ Chef Jack W. MacMurray III begins his cooking demonstration at 5:30 PM. His creations will include freshly prepared items from Ellisville Community Farmer’s Market vendors.

Music for Your Soul

The Rio Dio performs their Samba-Rock, Funk, Soul, Pagode, Raggae and Axe–or as they describe it “anything with soul.” Come see them from 4 to 7 PM and you won’t be disappointed.

Sweet! Bob’s Back!

Bob’s Honey will be back with honey bottled and labeled as of today!

From Asparagus to Zucchini…

http://www.macsac.org

I can’t wait to start trying the recipes in the CSA “bible” I picked up from Mike Brabo at Vesterbrook Farm last week. “From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce” is a recipe collection by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition and is now on the third edition.

Each vegetable has its own mini-chapter with a brief overview and history, preparation and storage tips, and anywhere from four to a dozen recipes where it is the star of the dish. I’ve marked one recipe from each vegetable that I want to make this year. By familiarizing myself with the book, I can be ready when I see these vegetables appear in the market stands. Here are a few the ones I’ve picked from the early chapters.

Asparagus – Simply Delicious Asparagus Soup
Beets – Beet Chocolate Cake
Bok Choy – Stir Fried Bok Choy with Cashew Sauce
Cabbage – Apple and Wine Braised Red Cabbage
Carrots – Carrot Almond Cake
Cauliflower – Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad with Apples and Raisins
Chinese Cabbage – Napa Noodle Egg Rolls
Fennel – Tangerine and Fennel Salad with Mixed Greens

In addition to the easy-to-use layout, I also like the variety of recipes provided. Look for pictures of these recipes this season on the blog.

“From Asparagus to Zucchini” by The Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition  http://www.macsac.org

Week 4: At the market

Bluebird Park hosts the Ellisville Community Farmer's Market each week through the summer

The only dark clouds over the farmer’s market last night were the ones up in the sky. Thankfully they kept blowing by, leaving cooler temperatures for everyone to enjoy the summer evening even more.

This week a few new vendors joined: Contained Beauty, Oakwood Herbs and Cindy’s For The Birds. The Buckhannon Brothers entertained the crowd with their mandolin, guitar and jokes.

The children's market quilt will grow new squares each week

Highlights from week 4:

• Cheesemaking class started
• Laurel started a quilt in the children’s market
• Ellisville Dog Park initiative gained support

View the complete photo gallery for Week 4.