We have Fungus on the brain this month at Alcheringa Cottage Farm. We are very excited to now stock Shoalhaven Gourmet Mushrooms in our store online, and will have these delightful fungus at the Batehaven Markets with us on the third Sunday of every month.

Mushrooms have a colourful history, from Ancient Egypt where Pharaohs thought Mushrooms the plant of immortality – where it was deemed only royalty were worthy of the plant. To the ancient Chinese and Greeks that thought mushrooms would increase super human power and strength.

France was the leader and pioneers of mushroom cultivation and it was not until late in the 1900’s that mushrooms were taken across to the United States. In the 1980’s the first book about mushrooms was written by William Falconer titled: Mushrooms: How to Grow Them; A Practical Treatise on Mushroom Culture for Profit and Pleasure.

It seems that one thing humans have shared and thought about mushrooms is that they are a special and precious food source. Deemed ‘meat for vegetarians’ mushrooms are a great plant source of protein and iron. Its no wonder the ancient civilisations held this super food with such high regard.

According to the Nutritiondata website, mushrooms are 37% protein and: This food is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin C, Folate, Iron, Zinc and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin D, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Selenium.

We want to celebrate this marvelous and nutritious new product in the Alcheringa Store, by sharing 5 different ways to prepare mushrooms. If you have other great recipes or ideas, jump on our Facebook page and start a conversation about these brilliant little buttons!

Raw in a salad

This seems obvious, but many people do not realise how wonderful button mushrooms are, thinly sliced in a garden salad. It’s a wonderful way to add a nutritious boost to your next plain green salad.

Grilled On the BBQ

Larger mushrooms can be grilled like a vegetable steak, while smaller button mushrooms can be grilled whole. The addition of butter and herbs makes this a tasty BBQ vegetable!

A great tip is to skewer button mushrooms or add to your favourite kebabs for grilling! A great alternative for the Vegan and Vegetarian guests at your next BBQ.

Mushroom Soup

Creamy mushroom soup is a real winter warmer. The key to a good mushroom soup is to allow the mushrooms to really brown, before adding liquid. This allows the full flavour of the mushrooms to develop. Check out our Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe here.

Mushroom Pizza

Pizza is just not quite the same without thinly sliced mushrooms. The addition of basil, garlic, olives and fresh South Durras tomatoes now in store, makes for an Italian delight.

Mushroom Risotto

A creamy mushroom risotto is a delicious meal for lunch or dinner. The butter, white wine and garlic complements the texture and flavours of button mushrooms famously.

These are just 5 but there are hundreds of ways to use mushrooms. Get in touch, ad let us know your favourite way to use these marvelous, delicious and nutritious wonders.

Check out this amazing Grilled Mushroom recipe by Jamie Oliver.

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe, thanks for visiting our website.

Jess

References

http://www.mushroominfo.com/history-and-background/

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2482/2

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/rice-recipes/grilled-mushroom-risotto/

Experiencing fresh local produce...

Alcheringa Cottage Farm offer Delivery and Click and Collect services to residential and commercial customers in South Durras, Batemans Bay, Surfside, Batehaven and Surf Beach areas. Orders need to be $20 or more and are to be placed on or before midday Wednesday.

We also hold a stall at the Batehaven Markets and offer Click and Collect from the Farm Gate on Thursday afternoons. Orders for click and collect also need to be placed on or before midday, Wednesday.

We have been blessed with a mild winter, so far here on the Far South Coast NSW. The Farm has experienced cold frosty mornings, warm sun kissed fields in the midday and mild afternoons. Although the middle of the day has been warmer, the cold nights still call for the crackle of the fire and warm fresh homemade soup.

Alcheringa Cottage Farm now stocks fresh, local and organically grown Shoalhaven Gourmet Mushrooms in our store. Creamy Mushroom Soup sprang to mind, when I opened the box to see, smell and taste some of the freshest and firm mushrooms I had tasted in years.

A thick and creamy mushroom soup is a lovely winter’s lunch with a fresh crusty loaf of bread. But it can be heavy. The addition of cream can make any soup thick and high in fat. This ‘creamy’ mushroom soup recipe has a smooth and creamy consistency from the use of a little flour and milk. A slightly lighter alternative to thick and heavy dairy cream.

The replacement of the cream also allows for full dairy alternatives to be used (for the butter and milk ingredients,) for those wanting or needing to avoid dairy all together.

A drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of minced herbs makes for a wonderful garnish to this Simple Creamy Mushroom Soup recipe.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1kg sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 8 ounces; 225g)

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour (45g)

1 cup dry sherry or white wine (235ml)

1 cup milk (235ml)

5 cups (1.2L) chicken or vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

pinch salt

Method

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are well-browned.Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.Add garlic and cook until fragrant.Add flour and stir to combine.Add sherry or wine and cook until reduced by about half, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.Add milk, chicken stock, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs and stir to combine.Bring to a bare simmer and cook for 20 minutes.Using tongs, remove bay leaves and thyme.Blend soup with an immersion blender or in batches using a countertop blender.Season to taste with more salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice (if desired).Serve immediately.

To increase the mushroom flavour, used mixed mushrooms and brown them well. This brings out the flavour of the mushrooms, nicely.

Enjoy as a cup of soup on a cold winters afternoon, or impress your guests at a dinner party with this lighter creamy mushroom soup as an entree.

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe, thanks for visiting our website.

Jess

Experiencing fresh local produce...

Alcheringa Cottage Farm offer Delivery and Click and Collect services to residential and commercial customers in South Durras, Batemans Bay, Surfside, Batehaven and Surf Beach areas. Orders need to be $20 or more and are to be placed on or before midday Wednesday.

We also hold a stall at the Batehaven Markets and offer Click and Collect from the Farm Gate on Thursday afternoons. Orders for click and collect also need to be placed on or before midday, Wednesday.