Monotropa uniflora (Indian Pipe)

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Created on Wednesday, 12 January 2011 08:27

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Monotropa uniflora is a strange and interesting plant that some of you may have come across in your mushroom hunting adventures.

So, you’re probably asking what a plant is doing on a mushroom site? Well, what makes Monotropa uniflora so interesting is that this plant does not get its energy from the sun … instead; it’s a parasite that hosts on certain fungus. The fungus that this plant feeds off of lives in a symbiotic relationship with other plants.

Basically, the Monotropa uniflora takes a really long about way to gaining its energy from other plants, instead of producing its own.

You can see more pictures in the Monotropa uniflora gallery.

How to Use Mushrooms in Cooking

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Created on Monday, 10 January 2011 03:12

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The possibilities when it comes to cooking with mushrooms are plentiful!  Here are a couple ideas of ways to use mushrooms:

Sauted- on burgers, on steak, on chicken, with white fish, served with onions, with herbs, in stir-fry's (try shitake, enoki), in omelettes

Baked- with roasts, on pasta, mixed with rice, risotto, as a burger patty (portobello)

Raw- on salads, on veggie trays

Please share your mushroom cooking ideas with us in the Community pages.

How to Cook Wild Mushrooms

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Created on Monday, 10 January 2011 02:59

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Cooking with wild mushrooms is similar to cooking with button mushrooms.  You want to remember to always use high heat, and to sear them until they are golden brown.

Step One- Clean and Slice

Using a vegetable scrubber, dry paper towel or any type of cleaning tool, brush off the outside of the mushroom, making sure to remove all signs of dirt and debris.  Briefly run under water to help this process.  Slice mushrooms however you would like to.  Small mushrooms are best left whole.

Step Two- Saute or Roast

To saute the mushrooms, use a frying pan over high heat with butter or olive oil.  Garlic always adds a lovely flavour to this as well.  As the mushrooms cook, you will notice a liquid developing, continue to saute until this liquid is gone, and/or until the mushrooms are golden brown. At this point, you can add herbs and onions to compliment the mushrooms.

To roast the mushrooms, toss the sliced or whole mushrooms in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.  Bake in a 400 F oven for around 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Chantrelles with Risotto and Corn Recipe

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Created on Sunday, 19 December 2010 19:37

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Chantrelles with Risotto and Corn

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz chantrelles, trimmed, cleaned, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 3/4 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped