Conference turris::cooks

    Wow, where did your sister get this "Mushroom Garden" from?  Was it by
    chance through a catalog of some sort?
    
    As for what to do with your crop, why eat them, of course!  Adding them
    to a stir fry would be my first choice.

I want one.  Would you please find out where/how this mushroom farm can be
had.


use them in everything;

soups 
salads
stir-fry
gravies
sauses
pickled
sauted (sp)
etc...

Thanks
Steve

    please post it where we can get it... I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT AT HOME!
    I go crazy looking for oyster mushrooms in the woods during fall...
    Good oyster mushrooms are great when grilled...
    wash them well and keep stems facing up, springle plenty of minced
    garlic over them, minced parsley, salt and pepper and a good drizzle of
    OLIVE oil and put under the grill for about 10 to 15 minutes... enough
    to see them a bit turning color...
    
    (I could eat them, that way, for breakfast, lunch and dinner and still,
    not get tired of them)

saute mushrooms in butter to which you have added just a drip of fresh
lemon juice...season lightly with white pepper and salt to taste.  Serve
over broiled chicken breasts, over broiled steaks, over broiled salmon
steaks.  Serve on toast, covered with monterey jack cheese and placed
under the boiler just until the cheese melts - a great open-faced veggie
salad that is even better if the toast is sourdough.

Add the mushrooms, lightly sauted in olive oil, to a fresh tomato sauce
for pasta....you know, fresh peeled, chopped and drained tomatoes, garlic
pressed and sauted in olive oil, all tossed together and heated just to 
be hot and tossed with fresh cooked linguini.

slice mushrooms into a light, clear chicken broth....cook just until the
mushrooms are barely cooked (a few minutes at a simmer), remove from heat
and season with some fresh parsley and scallions, salt and/or soy sauce
to taste.  Serve as a first course.

Toss raw into salads and dress with a vinegarette.

Please DO post the source of that little mushroom farm....I NEED THIS. 8^}

Sounds neat. What do oyster mushrooms taste like? Can anyone compare
them to some other mushrooms? Do they have a strong flavor? Or are they
fairly mild like "ordinary" mushrooms?

taste is subtle...but slightly more distinctive than the regular old white
"chef's hat" variety.

    You can get those mushroom gardens from a catalog called "Cravings".
    I don't have mine with me, but I have the catalog at home.  I'll get
    their number and bring it in.
    
    I think they were under $20.
    
    One look at the Cravings catalog and you'll want to order at least half
    of the stuff they sell.  They have the neatest items you'll find
    anywhere.  Besides the mushroom gardens, they sell chocolate hazelnut
    tortes, plum pudding, chocolate pecan cheescake, special syrups,
    special jelly, Kentucky Derby Pie, Virginia Hams, etc...  It's a great
    catalog.
    
    Renee

  Oh, this sounds like it might be interesting. Renee, could you please
  post the address or 800 number for the Cravings catalog when you have
  a chance? Thanks.

I, too would love to get one of these.  Idylwilde Farms in Acton sells the fresh
Oysters for anywhere between $6 and $9/lb.  They make a great side dish to 
accompany most meats.  I love a mix of oysters, chanterelles, crimini and 
white mushrooms steamed briefly with a little water to get the natural juices 
flowing, then sauteed in a touch of olive oil.  This basic mix can be flavored
with a little garlic, or onion, or butter, or ginger, or soy, or cognac, yeah
cognac that's it.

As for more ideas what to do with lot of oyster mushrooms, add them to shrimp 
scampi, or veal/chicken marsala, or chop them and mix with rice pilaf, or as 
stuffing for game hens, or add them to risotto ala milanese.

And when your family finally gets to the point where they say "ENOUGH!", call
your favorite fancy restaurant, ask to speak with the chef, and say "My mushroom
garden has exploded with too many fresh oyster mushrooms.  Interested in a
bunch?"  Maybe you'll get a free dinner out of it.

    The 800 number for Craving's is:
    
    			(800) 272-8466

    WOW!!!  I didn't expect quite such a reply to my request.
    
    Thanks !!!! so much for all the hints.  I have never had oyster
    mushrooms, although I have eaten mushrooms (the old white variety) in
    may ways.
    
    I don't know for sure where this strange looking thing came from, but
    we sure are having fun.  This morning, my son said "Mom, there are MORE
    mushrooms - what are we going to do with these???"
    
    Well, I am having a friend over for supper tonight.  Guess what is on
    the menu?  I think I will just saute them in butter, oil and garlic. 
    
    I've got to tell you all, this thing is prolific.  I hope you can find
    them, they sure are fun.  I will ask my sister for sure where she found
    it and get back to you.
    
    Thanks again for the encouragement and ideas.  This is turning into the
    most fun present I received.
    
    Ellen

    to .11
    I've eaten oyster mushrooms many, many times and you should be aware of
    one thing, the wild variety, (the ones picked up in the woods) tend to
    be a little bit slimy, that's why to served them grilled is so good,
    the flavor is very delicate, and of course, it is top choice.  The ones
    you "grow" in your kitchen, are they a bit slimy or totally dry? if
    they're dry, just like other types of mushroom, you can prepare them
    any way you like.  I took some courses to be able to identify the
    "edible" from non-edible mushrooms and we love to go out and do some
    mushroom-picking for snacks after a walk through the woods... when in
    doubt, we get a print of any doubtful speciments and just wait for
    results before attempting doing anything with it...
    Chicken mushrooms, a "cousing" of the oyster mushroom is also delicious
    in spite of its bright orange color... but has no "gills" or "spores"
    
    (I can hardly wait to get my hands on one of those "suet-looking garden
    balls)...
    

    The mushrooms that are taking over my kitchen counter are not at all
    slimy.  They are dry, much like the standard white mushrooms one buys
    at the local market.
    
    I'll post my results with them tomorrow (unless they turn out to be the
    poison ones, in which case......  Never can tell with my sister!!)
    
    Ellen

    I bought both the Oyster Mushroom Garden and Shitake Mushroom 
    Garden from "It's from Oregon".  They are producing very well, and
    it's really neat to have fresh mushrooms.  
    
    However, the two gardens cost me $39.95.  I don't expect more than
    7-8 pounds (judging from the directions) in total from the combined
    gardens.  This is not a cheaper alternative than buying them.  But,
    it is certainly interesting to watch!

    I have a cookbook called the "Edible Mushroom" which I bought from the
    WGBH auction.  It speaks to all kinds of mushrooms, and how they 
    are naturally grown.  
    
    Ideas that I can remember are chinese style, in calzone, in alfredo
    sauces for pasta, dried for later use...
    
    We made pasta primavera with our first crop.
    
    Saute Broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, dried tomatoes, red onions, etc.
    with LOTS of garlic, olive oil, butter... 
    
    Pour over pasta and top with parmesan.  Really easy, delicious and
    nutritious.  
     

My winter favorite is Mushroom Stew with warm sourdough bread!

Creamy mushroom soup...

Sauteed lightly in oil, garlic and basil along with some yellow peppers...

You lucky person, neat gift for a 'food' person!


 

    If I had been a good girl maybe Santa woud have given me the mushroom
    garden. I would have thrown them on skewers to make kabobs. I would
    have stufed them. I would have thrown them in my home made spagetti
    sauce and I'd have a special place for the in my stuffing. Yum yum.
    Maybe next year.
    
    Kate ;^D

    Well, folks, for all you who are hankering for one of these, by all
    means go find one FAST.  It produces probably the most tasty mushrooms
    I have ever eaten.
    
    Last night's dinner was wonderful.  I served Chicken Cordon Blue,
    Basmati Rice, carrots and pea pods cooked in orange juice, and the
    mushrooms sauted in white wine with garlic and basil.  Topped the
    dinner off with a bottle of Corvo white wine and a Black Forest Torte.
    
    The Mushrooms were wondeful.  They have a very mild flavor, not at all
    the musty flavor of the store variety.  My son mixed them with the rice
    and declared that it was scrumptious (of course, when you are 19,
    anything that fills the void is scrumptious!!!).  My friend was
    intrigued not only with the taste, but with this strange looking thing
    on my kitchen counter.
    
    All in all, I declare this gift a rousing success.  Buy one for
    yourself, give one as a gift to a friend who loves to cook, buy one for
    the kids to grow as a fun project (and reap the benefits yourself),
    whatever..  But by all means, if there is any way possible, get
    yourself a mushroom garden.  I take back all those things I said and
    thought about my sister.  She really came through this time!!!!
    
    Ellen
    

    I just called the Cravings 800 number.
    
    Their mushrooms are of the Shitake variety.  Unfortunately, they are
    out of stock on this item until some time in February.  The person on
    the phone said they were approximately $23 + $4.95 for shipping and
    handling to the East Coast (I asked about Mass and PA specifically).
    
    Anyone know of somewhere else this can be ordered from?
    
    Susan

    I checked over the weekend with my sister.  This mushroom garden came
    from Cravings.  It is an Oyster mushroom variety.  However, it was
    ordered last October (my sister is soooo well organized!)
    
    Hope you can find them.
    
    Ellen

    I was talking to a friend this weekend and they had just received a
    copy of the new Michigan Bulb catalog.  There is a mushroom garden in
    this catalog.  I don't know what the variety is.  I belive the price
    was 14.95 plus shipping.

    re. 22 - Jim, you may want to read up on Michigan Bulb in the Garden
    notes file before making your decision.  Remember, you get what you pay
    for....

    I tried the Michigan Bulb mushroom farm a few years
    ago and it didn't work out very well %-).  I got two
    *really good* mushrooms for alot of work, frustration
    and worry.  The two mushrooms were a big hit in the
    salad at a party though :-).
    
    Good luck!
    
    cheyenne

    
    Well, liking mushrooms as much as I do, I bought one of the Oyster
    Mushroom Farms from Cravings.  It arrived Friday so it'll be a while
    before I get the first crop, but I'm looking forwards to it. Idylwilde
    Farms sells Oyster Mushrooms for 10.95 a pound.  According to the
    literature enclosed with the mushroom farm, you should get 3 to 5 
    harvests of 1 to 1.5 lbs or more depending on the environment. It
    appears to be made of a conglomeration of seeds, not unlike bird seed,
    and is "knitted" together with the mushroom spawn.  All you need do is
    to keep it very moist, in an area of diffused light, and in a
    relatively cool area.  I'll post an update when it goes to fruiting
    and let you know what I think about this little novelty.
    
    Larry

    Larry,
    
    Good luck and enjoy your crop. By the way, it won't be all that long
    before you get any mushrooms.  Mine took about 4 days to start.
    
    I am still getting mushrooms. As advertised, the crops are getting
    more sparse, but the mushrooms seem to be getting bigger.  I now have
    about a half dozen large mushrooms each week - enough to put on chicken
    on Friday night.
    
    The hardest thing I found with this was keeping it moist enough during
    these dry months.  I have always kept the platic bag that comes with it
    over it, but it still tends to dry out in about 8 hours.  It also never
    seems to go into a stagnant state like they said.  I am ALWAYS getting
    mushrooms!!!
    
    Ellen

    
    Hi Ellen,
    
     It looks like I'll get my first crop over the weekend.  I started it
    a week ago today, and it's loaded with mushrooms now.  This morning
    some of them were about an inch wide.  I'm amazed at how much they
    grow in a day !  I"m glad to hear that you're still enjoying yours.
     
     It's a real glutton for water as you mentioned.  I try to spray it
    frequently, but it absorbs the water quickly, even with the bag over
    it.  I've been leaving it in the kitchen sink with the faucet dripping
    on it all night, then I move it near a window in the morning. It grows
    a lot overnight.  
    
    - Larry

    Hi,
    
    I loved your story and so I ordered the catalog from Cravings
    and then the oyster mushrooms.  It's a bit scary to see those
    mushrooms grow!  I am keeping everyone here at work supplied
    with lots of mushrooms and have ordered a garden for my parents.
    I think that even my Mom who doesn't have a green thumb will
    do OK with it.  Thanks for the tip!!

    I ordered the shitaki garden from Cravings and it arrived w/o
    instructions.  When I call them they said they would send the
    instructions right out.  That was 2 weeks ago.  Could someone out there
    help me out by either posting the instructions here?
    
    Thanks

    
    re: .29
    
     Assuming that the instructions are the same as the oyster mushroom
    garden ...
    
    The mushrooms will remain dormant until you start keeping the medium
    moist.  Essentially, place the medium (the loglike mass) upon an 
    inverted plate, and place the inverted plate into a larger plate
    so that the medium is above the level of any water that may collect,
    
    i.e ...
                              -------------
                             |             |
                             |             |
                   Medium ...|             |
                             |             |
                             |             |                          
                            /---------------\ ....... small plate
                       ----------------------------
                       \__________________________/ .... large plate
    
    Next, keep it moist by spraying it with water frequently.  For the 
    first few days, they say you may place the plastic bag over the 
    medium to maintain a high moisture level.  Once the mushrooms 
    start growing, you can leave the bag off.  At nightime, you can 
    leave the whole thing under a slowly dripping faucet.  The idea 
    is that mushrooms usually grow in the rain so they like a lot of
    moisture.  Wipe up any water that builds up in the plate.  
    
    Once they start getting to a point where they're approx 1 1/2 inches
    in diameter, you can cut them off or break them off and eat them !!
    
    Hope you like mushrooms cause you'll get a bunch of em.  I'll try to
    post the actual instructions from the pamphlet over the weekend.
    
    My instructions were for the oyster mushrooms, but I'd be willing to
    bet that they're essentially the same.
    
    Regards, Larry