Our caller today, Leah, lives in New York City. Leah called because she loves the four-times-weekly Farmers Market in Union Square, New York. Honestly, I’m with her. Overall, I love farmers markets, especially this one, which is huge. Leah told me she loves checking out all the vendors to pick out her produce, herbs, and even local cheeses and meats.
Leah: But I found myself avoiding this vendor entirely, the Mushroom Guys.
centimeter: Oh well.
long: and, [inaudible 00:01:01].
centimeter: Mushroom guys, or should we really say mushroom guys, are a staple at the Union Square Farmers Market, and they have a lot of mushrooms to choose from.
long: Not just the standard baby bella white button mushrooms that I buy and use at the grocery store, but there are also these really cool, interesting varieties of mushrooms from lion’s mane to shiitake mushrooms that are really funky. I found myself staring longingly from a distance, wishing so badly to shop there, but I didn’t know what to buy. And then when I thought about preparing them, I thought, there has to be a very specific way to cut this, or cook this, or prepare this, because they look like they’re from a different planet. It was just a tent I was afraid to go near.
centimeter: Now, you mentioned baby bella or cremini mushrooms. Are you really making mushrooms that style?
long: So I bought them and I cooked with them in a basic stir-fry style and I did find that when I bought them at the grocery store and cooked with them, they came out bland. They are a little sticky or slimy. I’ve been to places like China and Vietnam for work and I’ve had these amazing mushroom dishes. I love watching Top Chef and whenever someone makes a mushroom dish everyone talks about umami and I wanted to experience that and I wanted to create a dish where mushrooms were the star.
centimeter: Have you ever tried to talk to anyone at a booth out of curiosity? No judgment.
long: No, I haven’t.
centimeter: Yes. Well, I think ultimately my goal is for you to be able to walk up to what I’m sure is a very friendly mushroom guy who will be super excited to help you on your journey and let you go, “Okay, I guess Ask for half a pound of blue oyster mushrooms and half a pound of maitake mushrooms, that’s what I want to do and boom, get going.
long: Yes, this is my dream.
centimeter: Leah’s mushroom scare really stood out to me because, well, she was right. Some of the varieties popping up on farmers’ market mushroom stands lately don’t necessarily look like other things we eat. The bottom line is, mushrooms have many different use cases. People use them medicinally, as a meat substitute, and as a flavor enhancer, all of which goes to show that the world of mushrooms is big. So if I’m going to help Leah, I need to go beyond recipe suggestions. After a short break, conduct a field trip. We are now in the antechamber of the Mushroom Man’s lair.
