A Mycophilia Interlude

Our #diykitchen renovation project should be taking all our time, but we're distracted by babies. Tiny seedlings, baby chicks, and these exciting newborns.

Way back in the late autumn, I built a bed of wood chips, straw, and oyster mushroom spawn. It was old, suspected non-viable spawn from Swainway Urban Farm worthwhile only of a couple hours effort towards experimental outdoor mushroom growing.

When I saw tiny chocolate lumps, I knew they were mushrooms but they looked nothing like the oysters Swainway Urban Farm cultivates regularly. As the outdoor primordia grew, covered by fabric to shade and retain moisture, the tops flared and developed their characteristic scent of the sea. We have a bed of wild growing oyster mushrooms!

Coincidentally I was reading Eugenia Bone's Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms as our oyster mushroom mycelium was running. My brain soaked in Eugenia's journey from a culinarily-motivated hobby hunter to a seasoned amateur mushroom expert. Written like a memoir but full of scientific accuracies, Mycophilia goes deep inside the worlds of wild mushroom harvesters, research mycologists, psychedelic mushrooms, and gatherings that include all aspects of mushroom love and lore.

Mycophilia sheds light on the wild and mysterious kingdom of fungus. Fungus live among and within us, in many ways that we barely understand. A few species can kill humans, many are benignly inedible and several are among the healthiest (and tastiest) things to eat. Fungi have potential for remediating oil and toxic spills and they are critical to healthy soil. Eugenia Bone shares all these facts and more in her easy-to-read, fascinating book, recommended for anyone who wonders about mushrooms.

A Mycophilia Interlude

Our #diykitchen renovation project should be taking all our time, but we're distracted by babies. Tiny seedlings, baby chicks, and these exciting newborns.

Way back in the late autumn, I built a bed of wood chips, straw, and oyster mushroom spawn. It was old, suspected non-viable spawn from Swainway Urban Farm worthwhile only of a couple hours effort towards experimental outdoor mushroom growing.

When I saw tiny chocolate lumps, I knew they were mushrooms but they looked nothing like the oysters Swainway Urban Farm cultivates regularly. As the outdoor primordia grew, covered by fabric to shade and retain moisture, the tops flared and developed their characteristic scent of the sea. We have a bed of wild growing oyster mushrooms!

Coincidentally I was reading Eugenia Bone's Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms as our oyster mushroom mycelium was running. My brain soaked in Eugenia's journey from a culinarily-motivated hobby hunter to a seasoned amateur mushroom expert. Written like a memoir but full of scientific accuracies, Mycophilia goes deep inside the worlds of wild mushroom harvesters, research mycologists, psychedelic mushrooms, and gatherings that include all aspects of mushroom love and lore.

Mycophilia sheds light on the wild and mysterious kingdom of fungus. Fungus live among and within us, in many ways that we barely understand. A few species can kill humans, many are benignly inedible and several are among the healthiest (and tastiest) things to eat. Fungi have potential for remediating oil and toxic spills and they are critical to healthy soil. Eugenia Bone shares all these facts and more in her easy-to-read, fascinating book, recommended for anyone who wonders about mushrooms.

Pea Shoot Pesto {Recipe}

Pesto is the simplest sauce in the world. All you need are fresh herbs, a little salt, and oil. Basil is traditional but you can use any seasonal herb. You can even use a mortar and pestle or lots of knife work instead of a blender or food processor.

And yet, there are secrets to making a bold, balanced pesto.

First, don't skimp on the fat. Oil creates a smooth texture while holding the color and flavor of the herbs. Use high quality oil because the flavor comes through the final product. Oil also tones down the strong flavor of the greens. To prevent freezer burn, top a container of pesto with a layer of oil before freezing.

Always add a little acid. A splash of lemon juice or vinegar balances the richness of the oil and preserves the color.

Experiment seasonally. Basil pesto is a classic in the summer but don't leave pesto behind in the other seasons. Play with spinach and kale in the fall and microgreens in the winter and spring. I developed this recipe for customers of Swainway Urban Farm to sample at the farmers' market. Simply adapt the recipe below to your ingredients on hand!

Pea Shoot Pesto Recipe

2-3 garlic scapes (1/4-1/2 cup) or 1-3 cloves garlic 1 bag (2.5 oz) fresh pea shoots 1/2—1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup olive, grapeseed, or sunflower oil 1 teaspoon white or rice wine vinegar

1. Wash scapes, removing both ends, or peel garlic. Chop roughly. 2. Place garlic, peashoots, and salt in food processor or blender. 3. Blend, drizzling in oil and vinegar as the mixture purees to your desired consistency. 4. Serve as a dip with veggies, spread for bread, or sauce for pasta. 5. Store in the fridge with a light covering of oil for up to ten days or freeze for future use.

Playing with Fresh Ginger in Ohio? {Friday Five}

Earlier this week, my friend Joseph, the farmer behind Swainway Urban Farm, gave me samples of his latest product. It's ginger. Fresh, pink Hawaiian ginger, planted early last spring and harvested now.

I went through my standard methods to try a new fruit or vegetable. I ate some raw and it didn't pucker my lips like grocery store ginger does. I cooked some gently and came away with tender slices, none of the stringy dry texture of the sat-on-the-shelf-too-long roots. Even the stems are tasty to chew on. In short, I played with an entirely new ginger.

Specifically, here are five ways I enjoy fresh Ohio ginger:

1) Candied in honey water - I simmered slices in a light honey syrup and then dried them. These will be perfect sore throat lozenges in the winter.

2) Ginger syrup - Don't waste what's left in the pot when the ginger slices are removed! I mixed the honey ginger syrup with rye whiskey and apple cider vinegar and served in a cinnamon sugar rimmed martini glass for a gingersnap cocktail. Yum!

3) Tops as decor - Ginger greens are spiky, adding interest to an arrangement or on their own.

4) Infused in vodka - you knew I would, right? Ginger flavor infuses in a mere three to four days.

5) Atop soba - This ginger is so fresh that it was a pleasant biting condiment to an umami-rich noodle soup. The amazing orange egg is from Cota farms!

You can pick up some of Joseph's fresh ginger (it's organic too!) from the Swainway booth at the Clintonville Farmer's Market tomorrow and every Saturday until the supply runs out. Or, come see the ginger in its 'natural habitat' at the Movie night & Terra Madre fundraiser at Swainway Urban Farm this Saturday, September 22 at 6:30 pm. I'll be there!

Swainway Urban Farm

Innovative. Compact. Sustainable. Friendly. Swainway Urban Farm is a new model for growing.

Settled on a large lot in Clintonville Ohio, Joseph Swainway and partner Jess Billings (of Jess Bee Natural lip balm fame) have a half acre empire dedicated to growing edibles in an earth friendly way.

Their farm grew out of a desire to provide themselves with healthy fresh food. As their interest deepened, their garden grew to the point of being able to give and sell the excess to friends and family. Soon, restaurants came calling and Swainway Urban Farm was born.

In 2011 the farm applied for and received Organic status by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association.

Minimizing garden inputs is one goal of the farm. Joseph maintains several large compost heaps designed to produce rich organic matter to return to the soil. Part of the motivation for growing edible mushrooms was to use the spent mushroom beds in the compost. The enzymes found in the mushroom compost 'closes the loop', as these nutrients are unavailable from traditional plant compost.

The farm was also founded to be an educational resource for home growers and healthy eaters. Jess and Joseph are eager to share gardening and cooking advice at their Clintonville Farmer's Market stand. They are participants in the Clintonville Farmer's Market children's program where kids visit and help work on the farm. On August 7 from 2-4 pm the farm will be open for a tour through OEFFA.

Joseph and Jess gave intern Keara and I a tour in mid-April. The farm was in the midst of seedling production. Heirloom seed starts grew under artificial light and then were transfered to the large greenhouse. They were transplanted into four inch pots for selling at the Clintonville Farmer's Market and Clintonville Community Market.

Joseph and Jess also grow a wide variety of produce for restaurant chefs and farmer's market shoppers. From early spring through the fall, the farm provides radish, kale, and pea shoots. Shitake mushrooms have been a popular item for years and this spring Joseph debuted oyster mushrooms. Lettuces, herbs, greens, tomatoes, carrots, and more are available seasonally.

Keara had this to say about visiting Swainway: "Rachel introduced me to two amazing, hard working farmers, Jess and Joseph. They live in an urban area and yet are still driven to have the most sustainable lifestyle possible. I was in awe of their backyard as they used every inch they could for gardening purposes.

Never before had I thought that such comprehensive farming was possible in urban Columbus. Seeing how they went about it I could tell they put an enormous amount of work into their extensive garden. Jesse and Joseph obviously care deeply about a healthy lifestyle for themselves as well as the Earth. Witnessing how they live makes me want to let everyone know that even though you might live on a street by a busy city with long rows of houses adjoining your house doesn’t mean that you can’t have a significant farm in your backyard."

Added to Hearth and Soul 51.