In this issue:
New - Mycopia organic mushrooms
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Organic mushrooms
Mushrooms are an
essential ingredient in many dishes, but you don't hear much
about them. Despite the relative lack of press on
mushrooms, demand is growing. This is especially true
of certified organic mushrooms.
In response to this
demand, Goodness Greeness is introducing an exciting new
line of tasty, nutritious mushrooms. While we've
supplied organic mushrooms for years now, this new line
offers more variety and improved quality and consistency in
new convenience packaging.
These new mushroom
products have, in fact, been sold to fine chefs throughout
North America for some time now. But due to increased
planting and harvesting, they are now available to all of us.
Grown organically by
Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. of Sebastopol, California, these new
mushrooms products are sold under their "Mycopia" label:
Mycopia Alba
Mycopia Baby Oyster
Mycopia Cinnamon Caps
Mycopia Trumpet Royale
Mycopia Chef's Mix
Mycopia Exotic Variety
Health
tip
Before we get into the
details these new items, let's take a moment to dispel a
myth about mushrooms. For reasons unknown to me,
mushrooms are commonly thought to have little nutritional
value. However, the truth is that mushrooms are high in fiber and
protein and provide quite a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Further, researchers
around the world have found that the various fungi in
mushrooms serve to support immune functions, help in
improving blood circulation and detoxify metabolic and
environmental toxins.
Mushrooms also play an
increasingly important role in medicine by
providing fungi for anti-tissue rejection, cancer treatments
and anti-inflammatory products.
Meet
Mycopia mushrooms
Here are quick intros to
some of these
new mushrooms, courtesy of the Mycopia web site (www.mycopia.com).
Mycopia
Alba
 The
versatile Clamshell™, also known as Hon- or Buna-Shimeji, is
distinguished by its mild shellfish flavor. It's
quarter-size caps with 2 to 3 inch white stems retain a
crunchy texture even after sautéing. We recommend a hot
sauté to coax the most flavor out of this mushroom. The
taste may be further enhanced with garlic or shallots. The
Clamshell™ is a pleasant addition to seafood soups or
bisques, stews, sauces, or stir-fries. They have a good
shelf life, and both the creamy white caps of the Alba
Clamshell™ or the marbled appearance of the Brown Clamshell™
are attractive in produce and restaurant presentations.
Mycopia
Baby Oyster
 The
Baby Oyster Cluster™ has a strong visual appeal. Clusters of
the blue-grey caps are contrasted against creamy white
stems. The texture follows with a silky feel to the palate.
They are an excellent accompaniment to fish or poultry
dishes. These mushrooms should be cooked in a hot, fast
method such as sautéing, grilling, or flash broiling. Brush
the Baby Oyster Cluster™ with olive oil, sprinkle with herbs
and then bake in a hot oven for 2 to 3 minutes; when served
in clusters, they make a wonderful appetizer. The mildly
shellfish-flavored mushrooms are delicious when bunches are
dipped in a light batter and prepared tempura style.
Mycopia
Cinnamon Caps
 Cinnamon
Cap™ have small, terra-cotta colored, nickel-sized caps
sprinkled with white flecks and poised on creamy 2 to 3 inch
stems. Their crunchy texture and mild, earthy flavor,
coupled with their unusual color and exotic appearance make
them a wonderful complement to dishes with meat, fowl, or
game. Cinnamon Cap™ are also a delicious addition in red
wine reductions. Since this mushroom retains its texture
after cooking, it is excellent for use in soups and sauces,
and enhances vegetable and meat sautés when cooked hot and
fast. An ordinary pizza becomes a gourmet dish when the
mushrooms are sautéed in this manner, sprinkled over the
pizza, and then briefly baked in a hot oven for a couple of
minutes. Another nice feature of the Cinnamon Cap™ is that
it may be stored frozen.
Mycopia
Trumpet Royale
 Trumpet
Royale™ has a wonderful nutty flavor, a resilient firm
texture, and an amazing shelf life. Chefs in some of the
country’s finest restaurants have remarked on its
versatility and will often use it in place of wild
mushrooms. It has a great range of flavor, depending
on the preparation style. It can be sautéed, grilled,
braised, stewed, or broiled. Unlike many mushrooms, the stem
has the same wonderful texture and flavor as the cap –
nothing is wasted. The stem may be sliced into medallions
and prepared like seared scallops… Trumpet Royale™ offers
endless opportunities for creativity!
Other
mushrooms
In addition to
these new items from Mycopia, Goodness Greeness also
provides many other varieties of organic mushrooms,
including:
Portabella
Crimini
White
Shiitake
Baby Bella
Mushroom
Recipes
For some
tantalizing and creative recipes using mushrooms, check the
Recipes page on the Gourmet Mushrooms site. Let us
know when you're ready to serve one of these dishes - we'll
be there!
Contact
us
You can find
a great selection of organic mushrooms - along
with a broad selection of fresh organic
fruits and vegetables - from Goodness Greeness at your local market.
Email us
at
newsletter@goodnessgreeness.com if you can't find them and we'll help you
locate them.
Access
newsletters online
As you know if you've
been reading this weekly newsletter each week, there is a
lot of information provided on organic fruits and vegetables, their
nutritional qualities, availability, shopping and
preparation tips, as well as some recipes.
You can now access most of
the past issues of Organics for you on our web site (www.goodnessgreeness.com).
Click on the Newsletter link at the top of any page on the
site. There you'll find a quick index to most of the past
issues.
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