Mushrooms

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies produced by some fungi. The typical Mushrooms look like umbrellas. They consist of a stalk topped by a flat or cup-shaped cap. Their spores are produced on special cells called basidia, located on the underside of the cap.

There are more than 2,000 mushroom species exists And among them, Some are edible and delicious, while the remaining are poisonous. The poisonous mushrooms are used to be called as "toadstool".

Mushrooms are not formed until temperature and moisture conditions are right for them. During mild or warm weather, they often appear 7 to 10 days after a good rain.

Some Commonly Popular Mushrooms

• Shiitake: (Lentinula Edodes) Shiitakes have led the way for other mushrooms acceptance in local and national markets. They can be grown on straw or fresh cut hardwoods, have a very well understood culture and can relied on for timely harvests. There are many very specific strains, some are better suited to certain regions or temperature regimen, while others are classified by either indoor or outdoor culture.
• Agaricus: "White Button" (Agaricus. brunnescens) and "Portobello" (Agaricus portobello) also known as "Italian Agaricus".
• Enoki: Also known as Enokitake mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes) and the winter mushroom.
• Reishi: "Ganoderma lucidum" is widely used in the orient for its' medicinal properties.
• Lions Mane: Considered to be edible and choice by mushroom fanciers. Hericium erinaceus is claimed to taste like lobster. Produces cascading, icicle-like clusters that enlarge to baseball size.
• Hen Of The Woods: Also known as Maitake and Grifola frondosa (Polyporus frondosus). This mushroom has rapidly gained popularity and can produce enormous (up to #100) mushrooms. These prefer hardwood stumps.
• Morel
• Maitake
• Nameko(Pholiota nameko): Japans No.2 mushroom after shiitake, very edible and is considered to be very choice; And are very easy to produce.
• Oyster: Pearl (Pleurotus ostreatus), Pink (Pleaurotus djamor), Grey (Pleurotus pulmonarius and P. sajor-caju), plus several others. These are prized for their oyster-like flavor and ease of culture
• Patty Straw: (Volvariella violaceae) This is one of the oldest mushrooms in cultivation and is very simple to produce in some kind of controlled temperature growing area due to their high temperature (86-95F) demand.

Some eating tips
- Do not eat mushrooms raw.
- Eat only mushrooms in good condition.
- Eat only one kind at a time and do not eat large amounts.
- Eat only a small amount the first time; even morels, generally considered to be excellent, may cause illness/allergy in some persons.

A collection of Mushroom Recipes
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/vegetables/mushrooms/mush-coll.html

(Herbed Mushroom with White Wine)

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a cool season, crop garden vegetable belonging to the cabbage or cole family.

Few select varieties are: Snow Crown (early), Super Snowball (early), Self Blanch, Snowball 1 2 3. Cauliflower's maturity ranges from 60 days for early hybrids, 90 days for main season, to over 100 days for late varieties.

Cauliflower is best cooked barely tender, and snowy white.

Cultivation FAQ
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/cauliflo.html

Beet root

Ancient Greeks called the beet as teutlion and used it for their leaves, and both as a culinary herb and medicinally. The Romans were the first one to cultivate the plant for its root, and they also used the beet for medicinally purpose.

Beets contain a significant amount of vitamins A and C and also calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, protein and carbohydrates. Beets are also high in folate, dietary fiber and antioxidants.

They are high in betaine which is prescribed to lower toxic levels of homocysteine (which contributes to the development of heart disease, stoke and peripheral vascular disease). The highest levels of vitamins and other nutrients are available when the vegetables are eaten raw. The beet greens are high in vitamin A.

The juice of white beets has been used for cleansing digestive quality to “open obstructions of the liver and spleen – good for headache and all affections of the brain. The juice is also good for “blisters and blains of the skin and as a decoction in water and vinegar cleanses the head of dandruff and relieves running sores and ulcers.” White beet juice is also helpful for preventing baldness and shedding of hair. Red beet juice is known to help with yellow jaundice and when the juice is put in the nostrils, it is helpful for ringing in the ears and toothaches. It was used to treat illnesses relating to digestion and blood. Beet leaves were used as binding for wounds.

In folk medicine a decoction from seeds was used as a remedy for tumors of the intestines and seeds boiled in water were a cure for genital tumors. When uridine is isolated from sugar beets it can be used with omega-3 to alleviate depression. Today beets are used as a universal cure-all and are used in the treatment of AIDS. Beets are recommended as a general tonic and help disorders of the blood, are an effective detoxifier and recommended to relieve constipation because of their high fiber content.


(uprooted beet roots)