Mushroom Recipes
According to The Guardian* ‘mushrooms are having a moment’ – cultural depictions of fungi are proliferating; experimentation into the effects of ‘magic mushrooms’ has returned to modern medicine; and after one of the wettest summers on record local, wild mushrooms are flourishing. This is extremely positive as the subject of mushrooms has long been neglected in global discussions of sustainability.
The root system of mushrooms is called mycelium and is very effective at cleaning the pollutants from soil and water** – there’s even reports of mycelium cleaning up oil spills***! Mushrooms can be used in micro forestry where they can kill sickness in other plants – making them natural doctors of the environment. Mushrooms are even breaking through into the world of fashion, they can be processed into a vegan material that looks and feels exactly like leather.
As if all these reasons weren’t enough to get on board the mushroom train, they are absolutely delicious! From portobello to shiitake, oyster to porcini – they’re a versatile and umami ingredient, as these tasty recipes prove.
*The Guardian, Issue 2/12/21
**Permaculture, Using Fungi To Clean Up Pollutants | Permaculture magazine
***Vice, The Plan to Mop Up the World's Largest Oil Spill With Fungus (vice.com)
****The Guardian, Issue 2/12/21