Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the morning with Jim Rockwell, from Toby Run Growers, at the North Market Farmers’ Market. I was preparing samples of Jim’s shitake and oyster mushrooms for the shoppers who braved both the disruption of Park Street festival and the rain. For those of you who didn’t see these beauties, I wanted to share some photos.
The shitakes were good too, but I was captivated by the yellow oyster mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms are so called because the shape is reminiscent of an oyster, but some people also think there is a similarity in flavor. They come in a wide variety of colors from gray to pink. At home, our mushroom logs sporadically produce brown and blue oyster mushrooms. Jim grows his mushrooms indoors, mostly on sawdust and therefore does not need to use any chemicals in the process. The question of the day was whether they needed to be washed before use – Jim says no.
I wanted to prepare the mushrooms as simply as possible so that people could really taste their flavor. I sauteed them in a mixture of butter and olive oil with a touch of salt and they were delicious. The smell of the mushrooms cooking had a slightly eggy aroma that reminded me of omelettes. They were so good that even after spending the morning cooking them I wanted to take a box home for lunch. At home, I sauteed them with some garlic scapes and used them as an omelette filling. They would also be good as an accompaniment to a steak, on a pizza, or on toast points.
Jim also sells his mushrooms at the Worthington Farmers Market.
