Week of Simple and Tasty Food

Monday

In one of last week’s supermarket flyers one item caught my attention: Real Parmigiano Regiano on sale at less then half price! Wow, got to have that, and lots of it!

Vacuum packed and ready for fridge.

Choice of the supper for that day had to have a Parmigiano in it, of course and since while back I made a big batch of spicy meatballs and tomato sauce and vacuum packed them, the meal was a breeze to prepare.

Wednesday

Russet Potato, Yukon Potato, Sweet Potato and Celeriac.

In the morning I started to crave for mashed potatoes. Not your regular, boring job but mashed root vegetables. I used Gold Yukon and Russet potatoes (baking and mashing potato variety), Sweet Potato and Celeriac. After mashing I added, as I always do, green peas. Served together with caramelized Vidalia onions and juicy pork chops made a really satisfying comfort food to match the lousy weather outside.

 Friday

In the morning it looked like we are going to have a nice grilling weather but as the dinner hour approached it turned cold and windy. The steak I wanted to grill had to be cooked inside. It turned out better then I expected! Tender and juicy and I served the steak on a bed of Napa cabbage and with fresh shitake, steamed asparagus, fresh tomatoes and roasted potatoes. Very, very nice indeed!

Saturday

Nice sunny day outside called for a light meal and since we didn’t have cooked salmon for a while I have decided on a good standby of Salmon Teriyaki with rice and cucumber salad. Foolproof and no fuss meal if you have teriyaki sauce on hand as I always do. We can have this meal every week and in summer we do, I think.

Grilling Season is at the door and I can’t wait. Last week I bought frozen sardines and I want to grill them first chance I get. The whole fish gets grilled with just a salt and pepper, squeezed lemon and fresh Italian bread or baguette with some greens on side and we will have a feast!

We love to eat in our sunroom and to see our garden. Soon, the flower beds will be full of flowers in bloom, starting with tulips and daffodils.

Shiitake Mushrooms Update

Well, it looks like I was a bit too optimistic when it comes to my very first harvest of Shiitake Mushrooms. I have sent email to Ken Fosty from Gourment Mushroom web store where I bought my spores and asked him to have a look at my post. He did and here is what he told me:

“Wow, great job. Nice site too.

The incubation period is one year.

Once it warms up, move the logs outdoors into shaded, moist location.

You'll be in mushrooms approx June, 2012”

So, all I can do is wait. Next post will be when I can see something happening.

Bummer, I had my fork ready J

I am growing Shiitake Mushrooms!

No, it is not picture of my log. Just a wishful thinking.

Let me rephrase that: If everything works out as it should, I will be growing Shiitake Mushrooms by late summer or early fall.

For couple years now, I was looking at the possibility of growing my own Oyster or Shiitake mushrooms or both. There are quite a few kits listed on Internet and seed catalogs so it’s not hard to get them. To start the “mushroom farm” you get inoculated plugs and then, in the case of Shiitake, you get freshly cut White Oak log between 2-1/2” and 5” diameter, drill holes in zigzag pattern 2” and 4” apart, drive the plugs in, set it in cool and moist place and wait. And then wait some more. Then, 6 months to a year later you can harvest your very own mushrooms. Apparently the log will keep producing for up to 8 years.

I will be posting updates when something is happening with the logs.

Getting the kit is easy part. What struck me as odd was fact that even though I now live in a country, I found it very difficult to get hold of freshly cut white oak branch. I have solicited help from my friend (retired farmer) and after I located nice branch that was ready to be cut in an overgrown patch of friend’s bush he got his trusty chainsaw and truck and off we went. Not even half an hour later we were back with very fresh wood.

 I cut it to manageable size logs on my chop saw, drilled the holes and hammered in plugs that were already showing signs of white mold. I wonder if I started too late but I had no choice. In retrospect, maybe I should have got hold of the wood first or at least have a reliable source. Well, I am learning something new every day.

Holes are drilled, plugs are inserted and ready to be driven in.

Plugs allready show a sign of mold.