Shiitake Mushrooms, Raising them and cooking them

Hello folks.
I just bought some shiitake mushrooms from a friend and sauteed them. They were great! I think I'm going to try to raise some my self. Anybody out there raise them? I'm looking for helpful hints on raising them and then of course, cooking them. Where is the best place to get the spores? I plan to drill small oak logs to put the spores in and lay the logs next to a stream. Any good recipes?

I have no recipes but I love mushrooms. I used to hunt sponge mushrooms and we have a farm where they are plentiful. It is just hard to get to them.

I have seen the shiitake mushrooms in the grocery and now will buy some and sautee them.

Thank you

Slàinte,    

Patch    

Not bad but they need a bit of seasoning.

Slàinte,    

Patch    

Shiitake and Wine Sauce

1 package (3 ½ ounces) Oakshire Shiitake Mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or ¼ Teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Remove stems from Shiitake Mushrooms (use in stews, to flavor broths, etc.); slice caps; set aside. In a small saucepan melt butter. Add onion; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in vermouth, cream, tarragon, salt and black pepper; bring to a boil; boil until sauce is reduced to 1 cup, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over chicken, fish, veal, and vegetables or in baked potatoes.

Yield: 1 Cup

(From MushroomLovers.com)

Chicken and Shiitake Alfredo

1 package (3 ½ ounces) Oakshire Shiitake Mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3/4 cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
8 ounces boned and skinned chicken breasts (cutlets), thinly sliced
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup frozen green peas
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces capellini (angel hair) pasta, freshly cooked and drained

Remove stems from Shiitake Mushrooms (use in stews, to flavor broths, etc.); cut each cap in half, then into 4 to 6 slices; set aside. In a large skillet melt butter. Add red pepper; cook and stir until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add chicken and reserved mushrooms; cook and stir until chicken is tender, about 3 minutes. Add cream, peas, salt and black pepper; boil, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Spoon over pasta; serve immediately.

Yield: 2 to 3 portions about 5 cups

(From MushroomLovers.com)

Baked Crabmeat & Shiitake

1/2 cup chopped onions
1 Tablespoon chopped green pepper
3 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 oz fresh shiitake, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
Soy Sauce to taste
1/2 to1 lb crabmeat
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Paprika
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sherry mixed with 1/3 cup water
1 egg

1. Sauté the onions in butter until transparent.

2. Add the shiitake and sauté them over medium heat.

3. Add the soy sauce and spices.

4. Thicken by adding the cornstarch/water mixture and stir until the shiitake mixture is very thick.

5. Remove from heat; set aside.

6. Blend together the egg, green pepper and mustard in a blender or food processor.

7. Add the mayonnaise to the egg mixture, blending by hand.

8. Add the mushroom mix to the mayonnaise mixture, blend by hand again, then gently fold in the crabmeat.

9. Spoon the mix into a 1-quart casserole or into individual shells.

10. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the top, dust with paprika, then sprinkle with the wine, which keeps the bread crumbs from burning during baking.

11. Place the dish or shells in the oven and bake at 450° F. for 15-20 minutes.

Serves 4

Shiitake Tempura

Batter

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup or more ice

Dipping Sauce

¼ cup mirin or medium sherry
¼ cup light shoyu (soy sauce)
1cup chicken broth
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon chopped fresh ginger, if desired
Oil
Shiitake mushrooms & veggies

This dish takes only a few minutes to cook, so set the table and get the dipping bowls ready before you start cooking.

1. First prepare the Shiitakes. You can include large chunks of your favorite vegetables and add large shrimp, if you like.

2. Second, make the dipping sauce: Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan, cook over low heat until heated through and keep it warm.

3. Then the batter: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Add the egg and whip or beat. Slowly addwater until the batter is the consistency of whipping cream.

4. Set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. It should cling to your chopstick or spoon and fall off in large drops. If it’s too thick, mix in a little more water.

5. Have two sets of tongs, chopsticks or holey spoons, one for handling the battered pieces and one for handling the oily pieces.

6. Heat at least 2” of oil in a wok or heavy saucepan and heat to 375°F. (If you aren’t using an electric pan or a thermometer, drop a ball of batter into the oil. The oil is hot enough when the batter sinks to the bottom for a second, then floats to surface and sizzles a little. If it sinks and stays on the bottom, the oil is not hot enough, if it sizzles on the surface immediately, the oil is too hot.)

7. Fry the tempura on the surface only, do not place the pieces layered on the bottom and top of the oil.

8. Gently place the shiitakes and vegetables in the oil. Cook only 1-2 minutes, until golden.

9. Drain on paper towels and serve piping hot, with warm sauce in its own bowl.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

1 8-oz can or 1 cup fresh crab meat
4-18 fresh or dried shiitake caps
1 unbeaten egg white
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sherry
1 teaspoon salt

(Soak dried shiitakes in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry. Drain canned crab meat.) Shred crab into a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the egg white. Add the cornstarch, ginger, sherry, and salt. Mix well.

1. Stuff the mushroom caps with the crab meat filling.

2. Arrange them in a steamer or on a plate raised above the water in a large pot.

3. Steam fresh mushrooms for 20 minutes, until the caps begin to shrivel.

4. Steam rehydrated caps for 10 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Those look better. More choice in flavors. I will try more of them now. Just sauteed twice monthly would have been enough.

Slàinte,    

Patch    

I found them while shopping yesterday with what appeared to be white furry spots on them. I opted not to buy any yesterday as I suspected they were moldy. Any ideas? Is that normal? Last time they didn't have fur.

Slàinte,    

Patch    

just fry your mushrooms in a little butter with salt and pepper and they should be really tasty. I just heard that mushrooms are a super food with lots and lots of antioxidants. I add them to my spagetti sauce, put them on pizza, mushroom gravy is yummy over a steak, or try them in an egg and cheese omlette. Some people won't eat them because they're a fungus! Morel mushrooms are the ones that grow wild in my neck of the woods in the spring after a warm rain, if you can find them before the wild turkeys do. They are delicious rolled in cornmeal and fried in oil and butter.
A little advice, don't wash your mushrooms...take a tea towel and wipe them off.

Do you know that eating mushrooms can lower your cholesterol? And mushrooms have anti-aging, slimming properties and can also enhance your brain power? (As per the Myco Mushroom Farm @ Seletar Farmway West)

The white ’spots’ you see on the shitake mushrooms are not mould. It’s the mushroom spores which are very good for your body.

And maggiemahone1 is correct, never wash your mushrooms (whatever species), brush them off with a paper towel or clean cloth.

These recipes look good. I can't wait to try them!

One of my friends will cook them place a good size one on a hamburger bunn instead of a hamburger.

I have tried this as well. It's amazing how the Shiitake Mushroom can easily take the place of meat. It is very tasty. I have also tried a dish at the Olive Garden; Pasta filled with Shiitake Mushrooms & Cheese with a White Wine Sauce, delicious