> FRESH BITES: MUSHROOMS
Oddball variety cinnamon caps boast full and earthy flavour, along with an irresistible orange colour and cooking versatility
Ask for hypholoma sublateritium in a supermarket and you may get some strange looks. But stop by the Evergreen Brick Works or Wychwood farmers markets on a Saturday morning and mushroom growers Shannon Coleclough and Sean Declerc will happily introduce you to their clusters of leggy orange cinnamon caps, ready to sauté and serve.
The jaunty caps, also called brick tops, are one of 18 oddball varieties the couple produces at Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms near Orangeville. Hypholoma, an indigenous mushroom, grows out of 7-pound (2.7 kg) bags of sterilized bran and oak chips that mimic their original habitat in the woods.
“We sell more shiitakes and oyster mushrooms because people are familiar with them,” says Declerc, a tool and die maker who transformed his grandfather’s livestock farm into a fungi farm in 2007, “but they can’t resist the cinnamon cap’s beautiful orange colour.”
Unlike shiitakes, both the cap and skinny stems are edible. They cook up crisp, with loads of earthy (not cinnamony) flavour. Declerc adds them to soup and stirs them into risotto, but his favourite pairing is with eggs — tossed in a scramble or wrapped in an omelette. He also recommends pan-fried cinnamon caps as a scrumptious side for grilled steak or salmon.
The firm texture and full flavour of mushrooms grown on wood, as opposed to everyday white and brown mushrooms grown on compost, is creating an explosion of interest in these exotic locally grown varieties, says Dan Branson, Loblaw’s senior director of produce.
“People are experimenting with new flavours,” says Branson, “and the meaty texture and savoury umami taste of a king oyster, shimeji, enoki and our new black oyster mushroom are completely different than what we’re used to in North America.”
Shimeji is almost identical to the cinnamon cap, he notes, with a darker brown cap and no white specks.
Back at Brick Works, a photographer stops to take a photo of Declerc’s weird and wonderful display.
“My booth is where art meets food,” he says. Buy & Store
Fresh and Tasty grows cinnamon cap mushrooms from late September until June. For a list of GTA market locations, check freshandtastymushrooms.com.
Wild cinnamon caps appear in September.
Choose firm, fresh-looking mushrooms with a uniform colour.
Store loose mushrooms in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator.
Packaged mushrooms keep well in the fridge. Once open, transfer to a paper bag.
Mushrooms keep for a week but are best used within a few days of purchase.
Don’t worry if you find particles of growing medium clinging to mushrooms. They’re grown under sterile conditions and bits are easily brushed or wiped off. Prep
Trim off hard bit at the bottom and break cluster into individual mushrooms.
Wash just before use. A damp paper towel or soft brush work best; don’t submerge or mushrooms will be waterlogged and take longer to cook.
Cook cinnamon caps whole to retain their crunchy texture or chop into bite-sized pieces.
Use in any recipe calling for mushrooms. ’Shrooms Rule Sauté: Be sure mushrooms are dry, oil is very hot and don’t crowd the skillet or they’ll steam instead of brown. Cook until they release their juices; keep cooking until the liquid evaporates and they start to brown. Add minced shallots, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Grill: Preheat grill or broiler. Lightly brush caps and stems with oil or marinade; season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) from heat until tender, turning once and brushing again with oil to keep them moist. Microwave: Place 8 oz. (227g) whole or thickly sliced white or brown mushrooms in a microwaveable bowl. Cover and cook on high 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once. Season to taste. Roast: Place mushrooms in a shallow baking pan in a single layer. Toss with 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in a 450 F (230 C) oven, stirring occasionally, just until brown and fragrant.
Baked mushroom frittata
This earthy egg dish with a hit of licorice tarragon makes an easy spring lunch or brunch. I used a mixture of cinnamon caps, shiitake and cremini. Try shimeji! 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 shallot, minced 12 oz. (350 g) mixed mushrooms, cut in bite-size pieces 6 large eggs 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh tarragon or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried 1⁄ tsp (2 mL) salt 2 Freshly ground black pepper to taste 3⁄ cup (185 mL) shredded Gruyere 4 or Emmentaler cheese (50 g) 2 tbsp (30 mL) minced chives or parsley Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20 cm) square baking dish.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and sauté garlic and shallot until soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, increase heat to medium high and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs just until blended.
Stir in tarragon, salt, pepper and cooked mushrooms. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with cheese.
Bake 20 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle with chives, slice and serve hot or at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings. Cynthia David is a Toronto-based food and travel writer who blogs at cynthia-david.com.