There is, in my and many locals’ opinion, nothing better than a Hazel Dell mushroom. They are quite simply the best mushrooms you can buy around here. They really make a meal.

Now, I don’t eat red meat, so the entire meal was actually a grilled steak topped with a mushroom saute, hon tsai tai, and freshly baked bread with Camembert cheese. I just ate the side dishes…

I sautéed some shiitake and cremini mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. I added a little white wine and let them cook a little before adding a tablespoon or so of dehydrated chopped shallots from Savory Spice Shop. Everything is better when Savory Spice Shop is involved!

And my dinner was: bread and cheese, mushrooms, and greens… but it was perfect for me.

I must give my thanks to Mark at Ollin Farms for introducing me to Hon Tsai Tai. Since I joined Ollin Farms’ CSA, I have a feeling this summer is going to be one of culinary experimentation with whatever they give me in my weekly share of organic veggies. I’m definitely up for the challenge.

Hon Tsai Tai, however, wasn’t really a challenge. I treated it like broccoli rabe and was pleased with the result. It also went well with some Hazel Dell mushrooms.

I chopped the hon tsai tai into reasonably sized pieces and sautéed them in a little olive oil and chopped garlic for just a few minutes until they softened and turned deep green. Then sprinkled it with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. This was really simple and really good.

Spring garlic smells absolutely amazing. Especially when you cut into it.

I had some spring garlic from Jay Hill Farm, and fresh shiitake and cinnamon cap mushrooms from Hazel Dell, so I wanted to put them together in a dish.

I decided to make a stir-fry with some carrots and firm tofu that had been frozen, thawed, and pressed.

First, I sliced 4 bulbs of the spring garlic, 1 carrot, 1/2 pound of mushrooms, and cubed the tofu.

Next, I heated 1 TB of olive oil and 1 TB of butter in a wok. When that was hot, I added 1 TB of freshly grated ginger and let that get hot before adding the mushrooms and tofu. I moved this around in the wok a bit to distribute to buttery goodness as evenly as possible before adding the spring garlic and a couple tablespoons of soy sauce.

I let this cook on medium high for 10 minutes or so before adding a little more olive oil and the carrots.

Next, I squeezed 1/2 lemon, mixed it up, and added a big handful of coarsely chopped turnip greens. I mixed those in, sprinkled the top with a tablespoon or so of Cambodian Lemongrass Curry Powder from Savory Spice Shop, mixed again, and let it cook a few minutes until the greens turned a vibrant green.

I served it over brown rice and drizzled a little the following dressing, which made enough to drizzle on two plates plus extra to put in my Spring Garlic Broth:

• 2 TB soy sauce
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp Sambal Oelek (Asian Chili Paste)
• 1 TB Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce)

Enjoy.

Fresh from the farm to the table. Heirloom tomatoes, green pepper, and Hazel Dell mushrooms on bamboo skewers. Marinated in:

• 2 TB maple syrup
• 1 TB olive oil
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1 TB soy sauce

Grill for a few minutes, turning them at least once. Don’t let all of the tomatoes burst! A perfect summer meal.