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Mushrooms are the true jack of all trades in the kitchen. Whether delicately creamy, spicy or savoury: with their refined aroma and versatility, they enrich both classic dishes and modern creations. However, mushrooms are exciting for more than just their versatility in dishes. They also impress with their health benefits.
Mushrooms are naturally low in calories and virtually fat-free. This makes them ideal for anyone who wants to enjoy healthy food without compromising on taste.
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THE FASCINATING WORLD OF MUSHROOMS
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FUNGI IN A CULINARY CONTEXT
HIDDEN ECOLOGICAL HEROES
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DIY – MUSHROOM CULTIVATION
The substrate forms the nutritional basis for mushroom cultivation. Materials such as coffee grounds are great for beginners, as they are already largely germ-free due to the brewing process. Straw or wood shavings are also suitable: chop the material into small pieces, pour hot water over it and leave to steep for a few hours. Then drain the material well until it is only slightly damp. This creates an ideal foundation on which the fungal mycelium can later spread.
Once the substrate has cooled down and is only slightly damp, the mushroom spawn is incorporated. You can purchase this in plug form or as sawdust spawn from specialist retailers or online. Spread the spawn as evenly as possible in the substrate and mix it in carefully so that the fungal mycelium can spread everywhere later. Make sure that you work with clean hands or gloves to avoid introducing foreign germs.
Simple buckets, plastic bags, jars or special growing containers are suitable for cultivation. It is important that the substrate receives sufficient air after it is added to the container. To ensure it does, make small holes or slits in the container. This allows the mushrooms to „breathe“ later on and then emerge. Loosely fill the substrate with the mixed mushroom spawn and then seal the container with a lid or plastic film.
After being added to the container, the substrate first needs to rest so that the fungal mycelium can grow through it completely. Place the container in a warm, dark place (around 20–24 °C is ideal) for two to four weeks. During this time, a white network forms and gradually spreads across the entire substrate. Once the contents are evenly mixed, the next phase can begin.
The actual formation of the mushroom begins during this phase. This requires different conditions than the resting phase: place the container in a brighter location without direct sunlight. Also ensure the container is in a place with fresh air and keep the environment moist. The alternation between light and darkness signals to the mycelium that it should form fruiting bodies. The first small mushrooms appear.
The first mature fruiting bodies appear after one to three weeks. Harvest the mushrooms as soon as the caps have reached their typical shape. To do this, carefully twist them out by the stem or cut them off just above the substrate. With good care, several harvests are usually possible, allowing you to enjoy fresh mushrooms over several weeks.
DIY – PRESERVING MUSHROOMS
For the herb oil:
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DIY – CRAFT IDEA
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For the bass fillet steamed with thyme:
4 sea bass fillets
100 g carrots
100 g celery
100 g leeks
100 g onions
8 sprigs of thyme
100 ml white wine
salt, pepper
For the potato and mushroom stir-fry with cranberries:
600 g baby potatoes
200 g mushrooms
200 g king oyster mushrooms
40 g cranberries
1 clove of garlic
Salt, pepper, caraway seeds
For the horseradish and beetroot sauce:
40 g prepared horseradish
100 g beetroot, cooked and peeled
100 g cream
1 tbsp cornflour
Peel the carrot, onion and celery and julienne them. Wash the leek and slice it into thin slices. Heat some rapeseed oil in a pan and sauté the julienned vegetables. Add thyme and deglaze with white wine and a little water.
Season the sea bass fillets with lemon pepper and salt, place them on the bed of vegetables, cover the pan with a lid or foil and bring to the boil briefly. Then remove the pan from the heat and steam the fish for about 10 minutes with the thyme.
Wash the baby potatoes and cook them with a little caraway and salt. Once cooled, cut the baby potatoes into quarters. Cut the button and king oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Fry the baby potatoes in a little rapeseed oil in a pan, add the mushrooms and chopped garlic and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the cranberries and keep the potato and mushroom stir-fry warm.
Strain the steamed vegetables from the pan and purée the resulting stock with cream, beetroot and horseradish in a blender. Bring the sauce to the boil briefly and thicken with cornflour.
Arrange the julienned vegetables on plates, place the fish on top and drizzle with the horseradish and beetroot sauce. Serve the potato and mushroom stir-fry separately if desired.
For the marjoram meatballs:
1 onion
5 sprigs of marjoram
600 g mixed minced meat
2 eggs
80 g breadcrumbs
salt, pepper
rapeseed oil
For the fall pumpkin curry:
300 g Hokkaido pumpkin
200 g shallots
400 g mushrooms
300 g broccoli
1 tbsp red curry paste
100 ml white wine
400 ml coconut milk
salt, pepper
rapeseed oil
Finely dice the onion and sauté in a pan with a little rapeseed oil until translucent. Place the onions in a bowl and leave to cool.
Wash the marjoram, chop finely and add to the onions. Add the minced meat and eggs and mix well.
Gradually work in the breadcrumbs until the mixture no longer sticks to your hands. Season with salt and pepper and shape into eight meatballs.
Fry the meatballs in a little rapeseed oil on both sides until golden brown.
Remove the seeds from the Hokkaido pumpkin and cut into cubes approximately 2 cm in size. Cut the shallots into large pieces.
Sauté the pumpkin and shallots in a pan with a little rapeseed oil until the pumpkin turns golden brown.
Quarter the mushrooms and cut the broccoli into small florets. Add the button mushrooms and broccoli to the pumpkin and sauté briefly. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the red curry paste to the vegetables and sauté briefly. Deglaze with white wine and add the coconut milk. Simmer the curry over medium heat until the vegetables are cooked.
Arrange the pumpkin curry on plates and place the marjoram meatballs on top.
For the hummus:
1 tin of chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp tahini
rapeseed oil
cumin
coriander
salt, pepper
For the roasted peppers:
2 yellow peppers
rapeseed oil
salt, pepper
For the king oyster mushrooms:
160 g king oyster mushrooms
rapeseed oil
salt, pepper
1 tbsp light balsamic vinegar
2 stalks of parsley
For the dill-parsley oil:
2-3 sprigs of dill
2 sprigs of parsley
rapeseed oil
For the garnish:
4 slices of rustic bread
10 radishes
1 handful of Affila cress
Drain the chickpeas and place them in a tall container together with the lemon juice, garlic, tahini, rapeseed oil, cumin and coriander. Puree everything thoroughly.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice if desired.
Quarter the peppers and remove the stalks and seeds.
Marinate with salt, pepper and a little rapeseed oil and bake in the oven at approx. 200 degrees until the skin turns black.
Remove the peppers from the oven, rinse them under cold water and peel off the skin.
Quarter the king oyster mushrooms and cut them into slices approx. 1 cm thick.
Sauté in a pan with a little rapeseed oil, salt and pepper.
Deglaze with a tablespoon of light balsamic vinegar and stir in finely chopped parsley.
Heat approximately 100 ml of rapeseed oil in a saucepan and add the sprigs of dill. Fry briefly.
Pour the oil through a fine sieve into a tall container.
Pluck the parsley and purée it with the dill oil.
Toast the rustic bread in a pan until crispy.
Spread the hummus on the bread.
Place the roasted peppers on top of the hummus, followed by the king oyster mushrooms.
Arrange the radish slices on top of the mushrooms and garnish with Affila cress.
Drizzle with the dill-parsley oil and serve.
For the quinoa bowl:
300 g quinoa
400 g Hokkaido pumpkin
400 g oyster mushrooms
240 g tinned chickpeas
80 g endive
40 g pumpkin seeds
1 orange
½ handful of beetroot sprouts
For the marjoram pesto:
2 sprigs of marjoram
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 tbsp olive oil
40 g Parmesan cheese
20 ml light balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic
2 sprigs of parsley
For the chickpea balls:
80 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
Salt, pepper, curry
Rapeseed oil for frying
Additionally:
Juice of one lemon
Salt, pepper, sugar
Rinse the quinoa in a sieve and cook in plenty of salted water for approx. 15 minutes. After cooking, drain and leave to dry. Marinate with curry powder, lemon juice and a little salt.
Cut the Hokkaido pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and cut into strips about 1 cm wide. Fry in a pan with a little rapeseed oil until golden brown, season with salt and pepper and deglaze with balsamic vinegar and a little sugar. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to steam for about 5 minutes.
Tear the oyster mushrooms into strips and fry them in a pan with rapeseed oil. Season with salt and pepper.
For the chickpea balls, finely purée the chickpeas with flour, garlic, parsley and baking powder in a blender. Season with salt, pepper and curry powder. Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls and fry in a pan with plenty of rapeseed oil until crispy all over.
For the marjoram pesto, roast the pumpkin seeds in a pan and place them in a tall container. Add marjoram, rapeseed oil, olive oil, Parmesan and garlic and purée into a pesto using a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and finish with a dash of lemon juice.
Peel the orange and cut it into segments.
Pour the quinoa into a bowl and arrange the toppings such as pumpkin strips, fried oyster mushrooms and chickpea balls in a circle. Tear the endive salad into small pieces and add to the bowl. Finish everything with marjoram pesto and a little lemon juice. Garnish with beetroot sprouts and serve.
