During the cold dormant months, our Yakima Valley chefs crave fresh locally grown produce. Thanks to J&M Mushrooms, their umami needs are met. The Polar White Oyster mushrooms we watched Michael Bennett harvest out in Selah last week, seems to be a popular item on menus right now. We asked a few of our culinary friends what they were creating with these beauties, during the winter doldrums.
J&M’s Polar White Oyster mushrooms
“They [J&M Mushrooms] stopped by the bakery last week and had some of the oysters with them so of course I had to buy them. So incredibly delicious!”
For Valentine’s Day she made butternut squash gnocchi with roasted oyster mushrooms, Gorgonzola and asparagus. She paired it with an unoaked Chardonnay that has a good acidity to cut through the blue cheese.
Brad Masset of Birchfield Manor
“I met Michael a few years ago through a friend and started buying his mushrooms. I later learned that my dad had been buying them before me. His mushrooms are of such high quality that sometimes I design a menu starting with them, then come up with the rest of the dishes just to showcase the mushrooms. Michael is one of those guys out there, and there’s few of us left, who are fully committed to their craft and it shows.”
This week, Brad made Brandy Steak Diane with an Oyster mushroom sauce paired with Two Mountain Winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon. He also made a bone-in Washington state chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto over a J&M cultivated mushroom risotto paired with Owen Roe’s Mirth Chardonnay.
At Zesta Cucina, Freddie Milanese crafted a handmade oyster mushroom tortellini served in a brodo sauce and slivered leeks with wild mushrooms. The recommended wine pairing was a Naches Heights Vineyard Pinot Grigio or a Gilbert Cellars Riesling.
Chris Guerra of Chef Guerra’s Gourmet Catering discussed the versatility and quality of J&M Mushrooms, and how he uses them year-round.
“Michael and Terry sure know how to grow beautiful and delicious mushrooms in our valley. It’s a treat to have people so dedicated to producing such a delicate product locally that they provide to us weekly.
The best way to cook these incredibly fresh mushroom is to have a hot cast iron pre-heated on medium heat with light cooking oil for no more than 2 minutes. The oyster mushrooms contain a lot of water so cooking them any longer would be a crime.”
“Shitake & Burgundy Wine Cap mushrooms are fantastic grilled and pan seared whole or by slicing them into 1/4 inch pieces and placing them in a pre heated cast iron pan.
Pink Mushrooms are delicate and I would suggest tossing them in a salad raw or lightly sauté them on low to medium heat.
My absolute favorite thing to do once I receive the mushrooms is simply to add fresh butter, good salt, our signature seasoning (Guerra’s Gourmet Signature Seasoning), and fresh thyme leaves when available.
Once finished cooking, add fresh butter at room temperature before serving and you’ll fall in love with these mushrooms as we have.
We use these mushroom in everything we create during our summer season. They’re very versatile and easy to incorporate into any dish. Plus the flavor of these mushrooms are not comparable to what you can get in the grocery store.
I love using these mushroom for my vegetarian and vegan guests and for those skeptics of mushrooms. Yes, those who do not like mushrooms will have a different opinion once they get a chance to experience J&M Gourmet Mushrooms.”
Thanks for the photos, Chris, Jessica and Brad! We are salivating!