Experimenting with 'shrooms!

Okay, so I'm not referring to a foray into hallucinogens...it's a bit more tame than that. This week I placed my order for 4 logs inoculated with shiitake mushroom spawn from Mycosource. Apparently I just have to soak them in cold water, rap them with a hammer once or twice, and forget about them in a shady place for awhile. Word on the street is that I should be able to harvest a couple of pounds of fresh shrooms...ahem, I mean shiitakes, from each log...for the next 4-5 years! To a novice backyard garden geek like me, the idea of growing my own shiitake mushrooms this season with next to no work is mind boggling in it's own (non-hallucinogenic) way.

Shiitakes are gaining recognition for their health benefits. They contain lentinan, a component praised for anti-tumour properties. There is also evidence that shiitakes can lower cholesterol and stimulate the immune system. If that doesn't get you interested in mushrooms, then maybe the fact that they are just so much fun will. Get a load of these cool facts about growing mushrooms:
You soak the log in cold water to simulate winter...then they grow, you harvest them, and you soak them in cold water to simulate winter again which shocks them into growing again. Cooler still is the reasoning behind the hammer raps. The idea is that the jarring from the hammering simulates a tree falling in the forest onto the log. The mushrooms get the message that there is a new log to colonize and to get a move on and grow already!

Oh, the magic of mushrooms...heehee.

Coconut Convert

I hosted a "nutrition night" last night that included a fair bit of wine, but also heaps of accessible yet detailed information from Lauren at Ginger Roots. I was happy to hear that I was on the right track with my recent coconut conversion! Up until a few months ago, I thought coconut oil was a no-no because it's a saturated fat. Apparently, it's actually a pretty good bet for cooking because it's naturally saturated, (not "hydrogenated" artificially, leading to trans fats) so it remains stable when heated, and it's easily digested. I appreciated Lauren's hint that I can even use it as a moisturizer in a pinch.

My new addition to the weekly rotation uses coconut oil and coconut milk. A close cousin of this recipe arrived in our weekly organics box from Mama Earth Organics and after a few experiments, I ended up settling on something like what you'll find below. It's a got a hint of curry, and a tropical feeling much needed in this slushy month of March. Even though the curry powder has tumeric, I like to add a fair bit extra. The book Anti-Cancer makes an excellent case for tumeric as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Keep in mind that it is necessary to combine it with black pepper to get the full benefits.

Coconut Curried Rice and Veg
1 & 2/3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained (brown rice is obviously healthier and not revolting in this recipe, but I'd be lying to not admit that it tastes the best with white jasmine)
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
½ cup shredded coconut
1 ¼ cups water
1 can chick peas (or use chicken if you're in the mood)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp coconut oil
several bunches of bok choy, chopped (any non-lettuce leafy green will work here)
1 can coconut milk
½ tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1 diced onion
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tsp ground black pepper

Mix rice, sweet potato, water, coconut milk, shredded coconut and salt. Boil, simmer until rice is fully cooked.

Meanwhile, mix chick peas (or cubed chicken pieces) with garlic, onion, soy sauce and curry powder, tumeric and pepper. Stir fry until cooked. Add in the bok choy for a few minutes. Toss with the rice (if you have picky eaters around, you can serve the coconut/sweet potato rice to the picky eaters first and then combine the curry mixture with the rice for everyone else).