Dinner!

'Shrooms!

I took about a dozen shiitake mushrooms off the log in the kitchen this afternoon, and cut them into thin strips. I then went outside and cut a huge handful of purple basil. Then I peeled lots of garlic cloves.

I wound up with a wonderful mushroom centered meal. I'm serving the concoction over bow-tie noodles and I'm having trouble waiting for Mary to get home. The house smells absolutely wonderful!

I think I've already got my $$$ worth out of the purchase of the spawn for the mushrooms. Wow. If I had to buy all those mushrooms at retail prices, I think it would break me.

It's a shame there isn't anything for vegetarians to eat! (light sarcasm)

Anyhow, enjoy your dinner...

More 'Shrooms!

That log I brought inside over the weekend has decided to fruit! There are mushroom buds coming out in many different places on the log. I have a large clear lawn-and-garden bag draped over the log to provide additional moisture retention. It seems to be working.

I showed Samuel the mushroom buttons coming out and he seemed excited. Miriam was not thrilled, or at least she didn't seem so.

I'm very excited that we'll have fresh 'shrooms for our dinner this week. And if we have too many, I'll dry what we can't use right away. I'll have to let the log rest for a couple of months, then I'll see if I can get it to fruit again.

Not bad for waiting a year to let the fungus grow in the log!Lentinula edodes: Shiitake

I plugged them last year with Lentinula edodes spawn. That's the Latin name for Shiitake mushrooms.

Here is a picture I found on the net that shows what a fruiting log looks like!

Now I lay me down...

To sleep, perchance to dream.

It is autumn now. It wasn't really obvious here until this week. The tulip poplar trees are now turning yellow, and some leaves are falling. The temps have dropped, and the house is cooling down. I've started making lots of soups, chillies, and other dishes that warm you up from the inside.

I've begun to put the gardens to bed. I've pulled the tomato plants and made some changes to the outside.

We had our first shitake mushrooms last week. Mary suggested that I bring one of the logs inside. So I found a large plastic pan (used for concrete mixing) and took a large piece of flat pine and made a stand to hold up the log. The shitake log is now in our family room next to the orchids, so that I can keep an eye on it, if it decides to send out 'shrooms. I'll keep it watered and such to make it really good for the mushrooms. Hopefully we'll get some through the winter. I have 3 other logs outside, and I'll let them do their thing there. Miriam came in while I was getting dinner ready and said, "We have a stump." I told her what it was, and she just shrugged and went back to her room. I guess she thinks her step-father is crazy.

Flannel sheets are on the bed, and Mary and I have gone back to closing all the windows and curtains at night to hold in as much heat as we can.

So the garden goes to sleep, and the trees get ready for their winter's nap. And I have already ordered seeds for spring...