Early Spring: 1st week of SeptemberI like mushrooms. No, actually, I love mushrooms! Fresh ones especially, when you can still get that musky, earthy scent. Mmmmmm......they are high in fibre, essential in vitamins and minerals, with a texture akin to that of meat, and packed full of goodness!
I've always dreamed of growing my own mushrooms (well, it's one of my many dreams...), so when we saw this mushroom kit (http://www.mushroomkit.com.au/) for sale at the nursery, I was jumping for joy!!! We got the combination kit, which contains 1/2 White Buttons and 1/2 Portabellos. The kits are very convenient. Everything comes neatly packed in a box complete with step by step instructions. It contains a bag of sterile compost already inoculated with the mycelium, and an additional bag of casing for the mushrooms to grow into! We have to wait a week for the mycelium to mature until they look white and frosty, as if they've gone bad, just like fungal growth...erm...of course, because we are growing fungi! Then the casing goes on and our box of precious mushroom babies goes into a cool and dark place, and we wait.....
We also planted our pea seedlings today. I love peas, and I love pea shoots even more! I love them for their curly and squiggly tendrils, they look so pretty and delicate! So it's no wonder they are getting increasingly popular in fancy restaurant menus! Though, they have long been used in Southeast Asia cuisines. I remember Mum using it in stir-fries alot, always reminding us that they are packed full of vitamins. I miss eating them. Occasionally I find them in Little Saigon market in Footscray, and I will be beaming with delight at finding my childhood comfort food! Even if I have to fight the Footscray crowd to get to them! :D
And here's our row of snow peas and sugar snap pea seedlings, ready to start their climb up that stretch of black plastic grid that we have set up for them on the fence! Grow peas grow! Let's see who reaches the top first! :D
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