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MoTown Mushrooms

June 24, 2015

Two weeks ago, VFN's Grace Meyer was treated to a magnificent walk in the woods with new VFN members Monica and Jason of MoTown Mushrooms. The trek began at a beautiful waterfall behind a small farm on the Bolton access road and led into the woods to hunt for, explore and celebrate mushrooms.  

Jason and Monica, the husband and wife duo behind MoTown Mushrooms, have an infectious and fun enthusiasm for their business. Jason, who has a culinary background and a strong curiosity for science and technology, started growing mushrooms in the couple's basement for fun. Jason sold some of his crop to a couple of chef friends, and the response was strong and positive--that's how MoTown Mushrooms was born.

"We got into mushrooms purely for their great flavor," shared Monica, "but the more we work with them the more we discover how amazing they are! Mushrooms are great source of protein, vitamins and minerals plus many of them have incredible medicinal properties, like Lions Mane, which is known for improving memory and cognition and regenerating nerve tissue." A desire to incorporate an educational component to their business led Monica and Jason to start their "Fruits of the Forest Myco-walks."

"What makes MoTown's Mushroom walks so unique?" we asked Monica...

"The Fruits of the Forest Myco-walk is a great way to introduce people to applied mycology and teach them about the benefits of consuming mushrooms. What makes our walks unique to other foraging tours, is that we have wild crafted beds on the property, so you are almost sure to find different kinds of mushrooms during the walk. That way we can teach people how to make basic identification, while we talk about edible landscaping and companion gardening. After that, we teach a workshop on mushroom cultivation and participants get to take something home to grow their own mushrooms. Our main objective is that participants walk away with a basic understanding of the mushrooms life cycle and from there they can decide if they want to learn more about foraging or about growing their own. At the very least, they would have learned how good mushrooms are in general whether in nature as recyclers or as a superfood for consumption, and hopefully they will have a new appreciation for this kingdom." 

Join MoTown Mushrooms on a walk, and visit their website for some delicious recipes to prepare with your find, like this Oyster Mushroom Bread Pudding. You can also find MoTown Mushrooms on the menu at Church & Main in Burlington--Chef Trevor Smith uses MoTown's Oyster Mushrooms on the appetizer menu. He pan flashes them and serves them with a duxelle filled asiago cup and grilled crostini. As he describes it, it is his version of a deconstructed stuffed mushroom.

    

Chef Trevor Smith of Church & Main's
Deconstructed Stuffed Mushroom featuring
MoTown Oyster Mushrooms.

All photos courtesy of Carlos Gallardo Photography. 

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