It can be tough to consistently find many locally grown vegetables, and part of eating sustainably means learning to work with what’s available. But it sure is nice to occasionally be able to count on a product being at the farmers market or nearby supermarket.

Thanks to several local farms, no one in Hawaii need want for a variety of beautiful mushrooms. Small Kine Mushrooms in Waimanalo, which has been producing crimini and portabella, is taking a break. But there’s no shortage of activity at Hamakua Mushrooms, where they offer kea hon-shimeji, gray cluster oyster, alii oyster, pioppini and pepeiao (aka ear fungus, wood ear or cloud ear) varieties in abundance.

Since September is National Mushroom Month, it’s a good time to revisit these tasty, versatile macrofungi — if you’ve ever left them at all. Mushrooms add so much depth and interest to a dish, they’re perennially popular. Vegetarian chefs in particular rely on mushrooms for just that reason.

"Mushrooms lend two things: meaty flavor and meaty texture," said vegetarian chef Alyssa Moreau, who cooks for private clients and lends her skills to the Kokua Market hot entree bar. "Lots of vegetarians find they miss the chew and bite that they had when they ate protein. Mushrooms also provide a savory, umami-type flavor."

Sylvia Thompson of Licious Dishes agrees. The raw vegan chef’s early menu lineup reflected her reliance on mushrooms because of that winning texture-flavor combination.

"I liked to use alii mushrooms on a bed of sea kelp noodles with miso sauce and green onions. I marinated the mushrooms in tamari, olive oil and garlic, and I cut them like abalone," she said. "I took the dish to a party plated on a bed of won bok and put toothpicks in each slice of mushroom. It was just like abalone for the people there, because, you know, people eat with their eyes — and it was delicious."

Thompson says cooking mushrooms saps their water and can turn them mushy, so raw preparations work particularly well. When she makes stuffed mushrooms, she actually dehydrates the mushrooms after marinating them.

At the same time, mushrooms take to marinades well. Thompson says she likes to slice her mushroom thick when she marinates them.

"They become so plump and pretty-looking, with the green of the olive oil and garlic marinade," she said.

Moreau cooks her mushrooms and uses the liquid released from them to keep her dishes low-fat.

"Since I cook for people with health conditions, if I don’t want to use much oil, I salt the mushrooms lightly to release their liquid. This helps the saute process. Then, the liquid absorbs back into the mushroom," she said.

Hamakua Mushrooms’ varieties, which grow in an environmentally controlled 16,000-square-foot facility, offer creative chefs countless options in whipping up interesting dishes.

The farm’s popular alii mushrooms are large, meaty, firm and especially versatile, good to "shred, chop, make poke, slice, saute, stuff, add to soups and barbecue," said owner Bob Stanga. "It has a nutty taste, and it’s widely popular because of its mild flavor."

Hamakua’s pioppinis, bark-brown in hue with distinct sweetness in the caps and heart-of-palm flavor in the stems, are good in sautes and soups; the delicate gray oysters have almost a shellfish flavor and are best cooked quickly on high heat with lots of olive oil and butter; and the pepeiao, which grows in a cluster like a head of cabbage, offers a great crunch to noodle dishes, miso soup and namasu.

Moreau has fun using local mushrooms because of the variety of shapes, sizes and flavors.

"Sometimes, I like to create a dish around the mushroom," she said.

She likes to use shimeji in soups and to top salads, and appreciates the alii mushroom for its good texture.

"The portabella has the strongest flavor, so I marinate them and use them as a burger, topped with sauteed greens," she said.

Thompson appreciates portabella burgers as well.

"They’re better than tofu," she said.

Moreau says mushrooms are also a good ingredient for folks who are making the transition to a more plant-based diet.

"Mushrooms show how interesting vegetables can be. It’s especially good for men and teenagers who love ribs and food like that," she said. "Then I have clients who are elderly and ill who don’t like flavors that are too extreme.

"Across the board, mushrooms are good."

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ASPARAGUS QUICHE
Courtesy Alyssa Moreau from “A DASH of Aloha,” by Kapiolani Community College (Watermark, 2007)

>> Crust:
3/4 cup white flour    
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder    
1 teaspoon dill
3 tablespoons safflower or other light oil
3 to 4 tablespoons cool water

>> Filling:
1 20-ounce block tofu, drained, then squeezed dry with paper towels (preferably Mrs. Cheng’s firm nigari)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided    
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar    
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons white miso, mellow white
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup fresh sliced shiitake mushrooms
1/2 pound fresh asparagus; trim 8 spears to 4-inch pieces and slice rest into 1/2-inch pieces for sauté
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make crust: Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients and pour into center of dry ingredients. Fold in until just combined. Pat into flat disk and roll into thin rounds; place in pie plate and decorate edges. Set aside.

To make filling: In food processor, combine tofu, 1 tablespoon olive oil, rice vinegar or lemon juice, miso, salt and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to medium bowl.

Reserving 8 shiitake slices, in nonstick pan with remaining olive oil, sauté garlic and all vegetables except asparagus spears and parsley. When vegetables begin to soften, add parsley and Italian seasoning. Cook 1 minute. Add to tofu; mix well. Smooth into pie crust and decorate top with asparagus spears and shiitake mushrooms. Brush with olive oil.

Bake 35 minutes, or until filling is firm and crust is lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving  (based on 6 servings and using Mrs Cheng’s firm nigari): 300 calories, 16 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 12 g protein

ZUCCHINI LINGUINI WITH CASHEW ALFREDO SAUCE AND MARINATED MUSHROOMS
Courtesy Sylvia Thompson of Licious Dishes

>> Marinated mushrooms:
5 cups sliced crimini or other type of mushroom
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons tamari
4 tablespoons unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic

>> Cashew alfredo sauce:
3/4 cups cashews, soaked 30 minutes
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, soaked with cashews
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1-1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/8 cup water
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 large zucchini
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Soak nuts and seeds to release enzyme inhibitors that keep them dormant. Rinse well after straining water to keep enzyme inhibitors from entering your digestive system, which would inhibit your digestion.

To make marinated mushrooms, toss mushrooms with olive oil, tamari, apple cider vinegar and garlic. Set aside.

For alfredo sauce, in blender, blend to a smooth cream the soaked and rinsed cashew and macadamia nuts, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, water and sea salt.

Make zucchini linguini: Using vegetable peeler, peel skin off zucchini and discard.  

Continue to peel zucchini with long, hard strokes to seed bed. Peel the top and the bottom of the zucchini also. Discard seed bed.

Just before serving, toss zucchini noodles with alfredo sauce. Remove mushrooms from marinade and rub off some of marinade with fingertips, then place on top of linguine and sprinkle with parsley. Reserve marinade and freeze for another use. Serves 5 to 6.

Approximate nutritional information, (based on 6 servings): 330 calories, 26 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, greater than 1300 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 11 g protein

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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., a nutritionist in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii-Manoa.