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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Warm Endive and Oyster Mushroom Salad

Aug 31, 2021 09:30AM ● By Annaliese Bischoff
Warm Endive and Oyster Mushroom Salad recipe prepared in pan with serving tongs

photo by Evan Sung

2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup minced shallots 
1 tsp sliced garlic 
1 to 2 tsp grated ginger 
Freshly ground black pepper 
6 oz oyster mushrooms 
1 Tbsp white or black sesame seeds
2 marinated white anchovy fillets, chopped 
2 Belgian endives, leaves separated and cut into 2-inch sections 
½ Meyer or regular lemon 
Pinch of kosher salt
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leafed parsley for garnish
2 whole scallions, chopped diagonally for garnish
Drizzle of high-quality white truffle oil for garnish (optional)
Grated Parmigiano cheese for garnish (optional)

In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté until golden, a few minutes. Stir in the ginger and pepper to taste. Tear the oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and add. Cook for about 5 minutes, flipping the mushrooms over, until they release their liquid. Add the sesame seeds and toast them in a bald spot in the pan for a minute or so. 

Turn the heat down to medium, add the anchovies and endives, and cook until the endives wilt, a few more minutes. Take off the heat, add the lemon juice and season with salt.

Garnish with the cilantro and scallions, and optionally, white truffle oil and a sprinkle of the cheese.


Recipe by Annaliese Bischoff from Fantastic Fungi: The Community Cookbook, edited by Eugenia Bone. 


More Mushroom Delights

Wild mushrooms are a culinary delight, but beginning foragers should harvest with caution. The forager’s rule of thumb is to be 100 percent sure of an identification 100 percent of the time given that toxic lookalikes can exist. It’s also important to try a small amount of a mushroom the first time around, as some individuals can respond adversely to a particular species despite its general edibility.

Alan Bergo ForagerChefcom

Hen of the Woods Steaks

A delicious, meat-free "steak" recipe using hen of the woods mushrooms. Read More » 

 

Alan Bergo ForagerChefcom

Sicilian Chicken of the Woods

A traditional Italian preparation for chicken of the woods mushrooms, flavored with wild monarda leaves and served with charred bread rubbed with garlic. Read More » 


Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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