About the business:
Michael described their efforts in those early days as"failing forward." The mushrooms were grown in shipping containers in the couple's backyard."There was very little information available online ... We pretty much just struggled our way through it. We had more failures than successes," he admits. Slowly, Mile High Fungi started growing as partnerships with CSA programs developed, along with its presence at farmers' markets and selling wholesale to restaurants.
All of the mushrooms the company grows are primary decomposers, meaning they take bound sugars and lignin found in woods and break them down into edible carbohydrates. In nature, primary-decomposer mushrooms prefer freshly fallen trees, while secondary decomposers will come in once primary decomposers have done their work, feeding off of what the first ’shrooms left.
This year, the Nails are even attempting to combine fungi with their traditional farming ventures by inoculating the soil of their corn crop with King Stropharia mushrooms in order to create huitlacoche, a deeply historical and highly sought-after delicacy of the Southwest U.S. and Central America. Huitlacoche, also called corn smut, is the fungus that causes infected kernels to swell and take on an ashy-blue coloring.
In general, most mushrooms are easy-going, tasting just as great when sautéed fast and hot as they are when simmered for hours in a stew. Try getting a mix and use them to top homemade pizzas, grill them in a basket or toss into stir-fries. To let the mushrooms shine , make Soy & Honey Glazed Mushrooms.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the glaze mixture. If the pan is still hot, it will reduce immediately. Stir quickly to coat all the mushrooms in the glaze. If the glaze doesn't reduce all the way, no problem. Put the skillet back on medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until there's no liquid left on the bottom of the skillet and the mushrooms are evenly coated.