Mushrooms are out of the dark and available at the Lake Charles Cash & Carry Farmer’s Market on Tuesday afternoons. At the ALL CAPS gourmet mushroom vendor booth, Daisy Kerne had carefully and creatively arranged Lion’s Mane, pink oyster, blue oyster and chestnut mushrooms harvested that day in a basket. It looked like a dining room centerpiece.

“My business partner was working in information technology and hating it,” Kerne said. “He told me he had this idea for making money. I have a degree in horticulture and started looking into it.”

The two bought their first kit in October 2019, and everyone knows what happened in March 2020 — COVID.

“But that was OK,” Kerne said. “We were still learning, and it gave us plenty of time to play around and experiment.”

She said it’s hard physical work, processing 60, 10-pound bags per week in an old cypress home in New Iberia where temps and humidity are carefully controlled and a successful harvest is not always guaranteed. Nevertheless, there is a market for this edible fungi priced higher than the white button. Lake Charles Cash & Carry Farmer’s Market

She was right. There were more Cash & Carry shoppers who were familiar with the advantages of cooking with gourmet mushrooms and made purchases than those who asked questions.

David Medus stopped by the booth and purchased a half-pound of blue oyster to saute with butter and tomato and serve over pasta that he purchased from another Cash & Carry vendor. He hadn’t made it to the table with the fresh tomatoes and other vegetables. That was next.

Dr. Richard Gilmore “likes the idea of shopping locally and trying things not found at the local grocery store.” He said he’ll throw his mushrooms into some pasta.

Each mushroom has its own distinct taste, a deeper, richer flavor than the white button. Blue oyster has been described as having a very subtle seafood flavor with the undertone of licorice or anise. Gourmet mushrooms are generally richly umami, which is described as a fifth basic taste alongside sour, sweet, bitter and salty. This fifth flavor was discovered by Japanese scientists and the word translates to savory. Some people say the pink oyster mushroom tastes like bacon or ham. Chestnut mushrooms have a nutty taste.

The taste of Lion’s Mane mushrooms have been compared to crab meat and its medicinal uses are being studied.

Kerne said one of the most popular recipes using the Lion’s Mane is faux crab cake. She took a piece of Lion’s Mane from her ice chest to show how much a piece of it resembled a piece of crab meat in appearance and texture.

In addition to gourmet mushrooms, ALL CAPS also sells a special seasoning mix using dried mushrooms and Lion’s Mane extract.

“Studies have shown the triterpenes found in Lion’s Mane could stimulate nerve regeneration and help improve memory and brain function,” Kerne said.

As far as the nutritional content of mushrooms, Kerne said it is the only thing on the produce aisle with natural Vitamin D. Some consider mushrooms a superfood because they might contain medicinal properties — this continues to be studied — and they are also sources of protein, B vitamins, fiber, and immune-enhancing sugars called beta glucans.

Faux Crab Cake Recipe

6-8 ounces Lion’s Mane mushrooms

1 egg

¼ cup of onion, finely diced

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp mayo

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup panko or breadcrumbs

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1 lemon

Direction: 1. Shred Lion’s Mane by hand until it resembles flaked crab. 2. Combine egg, diced onion, Worcestershire sauce, mayo, mustard, Old Bay, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Mix in shredded mushroom, then panko or breadcrumbs. 3. Gently form four crab balls. 4. Heat oil to med/high in black iron skillet. Mash balls into a patty with spatula and cook for two to three minutes each side. Squeeze lemon over and garnish with parsley.