Hazel Dell Harvest Fest

A tour of Hazel Dell Mushroom Farm in Fort Collins, CO is nothing short of fascinating.  I had the pleasure of traveling to this farm a couple of weekends ago with some cohorts from The Kitchen, and left with a newfound appreciation for fungus (this was accentuated by a visit to the doctor later that day, where, ironically, I was ordered to begin a course of penicillin for strep throat). 

Where they occur naturally, mushrooms are the fruits of transformational processes that occur in nature, mostly in forests.  Essentially, they are the biproducts of creative and destructive forces.  Falling trees, decomposing elements in forest floors, and changes in humidity and temperature all spur different phases of mushroom production.  Colorado conditions are hardly conducive to such production, primarily because humidity is so low.  Hazel Dell is in the business, therefore, of simulating what happens in nature through carefully controlled environments.  And they have it down to a science.  

Hazel Dell cultivates 3000 pounds of mushrooms weekly!  They produce Shitake and Cinnamon Cap (both originating in Asia), Oyster (N. America), King Oyster (Europe), Lion's Mane, and Portabella and Crimini (which are essentially the same and which grow in all parts of the world).  Depending upon the variety, the mushrooms are grown in sawdust blocks made from oak and alder trees or composted sawdust from previously cultivated mushrooms.  All the mushrooms grown at Hazel Dell, which are packed in plastic bags that function as micro environments, are rotated through a series of "rooms" (barns) including an incubation room held at 75% humidity and a harvest room that is slightly cooler and less humid. They take from three to fourteen weeks to mature.

Hazel Dell's Harvest Day happens yearly in October.  Jim Hammond and his family open their farm to the public, cook up a feast of mushroom dishes for tourists' enjoyment, and offer self-guided tours of the "rooms".  They also sell their mushrooms by the pound so visitors can take them and experiment on their own.  Upon arriving home, I minced a mixture of Cinnamon Caps, Shitakes and Criminis, sauteed them with butter and garlic, doused them with cream, and served them on buttery crackers. 

To find Hazel Dell, take exit 262 (Windsor) of I-25 North then go West less than a mile.  See my link to their website, above, for more info.

Autumn Indulgence

The Soho Charcuterie and Restaurant (formerly at 195 Spring St. in lower Manhattan) published a cookbook two years before they closed the doors of their bright, polished eatery in 1985 (see NYT restaurant review dated May 9, 1980).  Their Soho Charcuterie Cookbook is one of my most prized volumes, as it commemorates a time when French classics including pates, creme fraiche, simple salads and casseroles were being Americanized left and right and touted as "gourmet".  The book contains reliable and elegant recipes, one of which I am about to revisit.  This time I'll use roasted homegrown pumpkin.  See "Pumpkin Cheesecake" under my recipes page.

Farmstead Fromage

A farmstead cheese is one that is made from the milk of the very farm producing the cheese (what a concept!). This is important because when the cheese maker has an intimate knowledge of the pastures, seasonal cycles and the herd itself, he is able to adjust and take advantage of the subtle variations produced by these factors. In short, the cheese maker is able to have the utmost confidence in the milk going into his cheese and this yields an impeccible product. 

James Ranch in Durango, CO produces only farmstead cheeses.  Their Mature Belford is a gorgeous table cheese that looks like a classic Netherlandish gouda but has a character all its own.  With a smooth and creamy texture and fruity taste, it goes perfectly with apples and pears.  Us Denverites can pick up a slab at The Cheese Company.

Vortex of Mouthwatering Cheese

I am delighted to have attended my first ever Colorado Cheese Fest last Saturday.  While the glossy and generic space of the Embassy Suites was an unlikely venue for earthy cheesemakers from all around the West to gather and share the fruits of their labors, the cheeses were delectible just the same. Highlights included Avalanche Goat Cheese's Cabra Blanca from Basalt (CO), Jumpin' Good Goat Dairy's First Snow from Buena Vista (CO), James Ranch's Mature Belford from Durango (CO), Cypress Grove's Truffle Tremor (CA) and Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk (CA).  It was a treat meeting the craftspeople and seeing the passion they hold for their work.  All of these cheeses can be shipped, and many are available at The Truffle in Denver or at Fromage to Yours in Centennial.  Who needs crackers when there is cheese like this to be had.