Mushrooms Beartooth
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Hericium Coralloides Also known as Bears Head Tooth, Comb Tooth, Coral Tooth, and Satyr’s Beaded Mushroom.
Taste & Appearance: This rare and highly sought out mushroom is prized for its strong and distinct mushroom taste. Some describe the taste as having a seafood taste and makes a great combination with lobster for garlic butter dipping.
Available: September
From: BC
Usage: From lightly baked, to sautéed to stir fry, this mushroom is extremely versatile. Use in sauces and soups
Pack Size: lb
Mushrooms
Black Trumpet
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Craterellus Fallax Although related to the Chanterelle, Black Trumpet mushrooms should not be confused with the Black Chanterelle which produces visible veins. They are called the "poor man's truffle" in France because of the similar dark color.
Taste & Appearance: Equal in texture and flavor, the cap and stem are both edible. It offers a rich rather intense buttery woodsy taste that is described as cheesy and earthy. Chewy in texture, this mushroom releases a sweet fragrance. Known as a "false truffle" Quite delicate and trumpet-shaped, this mushroom produces a waxy charcoal-gray exterior and blackish-brown flesh. In the wild, it looks something like a frail flower and can grow to over three inches in height.
Available: December to March
From: BC & CA
Usage: For a contrasting presentation, serve with white fish, game, pheasant or venison. Ideal for stir-fries, casseroles, stews and soups. Pair with wild rice and other grain dishes. Simply sauté; season as desired; serve as an easy side dish. Add to cream or clear sauces as an accompaniment for veal, steak or fish entrées.
Pack Size: lb Dried & Fresh
Mushrooms Blue Foot
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Clitocybe Nuda This mushroom can easily be mistaken for several mushrooms in the Cortinarius family including the Violet Cortinarius, Cortinarius Violaceus, and Lilac Conifer Cortinarius, Cortinarius Traganus. Many members of this family are toxic and colors vary.
Taste & Appearance: Strong flavored, this firm fleshy mushroom requires cooking to be edible. A favorite of gourmet chefs, it produces a purplish-blue wavy cap. The stem may appear to be fluorescent purple and thickens toward the base. Usually one and one-half inches to two and one-half inches across, most are lilac-bluish but some may be cream to buff to brown except for the stem which is consistently blue.
Available: Year Round
From: France
Usage: Retaining their shape and meaty texture, and must be thoroughly cooked and are never to be eaten raw. Ideal for any mushroom dish, the intense flavor pairs well with bold flavored vegetables like onions or leeks. Excellent choice to accompany wild game. Add caps and stems to sautés and marinades. Perfect for grilling. Enhance egg dishes and polenta. For a delicious mushroom medley, melt four tablespoons butter with two tablespoons olive oil in extra large pan. Add one pound brown mushrooms and one pound of assorted mushrooms: blue-foot, chanterelle and shiitake. Sprinkle with one-half teaspoon salt when butter begins to bubble. Toss well. Cook about ten minutes; add two teaspoons minced garlic, one-half teaspoon freshly ground pepper and one-and-one-half tablespoons fresh chopped parsley. Cook a few more minutes. Increase heat to medium high; add one-cup crème fraiche. Stir well to blend. Serve over fettuccine.
Pack Size: lb
Mushrooms Cauliflower
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Sparassis Crispa Grows in the same place year after year.
Taste & Appearance: Has a sweet smell and a nutty flavor. Quite unusual the fruit body is built up of many layers that resemble a cauliflower or a brain. It ages from a pale yellow-white to a white to brown.
Available: July & August
From: BC
Usage: Cleaning needs care, as there are so many nooks & crannies. Dip them in a batter made with beer rather than milk and deep-fry to make a wonderfully crisp nutty hors d’ oeuvres. Slice fresh and added to stews and casseroles.
Pack Size: lb Dried & Fresh
Mushrooms Chanterelle
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Cantharellus Cibarius
Taste & Appearance: Fruity apricot flavored and aroma. Yellow to orange in color
Available: July to February
From: BC
Usage: Gives an elegant color to sauces and the overall appearance of a dish. Has a natural affinity for chicken, rabbit, veal, Cornish hen, quail and pheasant-whether used as a stuffing, a sauce component, or side dish. They also love cream, starches, and grains or can be sautéed in olive oil for a warm composed salad.
Pack Size: lb Dried & Fresh & Frozen
Mushrooms Chanterelle Black
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Craterellus Cornucopioides Dark mysterious and elusive.
Taste & Appearance: The taste can be described as a pronounced floral flavor with an apricot overtone. Add at the last minute when cooking with paler colored mushroom to prevent the dark color taken over.
Available: September & October
From: BC
Usage: Their special flavors transform everyday cooking into elegant cuisine in soups, sauces, gravies, stews, marinades, stuffing, pates, fish chowders, ratatouille and vegetables dishes. Amazing with Lamb and even hamburgers. Try them sautéed in butter and served on a grilled steak.
Pack Size: lb
Mushrooms Chanterelle Yellowfoot
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Cantharellus Tubiformis. Known as the winter mushroom
Taste & Appearance: Sautéed in cream the taste become silky and nutty, sautéed in butter the taste becomes slightly spicy. Yellow to brown in color with a plum fragrance.
Available: November to January
From: BC & CA
Usage: Serve with the majority of meat and fish dishes. Goes well with eggs, curry, chicken, pork, fish, beef and veal, can be used as toppings on pizzas, be stewed, marinated, sautéed in olive oil, or used as filling for stuffed crêpes.
Pack Size: lb
Mushrooms Hedgehog
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Hydnum Repandum This very odd-appearing mushroom acquired its name because of the characteristic tooth-like projections under its cap. Also called "sweet tooth", it usually has a very colorful orange cap.
Taste & Appearance. Reminiscent of a chanterelle in color and flavor, tastes slightly bitter and has a peppery aftertaste. Some describe it as having a shrimp-like flavor. Very delicate, the body of this fragile mushroom breaks apart easily. Attached to a rather stout yellowish-orange stem, the hedgehog generally measures about two to six inches across
Available: November to March
From: BC & CA
Usage: Add its dramatic flavor to a favorite sauce or gravy; drizzle over chicken entrées. Stews and casseroles are especially receptive to its presence and spicy taste; cook slowly to tenderize. Its peppery flavor becomes milder as it cooks.
Pack Size: lb
Mushrooms Maitake
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Grifola Frondosa Also known as Hen Of The woods in Japanese maitake means "dancing mushroom". Because of its ruffled look, it has been compared to having the appearance of a fluffed-up feathered hen; hence its name.
Taste & Appearance: Easy to identify, the entire mushroom is edible, offering a mild earthy flavor. Some say the harder stems are even more delectable than the caps because of their delicious texture. Consistently firm and fleshy, hen-of-the-woods mushroom is a polypore, meaning several caps grow from its one stem. The wavy edges turn brown as the mushroom matures, but the flesh remains white and releases a slightly musty aroma
Available: Year Round
From: BC & CA
Usage: Add to soups, stews and stir-fries. Sauté with olive oil and garlic; serve over rice. These mushrooms go well with hearty vegetables, seafood, meat, poultry and eggs. Include its good flavor in pasta sauces. Add to steamed vegetable medleys; season as desired. Its earthy flavor pairs well with smoked meats and sausage. May be roasted, baked or braised. To prepare, do not wash maitake mushrooms. Simply brush with a mushroom brush or wipe gently with a paper towel. Slice and sauté in butter or olive oil. Enhance cream sauces.
Pack Size: lb
Mushrooms
Hon-Shimeji
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Hypsizygus marmoreus. Also known as Buna Shimeji (brown) and Bunapi (white), Hon Shimeji and are the pride of Japan
Taste & Appearance: a sweet, nutty rich buttery taste and a firm texture. These mushrooms grow in clusters and produce tender caps that vary from white to beige.
Available: Year Round
From: BC
Usage: Cooking is recommended .Use whole or sliced in stir-fries, sauces, soups and fish entrées. Bake, steam, sauté or braise and use olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, red bell peppers, citrus and grilled meats. Thyme enhances flavor. Roasting enriches it’s natural flavor. Excellent served with white wines. Do not soak mushrooms in water as absorption of water destroys their integrity.
Pack Size: 6 x 5 oz Brown & White
Mushrooms
Lobster
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: H. Lactifluorum Not really a mushroom, it is actually a parasitic fungus that covers certain other species, engulfing the entire mushroom in a bumpy crust that resembles the shell of a lobster.
Taste & Appearance: It has a firm crunchy texture and is mild in flavor, slightly nutty taste. . The color is almost fluorescent like with a reddish hue.
Available: July & August
From: BC
Usage: Use In pasta dishes, stir fries, gravies and soups
Pack Size: lb Dried & Fresh
Mushrooms Matsutake
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Tricholoma Ponderosa Also called Pine Mushroom. The Japanese prize Matsutake as an aphrodisiac .
Taste & Appearance: Begin as white in color and develop pale brown to yellow brown tones as they mature. A unique taste and flavor is owed to the rare conditions under which it grows under the base of pine trees between 20 to 60 years old and they never grow in the same place twice
Available: July to December
From: BC
Usage: Their magnificent spicy-aroma, similar to a sweet cinnamon gives flavor enhancement to wild mushrooms dishes and makes great stuffed mushrooms. They are high in protein, low in fat and rich in vitamin B1, B2 and D. They reduce cholesterol and fend off geriatrics diseases.
Pack Size: lb Dried & Fresh & Frozen
Mushrooms
Morel
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Morchella Elata, Esculenta Note: Its specific cap shape is very important as this identifying feature distinguishes it from the false morel, the species known as Gyromitra esculenta, which resembles a squashed version of the morel and is poisonous.
Taste & Appearance: Offer an awesome and addicting nutlike flavor. Releasing a sweet earthy fragrance, morels offer a pleasing texture that is both crisp and chewy. Resembling a natural sponge, hollow dome-shaped morel mushrooms vary from yellow to brown to gray or may be almost black. Regular in shape, the cap consists of a series of round or oval involutions, the reason for one of its descriptive aliases, "sponge mushroom.
Available: March to June
From: BC & CA
Usage: They are best used in light flavored dishes where it will not be over powered by other tastes. Chicken Veal, pasta and rice show off the flavor of morels. Add to omelets and quiches. Stuff its hollow body with savory fillings; bake or steam. Blends well with green and red bell peppers; sprinkle with caraway seed. Morels require a five to ten minute longer cooking time than other mushrooms due to their chewiness.
Pack Size: lb Dried Fresh & Frozen
Mushroom King Oyster
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Pleurotus eryngii Also known as King Trumpet , Gourmet Scallop, French Horn and Eryngii,
Taste & Appearance: Robust flavor with a firm meaty texture. The best of the oyster mushrooms. Earning its appropriate name of the "king", this mushroom boasts a regal stout form, short gills and a thick but tender light beige-to-tan grand flesh. Unlike other oyster mushroom varieties, the king's thick stem is as flavorful as the cap.
Available: Year Round
From: China
Usage: Saute, stir-fry, grill, deep-fried. Stems are also flavorful and not tough. Soup, stew, pasta sauces,Italian dishes, meats, seafood. Cut in half; toss with olive oil; grill until just tender. Butter especially brings out its exceptional flavor. Pairs well with Chardonnay.
Pack Size: 3 lb
Mushrooms Porcini
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Boletus Edulis. Also known as Cepe, Boletus and King Bolete. Mushroom hunters regard this mushroom as a great prize
Taste & Appearance: It has a wonderful nutty flavor and is extremely versatile. Pale meaty filet mignon-like in texture. Tan to brown with a bulbous stem, caps range from one to ten inches in diameter and weights vary from an ounce to a pound
Available: July to October SPORICALLY
From: BC & CA
Usage: Grill with truffle oil or layer with sliced potatoes. They are delicious braised or cooked in oil; add shallots, garlic, parsley, and white wine. Use in soups and casseroles, and are often used in Italian cooking pasta sauces, risottos, and stuffed pasta.
Pack Size: lb Dried Fresh & Frozen
Mushrooms Woodear
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Auricularia Polytricha Also known as Tree Ear, Jew Ear Dry Black Fungus, Silver Ear, Mook Yee, and Cloud Ear. Grows on the trunks of beech, elder, and walnut trees.
Taste & Appearance: a light and subtle mild flavor, with a firm, thick skin and an interesting jelly- like, springy yet soft texture when fresh that becomes slightly crunchy when cooked
Available: Year Round
From: CA
Usage: This mushroom is highly regarded and much used in Asian cooking. Contributing their excellent flavor and texture, wood ears are ideal mushrooms for stir-fries, oriental chicken dishes, and exotic mushroom soups, mixed mushroom sauces, served as a side dish or served as a crunchy accompaniment for grilled steak. Thinly slice as the wood ear maintains its crunch even after long cooking. Showcase in dishes where the crunchiness is the main focus.
Pack Size: lb Dried & Fresh
Truffles White
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: The mention of truffles brings up images of the expensive black and white truffles of France. But the truffles from Oregon are just as aromatic and less than one-tenth the price of their famous French counterparts. For centuries, truffles have been said to possess mystical aphrodisiac powers.
Taste & Appearance: Flavors of garlic, spices and ripe cheese when fully mature. The Oregon "winter white" truffle is round with a surface of yellowish white with brown spotting. It is smooth but furrowed and its translucent flesh is pale grey, marbled with white veins.
Available: November to February
From: Oregon
Usage: Are best not cooked, they will lose their aroma when heated. A small amount will give you a lot of flavor. Add shaved truffle to mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce, grate over scrambled eggs or toss with fresh pasta.
Pack Size: 4 oz
Peppers Anaheim
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Also known as the California long green chile and relayed to the original New Mexico chile, Anaheim pepper was named after the city in California.
Taste & Appearance: Roasted and peeled, this chile becomes deliciously succulent and tender, offering a bittersweet fresh green vegetable taste with only a mild bite. Long, narrow and ranges from light to medium to a rich dark green, turning a bright red when mature.
Available: Year Round
From: CA & Mexico
Usage: A popular seasoning for sauces and salsa. Pairs well in seafood dishes. Can be ground into chili powder and used as a table spice. Garnish finished dishes with chopped or sliced pasillas for extra piquancy and color. Add to relishes, dips, casseroles, stuffing, meat, poultry dishes, stews, soups and sautéed vegetables to create mouthwatering flavor. To make a great soup combine roasted, diced peppers with black beans, bell peppers, spices and vegetable broth.
Pack Size: 10 lb Heat Scale 2-3
Peppers Banana Hot
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Also know as Hungarian Wax Chile.
Taste & Appearance: Flavor is Hot and Spicy. Medium sized waxy yellow pepper 6-8 inched long.
Available: Year Round
From: CA and Mexico
Usage: Excellent for pickling, frying, or roasting. The famous "Hungarian flavor," which is unique to Hungarian cuisine, is created by the combination of lard, Paprika, and spices. Chopped onions are always cooked to translucency in the lard. Paprika and sour cream are added to pan drippings after meats have been browned to make a rich sauce, which is then served over meat and peppers.
Pack Size: 10 lb Heat Scale 4-5
Peppers Caribe Yellow
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: The fiercely hot, fresh, yellow Caribe takes its name from a tribe of Indians that inhabited their Caribbean growing area during the Columbus era.
Taste & Appearance: A Sweet hot waxy peppers with thick flesh, Appropriately 2" tapered long by 1"-1 1/4" wide.
Available: Year Round
From: Mexico
Usage: These peppers are used fresh in sauces or for seasoning and are processed as pickles or hot vinegar sauce. Use sparingly in salsas and to flavor spicy Latin dishes, or add to soups, sauces, or stews.
Pack Size: 10 lb Heat Scale 7-8
Peppers Fresno Red
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Also known as a Chile Caribe or Chile Cera.
Taste & Appearance: Offers a hot sweet flavor and is often mistaken for the red jalapeno. (you can tell the different because this pepper has broader shoulders and is hotter in flavor)
Available: Year Round
From: Mexico
Usage: Add to salsas, casseroles, stuffing, relishes and breads. Mince and add to dips, salads and guacamole. Sprinkle on hot marinated vegetables, pair with malangas, yucas, plantains or yams. Roast and add to sauces.
Pack Size: 10 lb Heat Scale 5-7
Peppers Habanero
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Are the hottest chilies in the world -- 100 times hotter than a jalapeño. Habanero means "from Havana," although there is evidence suggesting its origins in South America date back to 6500 B.C. Wear gloves and use caution when handling this Chile!
Taste & Appearance: A distinctively sweet, tropical fruity flavor with an apricot aroma. They about one to two inches long and one to two inches in diameter. In fresh form, they are grown to various stages of maturity and may be found green, yellow, orange, red, and brown or chocolate colored if allowed to stay on the vine.
Available: Year Round
From: CA & Mexico
Usage: Use sparingly in sauces, salsas, and in chili. Mixes especially well with foods containing tropical fruits or tomatoes. Dice and add to achiote paste and use as a rub for pork. Combine roasted, pureed pumpkin seeds with tomatoes and diced habanero for a spicy dip or toss with chopped tomatoes and garlic for salsa. Add to sauteed beef, onions, tomato and beans for chili.
Pack Size: 1 & 10 lb Heat Scale 10+.
Peppers Scotch Bonnets
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Often confused with the habanero peppers. The rule of thumb for telling the difference between these two peppers is that the Scotch Bonnet is squatty, and shaped somewhat like a Scottish cap called a tam, while the Habanero is more elongated and tear-drop shaped.
Taste & Appearance: Extremely hot and offers a fruity Smokey flavor. Orange, red, yellow and green in color.
Available: Year Round
From: Dominican Republic
Usage: A little goes a long way USE SPARINGLY!! Adds flavor to relishes, soups, stews, vegetables casseroles dips and meats dishes. Try contrasting them with dark chocolate or fresh fruit, as the sweet, hot, and earthy flavors blend together very well. To reduce the heat of this pepper, you can remove the spicy seeds and the white ribs in the middle of the pepper, where the capsaicin is concentrated. This will not only make the peppers more bearable to eat, but it will also bring out the subtle flavors of the pepper which are sometimes buried by the heat.
Pack Size: 8 lb Heat Scales 9-10
Peppers Serrano
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Believed to have origins in the foothills north of Puebla in Mexico, the Serrano chile gets its lovely name from "serranias" meaning, no surprise, "foothills". The word Serrano actually means "from the highlands."
Taste & Appearance: Offers a consistent, crisp, clear fresh flavor along with a pleasantly high acidity. Smooth and sleek, with thick flesh, this small chile is a bright medium to dark green with a slightly pointed tip.
Available: Year Round
From: CA & Mexico
Usage: For a snappy kebob, thread whole peppers on skewers between chunks of onion, cherry tomatoes and meat. Use with seafood salads or fresh tomato sauce. Season dishes as they cook with whole chilies; remove when desired piquancy is achieved. For a zesty appetizer, pickle with carrots. Adding them to uncooked fruit chutney has also been wildly successful. They do not require peeling.
Pack Size: 10 lb Heat Scale 6-7
Peppers Thai Chilies Red
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Also known as Bird’s Eye Chills.
Taste & Appearance: This hot chili releases a very strong lingering heat and will vary in size from one-half to three inches long with many tiny seeds inhabit its tough-textured thin flesh.
Available: Year Round
From: Dominican Republic & Mexico
Usage: Roast and fry them together with garlic, fish sauce and sugar, then toss with clams and finish with Thai basil. Pound together Chile, ginger, garlic, coconut and curry leaves, then use paste to flavor sweet potatoes. Add chopped Chile to fish sauce, sugar and lime juice, then toss with roasted chicken, carrots and cabbage, or shredded green papaya for a cold salad. Combine diced green chilies with stir-fried vegetables and rice noodles to add spice.
Pack Size: 1 lb Heat Scale 7-8
Chestnuts
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Chestnut trees are grown in North American, Europe, China and Japan If the tree is planted from the seed it can take 30 to 40 years to fully mature and bear fruit
Taste & Appearance: A subtle sweet flavor and creamy texture. The shells are brown with a round shape, coming to a point at the top and are about one to two inches in diameter. The nuts are round, white, and usually less than one inch in diameter.
Available: November & December
From: China Italy & Korea
Usage: To peel: slit shells and boil, roast, or bake for 20 minutes. Use whole, chopped, pureed, or mashed in stuffing’s, puddings, desserts, soups, or served with root vegetables.
Pack Size: 5 lb
Corn Husks
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
General Information: Also known as Corn Husk Dolls, Corn Husk for Tamales
Taste & Appearance: Corn Husks are not edible and must be removed before eating. They are actual husks from corn that have been dried and give the food inside a delicious corn flavor
Available: Year Round
From: Mexico
Usage: Fill the husks with various meats and vegetables and can be baked or steamed. Can be used as a garnish for enchiladas. Use to wrap tamales with pork or chicken. Soak husks in hot water for 30 minutes before using
Pack Size: 5 lb