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Mushrooms
Between history and legend
In the Berici Hills, the cultivation of mushrooms is a highly specialised and relatively recent agricultural activity. The first cultivations were established in Vicenza in the grottos of Costozza at the end of the Nineteenth century, but it was in the Fifties of the last century that the mushroom beds made a leap forward in quality, through a new type of cultivation on fixed overlying shelves, where the substrate was prepared for cultivation. The most original aspect of the production in Costozza is the cultivation of mushrooms in grottos. In this environment, in fact, fresh and dry, but above all constant climatic conditions are created, for the cultivation of mushrooms. In addition to keeping investments low, this permits a more natural type of production that approaches the quality of spontaneous mushrooms, because no chemical treatments are performed in the grotto. Compost (the terrain of cultivation) is used for the cultivation of mushrooms in Costozza, containing soft and hard grain wheat straw, in particular, along with medicinal herb straw for sewing, corn stalks and other vegetal fibres, such as linen fibre. Among the various types of mushrooms are the field mushroom, the pleurotus and the honey mushroom. The production of mushrooms in the area of Vicenza is not limited only to Costozza and the surrounding towns, but there are also important mushroom growing realities in the area of Cismon del Grappa and Sovizzo, where champignon, field mushrooms and pleurotus mushrooms are grown. In the farms situated in ventilated areas that are particularly well suited for the cultivation of mushrooms, the entire productive cycle is carried on, from preparation of the compost to inoculation of the mycelium and placement in the cultivation chambers. The mushrooms are harvested and packaged daily in order to arrive at sale outlets the following morning, with their organoleptic and nutritional qualities intact. Mushrooms are a product that are rich in protein (they contain quantities greater than potatoes or spinach) and poor in fats, and are therefore indicated for low-calorie diets.
TRADE FAIRS AND EVENTS
Costozza di Longare
(October): Festa dei vini e dei funghi Pioppini di Costozza
(Costozza Wine and Honey Mushroom Fest)
Ph. +39 0444 953399
Noventa Vicentina
(October/November): Mostra dei funghi, delle zucche e dei prodotti autunnali
(Mushroom, Squash and Autumn Products Show)
Ph. +39 0444 860353
Recipes
Spicy macaroni
4 servings
350 g. champignon mushrooms,
one lemon, one onion
1 garlic clove, oil, butter
300 g. sausage,
1 can of parboiled tomatoes
salt, pepper
400 g. (striped) macaroni ,
Grana Padano as needed
Dice cleaned mushrooms, put them in a bowl with water (where lemon juice has been added). Shallow fry onion and garlic with 50 g. of butter. Add mushrooms and simmer them until they loose all their water. Add chopped sausage and
immediately the parboiled
tomatoes (skinless and seedless if you don’t use canned ones). Cook
until ready. Boil macaroni pasta al dente and drain. Put dressed macaroni into a baking tin, cover the pasta grated with Grana Padano and bits of butter. Bake until it gets au gratin.
Stuffed trout
4 servings
1 trout of about 1 kg of weight,
200 g. champignon mushrooms,
3 tablespoons of grated bread
1 cup of milk,
1 egg, 1 garlic clove,
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil,
20 g. butter,
1 cup of white dry wine
1 sliced lemon,
a bit of nutmeg,
salt, pepper
Clean and drain the trout. Dice the mushrooms.
Mix bread and milk into a pan place on stove and obtain a soft compound. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and put the whole into a bowl. Add sliced mushrooms, the egg, some parsley, the minced garlic clove, a bit of nutmeg and mix carefully. Stuff the trout with half of the compound and sew it up. Keep the remaining amount. Baste a baking tray and place on the bottom the sliced lemon, then lay down the stuffed trout. Dispose all around the
remaining stuffing. Baste the trout with oil, put little bits of butter and bake (180°C for about 25 minutes). 10 minutes before removing from oven, baste trout with white wine.
Veal chunks with champignon mushrooms sauce
4 servings
4 veal chunks of about 150 g. each,
extra virgin olive oil
(one tablespoon),
1 tablespoon of butter,
flour
laurel herb
salt, pepper
For the sauce:
1 green onion
butter,
1 cup of white dry wine,
4 tablespoons of cream,
parsley.
Shallow fry diced green onion with butter and add sliced
mushrooms, cook until water dries. Then add wine and cream cooking with low heat until sauce thickens. In another teflon pan shallow fry the veal chunks (previously covered with flour) until they get pinkish. Spice with laurel herb. Remove from heat and keep warm. In the meantime transfer the mushroom sauce in this pan and mix together. Season with salt and serve veal chunks with mushroom sauce.
Rabbit with champignon mushrooms
4 servings
half chopped rabbit meat
400 g. of champignon
mushrooms,
1 large slice of bacon,
1 onion,
1 cup of white dry wine,
extra virgin olive oil
parsley, salt, pepper.
Dice bacon (better if it is smoked) and shallow-fry with very thin sliced onion. Brown the chopped rabbit meat on a high temperature flame. Season with salt and pepper and add white wine (let it dry). Add the sliced mushrooms, cover the pan and cook over low heat. If necessary, add a bit of water or milk until ready.
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