Last Sigh of Summer: Shiitake Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches

by Mary Ellen

A new F&FP favorite, the Shiitake BLT!

Northern Wisconsin really didn't have summer this year. Mostly cool, rainy, and plagued with a never-ending, relentless crop of mosquitoes, no one wanted to spend much time outdoors.

Some things on the farm managed to shine through regardless. The blueberry crop was exceptional with all of the rain and cooler temps, producing berries the size of marbles! Our shiitake logs, properly cared for and tended in prior years that were kinder to my gardening self, busted out with succulent and richly flavored shiitake all summer long despite my general neglect to them and everything else garden related. And finally, finally, at the end of September, our June-planted tomatoes in the hoop house started turning red. This year, that first harvest of tomatoes pretty much coincided with the tireless march of Miss Happiness shiitake. Dense, solid and meaty, Miss Happiness has one of the longest fall seasons of all the cold weather strains. And man, does this girl have legs: she started in August and is still pinning at the end of October!

Fresh ingredients are always best.

So, in a last ditch attempt to salvage at least the flavor of summer, I decided to make BLT's. And to further redeem myself, I wasn't going to settle for just ordinary.

I am not a fan of bacon (although I do like Canadian bacon). I mostly detest the white part (its fat and texture) of regular bacon and although I tolerate turkey bacon, I squint while preparing it (to avoid its apparent super processed look and smell). It was time to try experimenting with one of those shiitake bacon recipes I've had stuck to my refrigerator for years now.  

Well, as it turns out, shiitake bacon is delicious. It really does taste just like bacon. Yes, it's putzy, but if you have some thick, solid, log grown shiitake, you can slice it, cure it (marinate) and roast it  in a hot oven. It has a rich and buttery flavor, complete with chewy centers and crispy edges. SB also makes a toothsome and healthy snack, as it stays crisp for several hours after cooling from the oven.  This very well may become my new bacon bit.  And of course, shiitake bacon pairs just as well with scrambled eggs or french toast for any non-BLT fans. (We've also heard that smoked shiitake are incomparable. Let us know if you've tried this!)

Here is the method: You will need about a cup of sliced mushrooms per person and that is a modest amount. You really should double the recipe for snacking. The following recipe produces enough bacon for about 4 SBLT's. Note: Allow at least an hour to prepare these. 

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced shiitake

Marinade:

2 TBSP oil

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp liquid smoke

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

2 tsp maple syrup (optional)

Stem the shiitake and slice it thinly. 1/8^th inch or less is preferable for the ultimate crispness.

Slicing your shiitakes thin ensures for some nice crispy "bacon".

To prepare the marinade, stir together all ingredients, and drizzle over the sliced shiitakes. Toss the mushrooms in the marinade until the slices are fairly well coated and let marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour. Stirring the mushrooms a time or two during that time helps speed things along. You can also marinate and refrigerate overnight to achieve comparable pork bacon cooking times in the morning.

These fresh shiitake were just covered in marinade.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F) and spread the mushrooms out onto a baking sheet. Use parchment or a silpat for easy work, or grease the sheet first.

Bake 20 minutes, stirring or turning halfway through. If the mushrooms are really wet you may need to drain away the water halfway through.

Increase the heat to 375 degrees (F) and check every 10 minutes or so, more often towards the end. Usually if the bacon is sliced thinly it is done in 10-15 minutes after the oven heat is increased. Remove the mushrooms onto a paper towel and blot. It should be browned and irresistible, but not burned. You might experiment with other seasoning in the marinade or with thicknesses of cut; or grilling marinated whole thin-capped mushrooms.  

The end result will not disappoint!

For inspiration, check out www.olivesfordinner.com, for the original shiitake bacon recipe plus other great vegan mushroom recipe ideas.

Mint herb in Kenya

Mint herb originated in the Mediterranean. The plant can grow upto 10 to 120cm tall. The leaves are green and grow crosswise on the stem. The leaves are oblong and egg-shaped. Mints contain the volatile oil menthol, which gives mint the characteristic cooling and cleansing feeling. Common varieties include spearmint and peppermint. The mint herb removes bad breath and may help teeth and gums deal with germs. Leaves are often used by campers to keep mosquitoes away.

Preparation

Fresh mint herb should be washed before adding it fresh or cooked to a dish.

Consumption

It can be added to drinks and dishes as a garnish. It also makes a refreshing tea. The flowers are edible and make salads and sweets come to life. It flavors ice cream, chocolates, and other deserts with making them delicious.

It helps to reduce the effects of tannin and caffeine in your tea when used fresh in the teapot with your favorite tea.

Shell life

When fresh it can be kept for a short time in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer. Dried product can be kept at room temperature.

Climatic requirements

This is a cool climate crop. However Exposure to Full sun to partial shade is necessary. 

Timing of planting

Direct sow in April and seeds should sprout in 10-16 days. Bottom heat will speed germination.

Propagation

Mint herb in Kenya is propagated using seeds.

Starting

Sow seeds no more than 5mm (¼") deep in moist soil. The spacing is plants 45-60cm (18-24") apart.

Climbing beans are high yielding giving four times harvest compared to ordinary beans in Kenya

Climbing beans are high yielding giving four times harvest compared to ordinary beans

climbing beans are high yielding leguminous plants which are perfect for food security and agribusiness. The venture is a worthy undertaking as they will yield up to 22 bags per acre while ordinary beans yield about 5-6 bags per acre. Grown at a spacing of 1×1 metre 2 seeds per whole, one acre of climbing beans will hold 8000plants. Each plant can yields a minimum of ¼ Kg beans resulting to total yield of about  2200kg kg  from one acre. Sold at a cost of 60/= per kg, 22000×60=132, 000/= gross revenue per acre in 3 months only. The estimated cost of production and returns are shown below:

Item	Quantity	Unit cost ksh	Total cost ksh
Output	2200 kgs	60	132,000
Climbing beans Seed	25 kg	500	12,500
Fertilizer	1bags	3000	3000
Land preparation	10 md	300	3000
Stakes	4000	1	4000
Planting & staking	20 md	300	6000
Weeding	10 md	300	3000
Insecticide	300 ml	500	500
Spraying	2md	300	600
Harvesting	3 md	300	900
Threshing and winnowing	8 md	300	2400
Storage bags	40	40	1600
Transport	40 bags	100	4000
Total cost of production			41,500
Gross margin/ Returns in 3 months			90,500

Plant at the beginning of the rains using a compound fertilizer or inoculate with Rhizobium soil fertility bacteria. The plant largely grows vertically saving land space and is Ideal solution to land scarcity problem. Climbing beans growing calls for staking the crop for support with 2 metres long stakes as is the case in hybrid tomatoes farming. Canes from overgrown Napier grass can effectively be used to avoid destroying trees and avoid interfering with environment conservation. This means a farmer planning to plant climbing beans can leave napier grass from the previous season to overgrow and produce supporting stakes. Climbing beans have numerous advantages as they are leguminous and improves the soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. This makes it a good crop to include in the rotation program of the farm. The legume requires a shorter cooking period in addition to being tastier than the local beans.