To look at them, you would almost think they were hothouse flowers. Their names are as exotic as their looks: Pink Flamingo, Grey Dove, Golden, PoHu.
They’re not new daffodil varieties and they’re not the latest darling of the hydrangea family. They’re oyster mushrooms as sold by Taylor Atkinson of the Deep South Mushroom Company in Alpharetta.
Deep South is almost a year old and offers its mushrooms at the Decatur Farmers Market on Wednesday afternoons and at the Decatur market as well as the Marietta Square Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.
If you can’t get to one of their markets, just look at the photos on their Facebook page (
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Atkinson grows his oyster mushrooms in a mixture of wheat straw and cotton seed hulls. He mixes mushroom spawn with the prepared straw, makes sure the moisture level and temperature are right and waits two to six weeks, depending on variety, for the harvest. His newly renovated grow room has automated systems to make sure growing conditions are optimum.
“The mushrooms we eat are not the plants, they’re the fruit. I like to say they’re not the tree, they’re the apple,” Atkinson said.
Because his customers have different desires, he harvests his mushrooms at small, medium and even large sizes, although he says the larger the mushroom, the faster it must be eaten. Succession planting -- inoculating the straw and hulls with mushroom spawn weekly -- means he has mushrooms available every week, all year round.
Oyster mushrooms shouldn’t be peeled or washed. Just dust them gently with a brush or cloth. Cut off the lower part of the stem if it’s discolored or still has bits of straw attached.
Because they’re so tender, oyster mushrooms can be cooked whole or cut or torn into strips. Like all mushrooms, they have lots of moisture so they’ll reduce down when cooked.
Atkinson’s best advice for his customers: “Whatever the amount of mushrooms the recipe calls for, double it.”
For sale
Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, carrots, chard, collards, endive, escarole, frisée, green garlic, green onions, herbs, kale, lettuce, mache, onions, oyster mushrooms, pea tendrils, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips
From local reports
Roasted Oyster Mushrooms with Potatoes
Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Serves: 6
Roasting the mushrooms and potatoes on separate baking sheets allows you to remove the mushrooms first if they’ve finished before the potatoes are quite done.
1 1/2 pounds oyster mushrooms, trimmed if necessary
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound small red potatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, then arrange mushrooms on baking sheet, leaving oil behind in bowl. Toss potatoes with remaining seasoned oil and arrange on second baking sheet. Bake until mushrooms are browned and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Toss mushrooms and potatoes together on serving platter, sprinkle with parsley and season to taste. Serve hot or warm.
Per serving: 161 calories (percent of calories from fat, 38), 6 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 40 milligrams sodium.
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