KAHULUI, Maui – In partnership with the Maui Culinary Academy and Whole Foods Market Kahului, Slow Food Maui is pleased to present Richard Cruse of Ecological Edibles as its featured speaker for the next Taste Education session scheduled from 6 pm – 7:30 pm on Wednesday, May 30.
This month’s session will include a brief overview of the nutritional importance of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms as a food source. In addition, Cruse will explain the importance of fungal mycorrhiza relationships in the soils that affect the nutrient content of the food, however the main focus will be teaching attendees how to produce either a home mushroom sack or an outdoor mushroom bed. The class will cover sourcing of materials for substrates, pasteurizing temperatures and times.
“This will be a starter course that will help open the interests for future advance classes that will teach people how to make their own spawn, create their on cultures and isolate wild or outdoor samples,” said Cruse.
An eighth generation farmer from Montana, Cruse has been growing gourmet mushrooms for 13 years. He currently operates a farm, gardening and sustainability consulting company on Maui, and he has three products available including Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, Gourmet and Medicinal Mushroom spawn and cultures and Gourmet Mushroom Home Kits. The home kits can be purchased at Whole Foods Market Kahului and all of the products are available directly through Ecological Edibles. Down the road, Cruse plans to get bulk mushrooms to local restaurants. For more information contact Richard Cruse at [email protected] or learn more on Facebook at ecologicaledibles.
Taste Education is held on the last Wednesday of each month from February through October at the Maui Culinary Academy located in the Pāʻina Building at 310 West Kaʻahumanu Avenue at the UH-Maui Campus. There is free and ample parking. Each session cost $15 for Slow Food Maui members and $20 for non-members. Advance reservations and payment are required. Register online at www.slowfoodmaui.org and pay using Paypal. For additional information, contact co-education committee chairs Chris Speere or Charlene Ka’uhane at [email protected].
About Taste Education: Taste Education is a nine-part “food focused” educational series presented by Slow Food Maui in partnership with the Maui Culinary Academy and Whole Foods Market Maui. Organized to honor people who grow and produce the food we eat, the series brings local food producers in our community to the forefront so others may learn about their work, how their product is made and where to find it. Held on the last Wednesday of the month form February – October.
About Slow Food Maui: Slow Food Maui aligns with Slow Food USA to promote locally grown food & culturally diverse culinary practices for health, pleasure and Island food security. www.slowfoodmaui.org.
About the Maui Culinary Academy: Maui Culinary Academy offers Maui’s award-winning Culinary Arts Program in the 38,000 square-feet Pā’ina Culinary Arts Center at Maui Community College in Kahului. Hours: Pāʻina dining room: M-TR 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, Friday 7:30 am to 2:00 pm. www.http/mauiculinary-campusdining.com/index.html
About Whole Foods Market Kahului: When Whole Foods Market first opened its doors as a small natural and organic retailer in 1980, local producers were the lifeblood of our business. More than 30 years later, that fact still rings true. We know what it feels like to be a small business with a big vision and understand that local businesses (even those with the highest quality products and a strong business plan) sometimes need a hand to turn their dreams into reality—that’s why Whole Foods Market continues to strive to find and work with the best farmers and producers in Maui and throughout the state of Hawai‘i. For more information visit http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/maui/.
