Mushrooms are D-Lightful!
My love of mushrooms blossomed early in my life. As a young girl, I would accompany my Sicilian grandfather as he searched the woods surrounding our home for “safe” mushrooms we could take home to eat. The smell of those mushrooms sautéing in butter and fresh garlic always made my mouth water!
As an adult, my mouth still waters at the aroma of sautéing mushrooms—though I rarely smell them cooking in my home. You see my husband HATES mushrooms. He turns up his nose at the sight of them, picks them out of anything he has been served, and degrades the tiny morsels by referring to them as fungus (which, truth be told, is what they actually are!). Then he gives himself a “justified pass” from ever eating mushrooms by stating that “fungi” have no redeeming value whatsoever—so there!
Can I tell you the joy and redeeming satisfaction I recently gained while watching a television show on mushroom farming? (Yes, I know, there really wasn’t anything else on T.V. that night!) I discovered that mushrooms were the only vegetative source of vitamin D. Yes, the same vitamin D that so many folks are deficient in!
Vitamin D’s various roles include strengthening your bones, warding off cancer, and protecting against tuberculosis, heart disease, diabetes, colds, and the flu. Without consuming or generating enough of this essential nutrient, your health will begin to decline. So, if you’re allergic to dairy products and don’t get enough sun exposure—especially during the winter months—might I suggest indulging in some tasty ‘shrooms?
Well, chalk one up for me and my beloved mushrooms, my dear hubby. They’re actually are good for you after all!
TIP: Mushrooms deteriorate quickly after being harvested. If you’re like me, you’ve likely purchased some ‘shrooms, put them in the fridge, and then completely forgotten about them ‘til they had rotten away. To combat this costly loss, I have taken to the practice of sautéing up my mushrooms each week while unpacking my groceries. This way I have them on hand to add to eggs, pasta dishes, soups, etc. throughout the week!