Mushrooms for a snack or as addition to a meal

Press, 24 June 1983, Page 2

Mushrooms for a snack or as addition to a meal

Mushrooms on toast, in a meatloaf, or in a casserole are among ideas for a hot snack or meal on a coid da .y: .

Mushrooms are now plentiful in Christchurch and prices are reasonable, ranging from about $4 to $6 a kilogram. Most supplies are cultivated ones which are of a good quality and easier to prepare than field ones, although some would argue, that field mushrooms have much more flavour.

At Christchurch produce markets this week, mushrooms sold for $3.50 to $4 a kilogram, and $8.40 to $l6 a tray.

Increasing supplies of cauliflower caused a drop in price from $7.50 a bag, earlier in the week, to $2.20 to $6 a bag. Capsicums are still scarce, with the markets

relying now on hothouse supplies. These sold for $8 to $lO a bag. All other winter vegetables are plentiful and of good quality, including silverbeet and spinach, at $4 to $7 a case, cabbages, $3.20 to $5 a bag, leeks, $3 to $8 a case, and onions, at $2.30 to $6 a bag. Pumpkins are plentiful and fetched $4 to $9 a bag. Kumara, from the north Island and Motueka, sold for $l6 to $24 a carton, and Oamaru brussels sprouts, supplemented by local supplies, fetched $3 to $7 a bag. Broccoli, Southland swedes, yams, and celery are all plentiful. The citrus season is at its

peak with oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and mandarins plentiful.

Clementine mandarins were $2O to $25 a bushel, and satsumas sold for $2l to $3O a bushel. The first Australian naval oranges arrived in Christchurch yesterday and should be in shops today. They will sell at a fixed retail price of $1.40 a kilogram.

New Zealand lemons were available at $lB to $2O a bushel, as were New Zealand goldfruit, at $l2 to $l4 a bushel. Good supplies of Californian grapefruit, oranges, and lemons are also available.

Kiwifruit is still plentiful and meeting a good demand. Prices were $1.20 a kilogram and $ll to $l2 a case.

Other exotics include pepinos, at $6 a tray, and Australian pineapples, at $35 to $37 a carton. Avocadoes are also available but a slow start to the season means that supplies are limited and expensive. They are selling at $47 a tray.

A good range of apples is available, selling at $7.25 to $14.05 a case, and Ecuadorean bananas are plentiful. They sell at a fixed retail price of $1.46 a kilogram.

Today’s recipe CRUMBED MUSHROOMS 12 medium to large mushrooms % to 1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs 2 tblspns finely chopped parsley 1 tblspn finely chopped chives or onion greens % tspn curry powder oil salt and pepper

Method: Clean mushrooms well and cut stalks level. Drain and dry. Mis crumbs with parsley, chives and curry powder. Brush mushrooms over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roll in savoury crumbs and place in an oiled shallow baking dish. Place in the top section of the oven. Bake at 200 deg. C. for 10 minutes, turning, then a further seven to 10 minutes or until mushrooms are golden. Serve as a vegetable with grills or roasts. Serves six.