About the Harvest
Whole Grains:
Grains are the edible seeds of plants called cereals and pseudo-cereals. Grain types include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, einkorn, farro, folio, freekah, kaniwa, millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, spelt, teff, triticale, wheat, and wild rice.
Grain consumption accounts for 80% of the world’s calories. Grains are usually dried to preserve them and need to be reconstituted for eating. They can be cooked, sprouted, or made into flour.
Millet is a staple food in Africa and many parts of Asia where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. Kulish is a Ukrainian millet dish made with potatoes, carrots, onion, and salo or pig fat. Nasi Goreng is a popular fried rice dish in Indonesia. Wheat and barley are grown in Northern and Central Iraq. A dish made there with barley and beef is called Paqota. Khoubz is an Iraqi flatbread made with wheat flour and is usually cooked in a domed clay oven called Tanoor.
Mushrooms:
There are thousands of varieties of mushrooms, with different colors, shapes, and sizes. Because some wild mushrooms can cause stomach upset or allergic reactions, or may even be poisonous, your safest bet is to stick to store or farmers’ market varieties and avoid picking and eating raw wild mushrooms on your own.
Although considered a vegetable, mushrooms are neither a plant- nor animal-based food. They are a type of fungus containing a substance called ergosterol, similar in structure to cholesterol in animals. Ergosterol can be transformed into vitamin D with exposure to ultraviolet light. Mushrooms vary in appearance with more than 10,000 known types, but generally they are distinguished by a stem, fleshy rounded cap, and gills underneath the cap. China and the United States are among the top five producers of mushrooms worldwide.
Sweet and Spicy Mushroom Tongseng is a classic Indonesian recipe. Shamu Datshi is a mushroom and cheese dish eaten in Bhutan. Mushroom and tomato curry is eaten in Myanmar. Pidpenky is a Ukrainian mushroom and sour cream dish served over cabbage or pierogi but can also be eaten by itself.