Fabulous Fungi

The fragile beauty of gourmet mushrooms is on display in a container parked up in Paraparaumu. Mushrooms are high in Vitamin B and D and also have high protein, making them a valuable food source for vegans and vegetarians. From Lindale Village, Jude Horrill and Brent Williams have begun harvesting phoenix, oyster and shiitake mushrooms under the name Lindale Gourmet Mushrooms. The operation currently produces 20Kg per week but a second container will allow the business to scale up to 50-60kg by August 2018. The couple are hoping to supply seven top end restaurants and has already signed on Wellington’s Ortega Fish Shack. The mushrooms are very popular at Te Horo and Paraparaumu markets and will soon be available at Wellington’s Harbour Side market each Sunday.

Mushrooms start life in a petri dish as mycelium before being transferred into jars of organic rye grain. Once the grain has been colonised by the mycelium it is transferred into bags containing oak and soy hull pellets. The mycelium is fooled into thinking the bags are oak trees and grows outward towards oxygen through tiny pin pricks in the bags. The bags are hung in a temperature and humidity controlled container, where the autumn like conditions cause the mushrooms to fruit.  From the petri dish it takes about 10 weeks until harvest. For every kilo of dry substrate (the oak and soy) the operation presently produces 1.1kg of mushrooms and Williams thinks 1.5kg is possible. The bags can produce up to three harvests before the substrate is recycled into compost.

Lindale Gourmet Mushrooms is aiming to be sustainable and off grid and production has exceeded expectations.

Martinborough Olive Harvest Fest | Murray Lloyd Photography

Sign advertising Martinborough Olive Festival

Helen Meehan explains Olivo Oil at Martinborough Hotel

Olivo Oils served at Martinborough Hotel.

Guests dining at Martinborough Hotel as part of olive harvest festival.

Tirohana Estate, Martinborough.

Peter and Ruth Graham from Atutahi at Tirohana Estate.

Lamb Cutlets poached in Tuscan Blend Olive Oil (from Atutahi) with baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, gremolata of hazelnut, mint, lemon and parsley.

Peter Graham talks to guests at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival

Poppies Restaurant, Martinborough, New Zealand.

Margaret and Mike Hanson from Blue Earth Olive Oil, photographed at Poppies Martinborough

A dessert at Poppies Restaurant, Creme Inglesa with Barcelona inspired Trifle .

Jared Gulian with his newly published book Moon over Martinborough.

International Olive Oil Judge Margaret Edwards explains how to taste olive oil.

Guests smelling olive oil at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Guests tasting olive oil at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Margaret Edwards helps blend individual oils for the class to take home.

Martinborough Hotel at night.

Night Market at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Visitors at Night Market at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

The Olivo crew at Martinborough Olive Harvest night market.

Misty landscape at Martinborough.

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Ray Lilley of Whiterock Olives holding fresh olives.

Young girl picking olives in morning sunlight.

Picking olives at White Rock Olives in Martinborough.

Picking olives at White Rock Estate in Martinborough.

Nalini Baruch giving cooking demonstration at Lot 8, Martinborough.

Narlini Baruch giving a cooking demonstration at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival

Orange slices with sea salt and Lot Eight 2013 Aromatic Olice Oil.

Close up photo of hands holding green olives in sun.