If you like mushrooms (and let's face it, what kind of person with taste-buds doesn't?) then you must make a stop at the “Oak Hill Mushrooms” booth at the San Luis Obispo Farmer's Market. It's a fact.

The booth, managed by Tim French, is straight to the point. You will find a cornucopia of oyster, shiitake and dried mushrooms displayed there for your choosing. The oyster mushrooms come in three different colors: golden, pink and the traditional brown. Also on display are handmade seasonings, and a quick taste test will have you buying one in no time flat. They are that tasty!

When I first met him, I asked Tim for some tips about how to make sure the quality of the mushrooms was good, what to look for and what to avoid. Tim was quick to point out to me details such as checking the stems, making sure the gills underneath the cap are clean, trying to avoid dark marks on the flesh, etcetera. This is one of the trademarks of a great and knowledgeable expert: he is willing to share the knowledge.

Obviously, Tim really knows his mushrooms, has studied with several experts, and is eager to help people start growing their own mushroom kingdom. Along with his selection of delectable mushrooms, he also brings along starter kits for whoever is interested in cultivating shiitake or oyster mushrooms.

Tim started his mushroom farm after reading an article in an old magazine around five years ago. It talked about growing your own mushrooms and more so, it offered a starter grow-kit. Tim took the chance and started doing it himself, going to a workshop where he learned how to grow and take care of the mushrooms which take 3-4 weeks to mature once they are inoculated.

Following the workshop, he started reading more about mushrooms, and as his passion grew, his efforts to improve his growing methods took him around the US to learn from the masters. Needless to say, it paid off. Thanks to his passion and time, we have some of the richest and flavorful mushrooms I have ever tasted.

The first mushrooms we bought from him were the golden oyster mushrooms. Amazingly fresh and sweet smelling, we did not hesitate to slice them up and sauté them in butter. They were absolutely stunning. They had a great consistency, and a rich, full flavor which hinted at the taste of pistachios. If we hadn't eaten them all immediately we would have probably had more time to experiment, but that will come soon in a follow-up post.

“Oak Hill Mushrooms” has an excellent Web Page, and should be added to the bookmarks of anyone out there that likes to cook. It has simple and helpful instructions for using their products, a listing of several types of rare edible mushrooms (such as wild candy cap mushrooms) for sale online, and in addition, their page has several recipes for cooking with oyster and shiitake mushrooms.

Suffice it to say that when buying mushrooms in the future, my first thought will always be to go straight to the “Oak Hill Mushrooms” booth at the San Luis Obispo Farmer's Market.