While you’re sipping on a glass of wine and perusing our menu for something that will tantalize your taste buds, you may notice that we list some local products used in many of our dishes to achieve those delicious farm fresh flavors. Hazel Dell Mushrooms is featured in quite a few of our menu items, so we thought you might want to know a little more about this gem of a farm in Northern Colorado!
Jim Hammond at Hazel Dell Mushrooms has developed seven varieties of USDA Certified Organic Mushrooms that thrive in the shipping containers that line his farm.
Mushrooms are challenging to grow in Colorado because of the extreme temperatures in the area. They grow best around 70-75 degrees. Those dry, below-zero and over-100 degree days are not friendly to germinating mycelium. However, in temperature and humidity-controlled rooms, local mushrooms grow with ease!
Starting with sterilized sawdust, the mushroom spores are added and then incubated at the temperature that pleases each variety. After 4 to 12 weeks, they are moved to a harvest room. Moving them around, giving them a slight change in temperature and opening their bags, spurs them to start fruiting. A neat thing about mushroom spores is that they need some vibration to pop up and produce fruit. So moving them around at the farm simulates a dead tree falling in a forest, disturbing the soil, and getting things started.
Hazel Dell is one of only two mushroom growers in the entire state of Colorado. The other is Rakhra Mushroom Farm in Alamosa. So, we’re pretty fortunate to have Hazel Dell up here near Loveland!
You can find Hazel Dell Mushrooms in some of our signature dishes!
- Hazel Dell Mushroom Tart with goat cheese, puff pastry, and balsamic reduction
- Hazel Dell Mushroom Pizza wth fresh mozzarella, arugula, olive oil, garlic, and sea salt
- Homemade Vegan Quinoa Hazel Dell Mushroom “Burger”
