THE CHEEKY ANSWER from Alan Kaufman, explaining why he quit his job in commodities to start growing mushrooms, is that he suffered from a complete loss of reasonableness and sense, and that his wife was crazy enough to support him.
But dig a little deeper and you realize that growing mushrooms may just be one of the smartest ideas going. Mushrooms, in fact, are critical to the future of the planet.
Shibumi Farm in Princeton is not yet five years old, but its exotic produce seems ubiquitous on fine dining menus across the state. Kaufman grows more than 35 varieties, and many of those unique mushrooms have had longstanding roles on the clever menus at Mistral and elements in Princeton. Brothers Moon in Hopewell once featured a five-course Shibumi Farm mushroom tasting menu. Stage Left in New Brunswick also created a five-course mushroom tasting dinner using the farm's products, with a starter of killer consommé.
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