{Pleurotus Ostreatus in Wood Garden Provided Meal}

A nice and welcome surprise... finding several meals in our Wood Garden because Pleurotus Ostreatus were growing on some decaying wood.

Look at this basket full of Pleurotus Ostreatus from our own Wood Garden!

As already mentioned earlier in a post, toadstools or mushrooms do digest e.g. lignin.

Here they are digesting some old trees and producing nice fruit bodies.

Some more on the outside of the cut down tree...

Within a couple of days they are ready for harvesting.

The total picture...

Several times that did yield us a nice harvest of fresh, home grown Pleurotus Ostreatus!

You can buy those also at some grocery stores.

Showing you their lamellae, on the underside where spores are being formed for next generations.

Perfect Pleurotus Ostreatus with their beautiful lamellae.

After washing and cleaning them, removing the hard stems and cutting them, they got sauteed in olive oil. 

With some garlic, onions and Beef-less Ground Beef from Trader Joe's they make a great and heart healthy lunch!

Related links:

{FRESH Made Pasta Sauce} | previous post by me showing you the Beef-less Ground Beef from Trader Joe's.

{Olympia's Greek Moussaka Vegan Style} | previous post by me showing you the Beef–less Ground Beef from Trader Joe's

{Part II of Husband Pieter's Trip to India - Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh}

From Delhi, husband Pieter went to Lucknow in the Uttar Pradesh State.

What beautiful eyes!

You can see the Uttar Pradesh state with its capitol, right under Nepal...

Indo - Mongoloid origin can be found in this area.

The area is rather flat at only 123 m or 404 ft above sea level.

Pieter captured this photo from a crowded train!

Near a tannery he captured these WHITE-RUMPED VULTURE Gyps bengalensis...←click it.

Women doing hard labor and still manage to wear a gracious smile!

Life is NOT easy in that part of the world...

Young men looking for a job...

Coffee or Tea shop waiting for customers.

Fresh fruits and vegetables for sale.

Vintage sewing machines...

Some people are bare footed...

Woman gathering deadwood so she can cook her family meal...

Such a trip does make one very appreciative!

Related links:
{Part I of Husband Pieter's Trip to India  - Arrival in New Delhi} | previous post by me
{The Mission of H.R.H. Prince Claus - Husband Pieter's Trip to India} | previous post by me

{Toadstools Digest Lignin in Nature}

In nature's life's cycle, toadstools (mushrooms) mainly digest e.g. lignin, which is difficult to break down by most other organisms. Husband Pieter wrote in his book about Modern Mushroom Growing: 'Everything is Everywhere; Only the Environment Selects'.

So this is the result of the Lignin break down: mushrooms will start growing on decaying wood.
These are the Armillaria mellea or Honey mushroom and is edible!
To the right you can even see younger fruitbodies...

That's how eventually old tree trunks will be digested completely and that closes the cycle of life.

We have many in our wood garden.
Those spores are everywhere and if the environment is right; they will yield fruit bodies.

Related link:

Honey Mushrooms or Armillaria Mellea Recipe | post by me