DESERT MOON MUSHROOMS

Growing mushrooms in the desert isn’t easy, but Desert Moon’s EvaSara Luna and Enrique Gonzalez have it down to a science. “We started growing in our home and it became almost like an obsession,” Luna says.

The couple soon traded their DIY home lab for a 1,000-square-foot warehouse, which Gonzalez customized to meet their growing needs.

It takes 10 days to four months for mushroom mycelium to incubate in its filtered bag of oak and nutritional agricultural waste. Once it’s finished, Luna says, they cut the bag open, the mushroom gets exposed to oxygen, humidity or light and it begins to grow. Some take a week, others up to six.

What comes from that process is worth the wait—plumages of beautiful, full-bodied mushrooms of all colors, shapes and textures. Some appear like flower petals, others as deep sea corral.

The lab itself, where these magnificent organisms grow, borders on magical. “It’s like an entirely different world,” Gonzalez says.

And they taste as good as they look. The pink oyster mushroom, which takes on a meaty bacon-like flavor after being cooked, is a favorite among restaurants, though it has the shortest shelf life. And the fluffy lion’s mane mushroom, which Luna uses to make vegan crab cakes, has been shown to improve memory and cognition. “You can dry them up, grind them and put them in your cereal, and people swear it’s like coffee to them.

“Then we have one called a pretzel cap, or a chestnut mushroom,” she continues. “They’re new to the mushroom game, and they’re crunchy and just beautiful in appearance. Our chefs have been ordering those nonstop.”

Desert Moon supports up to 10 local restaurants and sells at farmers’ markets weekly. It also sells mushroom growing kits and plans to open a storefront to keep up with the craze. 125 E. Reno Ave. #15, desertmoonfarms.com.

HERBS BY DIANE

Diane Greene comes from a long lineage of family gardeners and has been growing organic produce for more than 40 years.

“Once you get to playing in the dirt, it’s really fun,” she says.

The Herbs by Diane garden produces more than 40 kinds of culinary herbs, vegetables, microgreens and, when the season’s right, edible flowers to take dish presentation to the next level.

But clean air and sunshine aren’t enough to keep this garden going. Greene creates her own compost to combat the sandy, nutrient-poor soil.

This summer, Armenian cucumbers, baby eggplant and summer squash will be in season. “Squash blossoms are a big hit with the chefs, so those will be coming in the summer, too,” she says.

When she isn’t at farmers’ markets, Greene delivers various produce to Bellagio’s Harvest and the hotly requested petite red-veined sorrel to Michael Mina, Prime Steakhouse and Picasso. She keeps chef Nicole Brisson of Resorts World’s Brezza stocked in herbs, greens and baby kale. And Fruits & Roots gets an exclusive delivery of stinging nettle.

Volunteers are always needed; you can sign up by contacting [email protected]. There’s free chamomile in it for you. 1506 San Felipe Drive, herbsbydiane.com.

CLUCK IT FARM

In the past eight months, Cluck It Farm has been adjusting to new ownership. But Samantha White couldn’t be more honored to lead the half-acre urban farm that’s currently producing an abundance of cabbage, summer squash, zucchini, cauliflower, beets and parsley, with much more coming soon.

“The moment we stepped foot on the property, we knew how special it was, and how much we could do to impact the community,” she says.

Cluck It consistently supports the Valley through its subscription-based community shared agriculture (CSA) program, which lets members choose produce and freshly laid eggs every week to be delivered or picked up.

“We also work with a variety of community partners to provide fresh produce bags to those with chronic diseases, lower income and elderly individuals,” White adds.

Zucchini and summer squash are hot requests, but “my personal favorite is fennel,” she says. “It has the texture of celery, but tastes like black licorice. Super unique to me.” 5661 Rowland Ave., cluckitfarmlv.com.

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