Hi, Friends!

How can it be that January of 2025 is nearly halfway over already? I hope you had a joyful holiday season and are getting to enjoy some slow days getting back into your routine. Here in Ohio we have had lots of fluffy snow and frigid temps encouraging us to cozy up and slow down.

Venison Bourguignon

We are so grateful that a few of our hunter friends shared some venison with us this month. This inspired me to find a recipe that includes both venison and mushrooms! I’ve been a farm-dwelling wife for seven years now, and I have cooked a good bit of venison! My top tip to make venison super tasty is to pair it with tomato. I don’t know why, but something about the tomato cuts the gamey flavor that venison can sometimes have. Another flavor helper that this recipe features is bacon. Honestly, what isn’t helped by bacon? Because venison is so lean, it really benefits from some bacon adding a bit of fat and extra flavor.

Asian Fusion Lion’s Mane

Lion's Mane can be a more challenging mushroom for me to cook. One of my favorite recipes I have made so far has been, Spicy Cumin Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, so I was excited to find this new one. It is a very similar idea and execution to the cumin recipe, but with a different flavor profile. 

Mushroom Fact

Mushrooms love humidity! Mushrooms grown in an indoor setting are grown at around 80% humidity. Wild mushrooms are often best foraged for after a rain because of this fact.

Where to shop Joyful Soil mushrooms

• Gnat and Bee is a beautiful herbal apothecary in downtown Loudonville, OH. They have a great selection of local and handmade goods, especially teas and body care products. You can pick up mushroom orders at this location on Saturdays. Simply contact us to order and ask for pick up at this location.

• Sweet Grass Dairy is a unique place to stock up on local, grass fed dairy products as well as pastured meats. Many of their products are produced 100% on farm. We are pleased to stock our mushrooms in this great shop.

• Wholesale, custom orders, and other inquiries can be made by emailing us at [email protected]

Thanks for reading! Wishing you a wonderful 2025!