TOWN OF DICKINSON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Our Nutrition in the Kitchen segment focuses on the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus.

Nutrition Educator Kathleen Cook is preparing creamy mushroom pasta with spinach inside the commercial kitchen at the Broome County Regional Farmers Market.

Cook says mushrooms have a lot of nutritional qualities including vitamin D and B vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid that, in combination, are good for heart health, digestion and skin tone.

Cook says people shouldn’t just limit themselves to white button mushrooms, but try portabellos, shitake, oyster or lion’s mane.

“If you go to the market, you can get some other ones that are more what are considered gourmet. Part of the reason they’re gourmet is that they’re not real hearty. They’re more delicate. So, they’re not often found in the grocery stores. They don’t travel well. It’s better to buy them local and to buy them from a vendor here at the market.”

Cook says mushrooms have a natural savory flavor known as umami that is similar to the flavor of beef.

And she says because they can be grown indoors, they’re available year-round.

You can watch her full demonstration below.