For the most part of my Australian life I’ve done most of my veggie shopping at the major supermarkets. At the start, in mid-2000, the quality was pretty average. But then with the supermarkets war, the quality went up a fair bit. The presentation and freshness of the products were also on the up. And so was the price! But we didn’t have much of a choice and had to make do with what we had at the time. Then a few years ago came the fresh food markets. They were essentially vegetables and fruits shops owned and ran by the same family, usually Asians. 

At the start, the freshness wasn’t there at all. You could have thought that they were sourcing their products from the big supermarkets at a discounted rate. Gradually the quality improved as well as the display. And given that the price was always more competitive than the supermarkets I quickly switched over to them. And haven’t really looked back. My current fresh food market is down the road from my place. It is very spacious and have the benefit of an excellent deli which sells polish charcuterie. 

 

You would easily source the commonly used vegetables and fruits as well as some exotic products like dragon fruits, longan fruits, litchis, breadfruit or bitter melon, chayote or even ladyfingers which are really great health wise. From my understanding, their stock arrives fresh each morning. And chances are you are likely to find the product you want whether you’re looking for a specific variety of mushroom, a unique ingredient for an old family recipe or just the usual fruit and vegetables. I made this introduction because on the weekend I walked pass the market and noticed a mushroom variety: Enoki mushroom. 

It so happened to be on special as well. I’ve researched this variety of mushroom and thought it would be an interesting addition to my kitchen. Enoki mushroom is a native Asian mushroom commonly found growing on tree trunks or tree roots. The Enoki grows in long clusters of string-like stems that sprout small white caps. The mushrooms provide a mild flavor with a somewhat crunchy texture. It is a good addition to salads, soups, meat dishes, and as a garnish. I wasn’t sure how to cook it and what would be a good addition. I so happened to also have some glass rice noodles in stock and did know what to make of it. A combination of the two ingredients sounded like a great experiment. And I’ve managed to pull something that I’m going to have a fair few times in the future considering how good and light it was.

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 packet sweet potato noodles 
• 100g Tofu 
• 1 Carrot 
• 100g Green Beans 
• 250g Enoki mushrooms 
• 50g snow peas 
• 1 Onions 
• 2 spring onions, white part 
• Handful of toasted peanuts 
• 3 Garlic cloves 
• 1 Red chilli 

METHOD: 

1. In a hot wok, fry all the vegetables separately. 




















2. Prepare the sauce by combining the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and some wine vinegar as well as the spring onions, and toasted peanuts. 





3. In the meantime cook the noodles for 5 minutes by soaking it in hot water. 





4. Return all vegetables in a wok with the fresh Enoki mushroom. 










5. Add the sauce as well as the glass noodles and mix together. Add the crispy tofu and the raw snow peas at the end. 

I hope you enjoy it!

Bon appétit!