Slideshow by Amber Benham.

Deputy editor Rachel Wharton and I recently dropped by the Union Square Greenmarket to take in some warmish pre-Spring sun and grab some mushrooms from Bulich Mushroom Farm (click here to read about the masters of mycelium in our recent issue). Too bad we got there so late! By the time we arrived, the crowds had snagged half the supply. But our trek wasn’t for naught. We pulled third-generation mushroom farmer Joseph Bulich aside for a little Q&A and he gave us some great tips for cleaning and cooking those beloved shrooms, along with the secrets of prepping shiitake stems, how his family farm works and why they’re still in business. Check out the slideshow above to hear what he told us!