A couple days ago a reader offered to meet up to go for a foray in the University area on her lunch hour. Lunch-hour urban foraging, the concept alone I couldn’t turn down. Take THAT all you ‘I don’t have time people!! Now granted her co-workers think she’s strange for foraging for her lunch, but whatever. Strange can be good. … Read More
Trio of Agaricus Species. Poison, anyone?
This morning my two daughters were looking for an adventure, which, well, turned out to be more mushroom hunting. Surprise! Yeah, not. Well we found a pile. 3kg worth. That’s about 7 paper lunch bags full. As I started to clean them up for drying though, I noticed they were far from all the same. I had been doing some … Read More
Wild Mushrooms: had to go back for more
How I got to my 30’s without knowing the wild agaricus genus of mushroom, I will never know. Agaricus Bisporus is the button mushroom you find at the box stores – so are criminis and portabellos. Agaricus Campestris [seen here, and posted about yesterday], whose common name is ‘field mushroom’ is a still-wild relative. It will be added to my … Read More
Agaricus Campestris [field or meadow mushroom]
Since the foray Wednesday, all I could think about was getting out again. My mushroom hunting in the past was usually in a very specific spot, for a very specific kind. More of a waiting game. Wednesday’s foray was more ‘dive in and see what you find’ – which is far more exciting. So after a few days of generally … Read More
Urban Mushroom Foray
I’ve been humbled. I knew I didn’t know much when it came to local mushroom – I tend to focus on what I know to be safe: shaggy parasols and shaggy manes – but I didn’t realize what I knew was simply a blip in the insanely geeky, mysterious, intriguing, and often tasty world of wild mushrooms. Last night was … Read More
Hyldeblomstsaft. I think.
In 2006 I was in Copenhagen visiting family, and a couple days into the visit they set about making their annual batch of elderflower syrup, or in Danish: Hyldeblomstsaft. I’d never heard of the stuff. It was love at first sniff. I had them dictate the recipe to me and I have had it stashed away since then, hoping to … Read More
Blanched Dandelions
I’m starting to see dandelions as the single-most misunderstood wild food. People spend much time eradicating their robust roots from their monoculture of lawn. They spend money on toxic pesticides and various pieces of equipment designed specifically aimed at waging war on the dandelion. As I have in the past, I will offer the ultimate solution: eat them. Only this … Read More
Elk Brési w/ Wild Mushrooms & Labrador Tea
When butchering this cow elk in late November, I noticed how particularly perfect the shape and size of the eye of round would be for dry curing. No wonder it’s been done for eons. As usual, here I am, not innovating. As I had run out of my first ‘test batch’, it was time for a more confident crack at … Read More
Shaggy Parasol Powder
I imagine most of you have tired of hearing about shaggy parasols by now. I forgive you. But I absolutely must mention one of my coolest new pantry items: shaggy parasol powder. A friend mentioned using dried morels as a powder, and a light bulb went on. I still had some of these left, not really knowing what to do … Read More
Shaggy Parasols – in November
I don’t quite get it. I must be doing something right. It’s likely just the year. I not only got a serious feed of these in July, then again in September, but then they came again in…November??? Just to be clear, they’re all from my small city lot, and I didn’t try to grow these – they grow ‘wild’. They … Read More