fungi_provider

Hey, in your picture, is that a gilled mushroom? ← Yes it is. That is Chlorophyllum rhacodes, which used to be Macrolepiota rhacodes. Common name is the shaggy parasol. It is a delicious edible, but one must take care to not confuse it with Chlorophyllum molybdites, the Green Spored Lepiota. I do agree with the use of dried Boletus edulis the way you described. I also use a coffee grinder to make "mushroom powder" for additions to soups etc.

For outdoor enthusiasts that enjoy gathering their own culinary delights, nothing that I know of can be more rewarding than mushroom hunting. I've hunted for all kinds of wild animals, and although I enjoy eating game, I long ago sold my rifles, bows and guns, and opted for mushrooming. Most anywhere can provide mushroom hunting experiences. North America is excellent for mushrooming and i have friends from California, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin as well as Canada that all enjoy it as much as I do. Field guides are a must. I own 20 at least. And with the internet, as Rachel found out, getting a particular fungus ID'd is a lot simpler than it could be otherwise. However, I would never take any one persons word in identifying a mushroom for the table. Eating wild mushrooms is something I do almost every day. Last night was chanterelles and shrimp with capers sauteed in olive oil and butter, deglazed with some lemon juice and water and reduced. In learning edible mushrooms, one must also learn the poisonous few. Sorry to be repetitive, and somewhat rambling, but we mushroom folk are somewhat "strange" by most others definitions, and besides, promoting mushroom hunting is what I live to do.

Counter space? what's that?!?! Of course i do, and we even picked up some of those nifty decorative stove eye covers, which at last count, 3 sets burnt up due to forgetting to remove them from the burner. Your stove top is counter space. Use it wisely.

I don't haggle either. Being one that sells wild mushrooms via a farmers market environment, I'm often experiencing a number of obstacles in completing a sale, including price. My goods are wild and all provided by mother nature. My harvest depends on hours of foraging for the said seasonal delight, making sure it remains in near perfect condition from the time of the harvest until it arrives on a piece of plywood in a basket at market. Once the price is set, I feel that is all that needs to be said, regarding cost. However it rarely is, except when a choice customer shows up that actually understands the value of the product, and my desire to provide it. Now, on to more conventional Farmers Market items, like eggplant, corn and tomatoes. I resent the fact that most signs for corn, for instance, simply say "Sweet Corn". Very rarely will the vendor post the variety, if he/she even knows. I don't go to the Farmers Market for so called, "Field Tomatoes", but I assure you that 98% of the tomatoes here in S.W. Ontario, at market are just that, and clearly advertised as such. So no, I don't haggle, I simply don't buy, unless the product is exquisite to me. And if that's the case, I pay the vendors asking price.

Was at Costco in London, Ontario not long ago and they had 7 ounce jugs of dried Boletus edulis, porcini, king boletes. They were priced well at under 15 dollars Canadian. The only problem I had was it didn't say where they were harvested. BC ? China? Italy? They were very nice in a sauce I made. Who knows, but I did buy 6 jugs to send to friends.

Ahhh Yes, the elusive "tree rat" Actually, squirrel rates high on my list of wild game. To me it tastes much better than rabbit, is more protein based, and doesn't stink to high heaven when you clean them. I'm not sure if squirrel has ever found its way into eating establishments or not. I assume not. Now with that said, squirrel that happen to be urban dwellers tend to resort to dietary tactics that to me would leave them unsatisfactory for the table. They will scrounge through a trash can or dumpster in a heartbeat. My advice would be to pack up your 22 caliber rifle, complete with scope, leave the shotgun at home please, and go find some public hunting land, or a farmer that will let you hunt, and get yourself some country squack! Remember, a headshot assures a very nice end result. Clean your squirrels in the field. Take along a pair of sidecut pliers for their tiny lil feets and skin them while they are still warm. Place cleaned squirrel in a plastic bag and then in your hunting pouch. You'll be glad you didn't wait until you get home. Ok, seriously, squirrel is very tasty, and I'm sure that you folks could do them up real proud

I see alot of menu's that provide "wild mushroom entre's", but upon asking the chef the varieties, I find the same. Cultivated Shitake, Oyster, Crimini. Is this because of cost, preference or lack of wild product?

Tempura battered Maitake (Hen of the Woods) splashed with lemon juice Foil wrapped/roasted Matsutake (Pine) with butter, garlic and lemon.....20 minutes in a 500 degree oven.....delicious Parasol Mushroom Grilled Mini-Pizza's-Make your favourite pizza, use parasol mushrooms for the crust.

Lobster mushrooms are somewhat more difficult to clean than other wild species due to the fact that the host mushroom is a "short stalked russula" to use a common name. The name alone tells you something about its growth habits. Close to the ground. Once the parasitical fungi sets in (hypomyces), the mushroom becomes heavy and crevices can be filled with organic matter. Not dirt .....anyhow, upon harvesting the lobster, I bring them home, immediately clean them with a dry brush or compressed air. Never with water. Soil and water become what? Mud. After the cleaning process, I tear them into assorted larger than bite size morsels and place them in a dehydrator. Once dried and allowed to age, upon rehydration, you may then shape them to your own desires. To me a container of dried lobster mushrooms smells awesome. But, I love fungus