I have come across Russians picking slippery jacks in a particular local park I frequent. The first time I saw them there, it was groups of old Russian Grandmas out picking chicken fat boletes. The next time it was a group of elderly Russian ladies and men who split into two different groups, the men…
Recipes for Fresh Wild Mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms work in two basic ways: as the main ingredient in a recipe, or as a supporting character working in the background. Here you'll find a little bit of everything.
Shellfish Ragu, Aborted Entolomas, Heirloom Tomatoes, Mint
I knew a couple people had spoken about these things called aborted entolomas when I started picking mushrooms, but it took me about a year to be confident in recognizing them. Information about their edibility is out there, but there is not tons of it. Guides from the Pacific Northwest did not discuss it, but…
Wild Mushrooms With Breadcrumbs, Garlic, And Chili
This is one of the simplest, and most popular ways I know to prepare any mushroom. Wild mushrooms with slippery caps, especially slippery jacks or other boletes are my favorite for this though, since the crunch of the breadcrumbs is a great foil for the tenderness of the mushroom. It’s my go to recipe if…
Dry Sauteed Blewits With Shallots And Tarragon
The first few times I eat something new I try to keep it very basic, so I can learn what the flavor is like and then begin to plan appropriately for it. There is varying information on the internet regarding the cookery of blewits, mostly just basic techniques and blewits being cooked in places where…
Slippery Jack Escargot: With Garlic Butter, Parsley And Breadcrumbs
I cannot take credit for this awesome method, that honor is due to Jack Czarnecki, author of numerous books on mushroom cookery and an inspiration to people who delve into the strange circles of mycophagy (people that are obsessed with eating mushrooms). In his book Joe’s book of mushroom cookery, he describes a recipe in…
Fricando Of Veal With Saffron Milk Caps
With a fridge full of saffron milkcaps, I started doing research on any cultures that might use them in traditional recipes. Of course the first way I tasted them was simply sautéed last year, and I thought them ok, the specimens I had were not the greatest though, and now that I am aware…
Pickled Hen Of The Woods Mushrooms/Maitake
Like any mushroom, hens are best when picked very young. They’re certainly edible in their old age, even after they have released their spores, but these are going to be more prone to bug damage. From my experience, hen of the woods will not have maggots until very old, but they will be preyed upon…
Wilted Amaranth With Garlic, and Summer Wild Mushrooms
Amaranth is such a great plant. Like most of my favorite greens, the majority of people are probably just going to pull it out of their garden as a weed, and I get that, but if you have some growing you’re doing yourself a disservice not trying it at least once-I guarantee you’ll be hooked….
Amanita Muscaria or Fly Agaric Mushroom
Volumes have been written about it, and it’s subtly pervaded Anglo Saxon culture. If you have ever seen a lawn with garden gnomes, watched Alice in Wonderland, Disney’s Fantasia, played Super Mario Brothers, or been to a thrift store that sells kitschy trinkets, you’ve seen the influence. It’s Amanita muscaria, also known as the fly…
“Last Chance” Cream Of Chanterelle Soup
If you are a chanterelle hunter, you will likely have experienced this scenario: You get home from your successful chanterelle hunt, you start to unload the mushrooms in the kitchen and prepare to clean and process them. You wash the mushrooms briefly if needed, allow them to drain and dry, and then proceed to cut…
Puffball Mushroom-Cheese Croquettes, With Ramp Ketchup
Puffballs stuffed with cheese! Oh baby. There is just something about stuffing food with cheese that’s awesome. I know if I make anything like this orders will come in rapidly, I had better be dug in deeper than an Alabama tick with prepped food. There is just something about oowey-gooey cheese that humans have a natural…
Cisco, Chanterelles, Daylilies, Endamame, and Soy-Vinegar Sauce.
Thinking of cooking chanterelles in the summer fills my head with ideas. Their floral, fruity smell means we need some light accompaniments that won’t take over and steal the show. Thinking of how their smell is so sweet, almost like flowers, reminded me of the daylilies growing outside next to my haggard, midget-mint plant. I…
Creamed Chanterelles, Sweet Corn and Chervil
Signs of summer are finally showing up here in Minnesota. For months it seemed like all the farmer’s market had was peas and radishes, when we should have much more.. I was giddy when I walked into the coolers the other day, greeted by wood lathe boxes all brimming with ears of sweet corn. Instantly…