Snow is on the ground, and that means it’s time to start working through the mushroom stash. The first thing in my queue was a simple broth with shrimp dumplings based on an old recipe I used to run as a deep fried fish cake appetizer. The dumplings were just for fun since I was…
Lactarius/Russula
Nasturtium, Arugula, and Purslane Salad with Milkcaps and Shrimp
The marinated milkcap mushroom preserves I talked about in this post are fine out of the jar, but even better warmed up and put on a plate with something. I love a good salad, and my nasturtiums have been in full swing, so whatever I made, I knew they’d be going in there. A great…
Mushroom Preserves with Tomato, Coriander and Chili
Here’s a great way to put up any mushroom, but especially those that have gills waiting to soak up juices, or need a little boost in the flavor department, as milkcaps and ho-hum mushrooms like Pluteus and Megacollybia rodmani do, milkcaps being vastly superior of the aforementioned three. The marinade is a little trick I…
Lactifluus Volemus with Shrimp, Smoked Paprika, Garlic and Parsley
One of the most noticeable things about Lactifluus volemus is their smell, a sort of strong, cheesy, crotchy aroma. Whatever you want to compare it to, it’s strong, and it’s noticeable, as long as the mushrooms are fresh. The smell fades as it cooks though, and transforms into delicious, nutty, mushroomyness. Here’s one of the…
Candy Cap Caramels
Holidays remind me of seeing butter caramels sitting out on the counter at Grandma’s, or being wrapped for sale in the corner nook that’s always populated by different sweets at her house. I never ate a ton of them, but I’ve been having fun dreaming up flavored caramels for a mignardise platter, a tray of…
Candy Cap Mushroom Semifreddo
A while ago at the restaurant I got a wild hair and was craving candy cap mushrooms in some kind of dessert. I’d made ice cream, bread pudding, marshmallow, custard, all the usual things, but I wanted something a little different. I also know that they’re a hard sell in Minneapolis since most people have…
Lactifluus Volemus
I’m lucky and grateful to have a network of friends that hunt different plants and mushrooms. We share information on places we’ve hunted, seasonal changes, what’s coming up when, and it helps to have company sometimes since mushroom hunting is for the most part a solitary sport. Last year my friend Matt, a local artist…
Baby Bok Choy In Lactarius Broth With Quail Eggs
Here’s a recipe I created to use dried Lactarius salmoneus, donated to the Cascade Mycological Society for their cookbook. When powdered and made into a broth, you’d be hard pressed to say it isn’t chicken stock. From my experience, different dried Lactarius resembling deliciosus, rubrilactus, and sanguifluus will give similar results. The recipe is designed…
Saffron Milkcaps With Chickpeas, Tomato, and Gran Queso
In Spain, hands down the most famous is the rovellon, or saffron milkcap. This particular recipe I made for the Cascade Mycological society’s cookbook. Chickpeas are popular in Spanish cuisine, and gran queso is a famous, slightly salty cheese from the region. Combining the chickpeas and cheese with a little chopped, peeled tomato, and some…
Lactarius Indigo Vinaigrette
I went through a phase where whenever I found Lactarius indigo growing I tried to come up with preparations that would keep their blue color. This is one of the more interesting ones: a blue mushroom vinaigrette. It’s not the type of vinaigrette you’re going to throw on a salad, since you won’t be able…
Bleeding Milkcaps / Lactarius Sanguifluus
From my experience, finding Lactarius that are good for the table is tough. There’s always bugs to compete with, but they just aren’t as reliable as a good old chanterelle, black trumpet, chicken/hen of the woods, or morels where I live. One year I’ll see more than you can pick with a wheelbarrow, then next…
Indigo Milkcaps Preserved In Herb Oil
Delicious blue mushrooms! Sounds like a joke or a drug, right? Indigo milkcaps a.k.a lactarius indigo are pretty cool. They’re one of the only blue foods that you can eat that I know of, with the exception of a couple berries and potatoes. I can still remember the first time I found one, baffled by…
The Hills Have Lobster Mushrooms
It’s misty and quiet at 6 am, and we’re all alone. After a couple hours in the car, we know right where were going when we hit the trail: a patch of land gauged with ravines, and rich with mixed aspen, maple, and white oak. We’ve arrived at the home of one of our favorite…