Oct 17, 2012

little foraging

hmpr, i knew all along that my computer problems were caused by a tiny tack someplace, a wrong place. and what do you know, it ended up being stupidly simple, frustrating!

anyways, spent the weekend before last at the cottage, little niece came along. first order was to go and admire the scenery...although very autumnal and stormy.






when the rain halted, mom, little niece and i headed into the forest to look for some mushrooms, which are abundant from all the rain we've been getting.






i've always wondered what kind of gremlins and goblins live under the fallen trees...little niece wondered the exact same thing!






love the shade of green in the moss.






mushroom! hmm, a chanterelle (cantharellus cibarius) past its prime. a very nice mushroom, but we were after something else...






...these! cantharellus tubaeformis, oops, it's now called craterellus tubaeformis, also known as yellowfoot, winter mushroom, or funnel chanterelle.





we were out for half an hour and got all this. there's plenty left...






wood being the major form of heating, piles and piles of firewood are needed during the winter.






the fall colors of aronia mitschurinii at my brother's house are blinding. the berries make great cordial packed with vitamins.






the crab apple is shedding leaves and the apples.






back at the shack we decided to dry the mushrooms for longer "shelf life". spread them an even layer on newspaper / paper towel in a dry place, covered loosely with a single layer of news paper and left to dry for a week. there are plenty other methods, we do this 'cause it's easy, and i'm all about easy...






...after a week the mushroom were all crackly and wrinkled.






they ended up in a jar and will be used in stews, sauces and risottos.






and for you fans of the dog. here's one instagrammed pic of him chilling with his smelly rat...





4 comments:

  1. Love mushrooms but I would never pick any because I don't know the good from the bad.
    Your mushrooms look wonderful all dried and waiting for winter stews.
    Love your dog with toy photo.
    After the long hot summer and monsoon season Fall is the best season in Tucson.
    It is just beautiful.

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hi parsnip!

      oh, there are plenty of edible mushrooms that i leave behind, i go for the "easy" ones, easy to pick, easy to prepare, etc.

      also, i'm stupidly spoiled when it somes to mushrooms, mom fills her freezers with false morels (deadly if not prepared right, but delish!), regular and funnel chanterelles and then gives most of them to me and my bro...and all of the above are abundant in the forest around the cottage.

      i can imagine how a cooler, moist weather would feel wonderful after a parching summer.

      bellyrubs for square ones!

      Delete
  2. oh my gosh, you're so lucky with the knowledge of mushrooms and them growing so plentifully!!!
    I am jealous!!! and never mind the beautiful lake!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hi kitty!

      gosh, indeed...i never stop to think how lucky i am, not until someone points that out. one grows up with these things and tends to take them for granted... on the other hand, you have no idea how jealous i am of you getting to live in nyc! luckily they invented airplanes!

      bellyrub for rupert!

      Delete

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