The prize for this giveaway is kindly sponsored by the folks at CSN, who run a number of websites where you can find everything a good eater needs from a dining table to cookware. Details about the contest are at the bottom of this post.
Ever since I started mushroom hunting about two years ago, I’ve been inundated with people wanting to know where I go, how I do it. My only answer is to try to explain just how much work it was. Hours of classes, studying, walking around in the damp, drizzly local woods, driving around, hoping that this would be the right spot. I wish I had a better answer. I wish it were like crabbing or razor clamming, where a few dollars and some time will virtually guarantee you at least a modicum of success. Unfortunately, it isn’t. If you averaged out the number of edible mushrooms I’ve gotten over the number of hours I’ve put in to learning how to identify and locate them, you’re looking at about one mushroom every ten hours.
But it is worth it. And I’d never for a second discourage anyone else from trying to learn. Which is why, when I received a press release about a mushroom festival that was a) Cheap–just $20! b) involved some of the best parts of foraging–that would be the eating of warm, delicious, hearty, mushroom based foods upon return and c) involved going to a beautiful part of the state–Lake Quinault, I felt strongly about passing it on. It is October 15-17th, and to spare those who aren’t interested, I’m just going to attach the detailed info here: Mushroom Festival and the full schedule here: Mushroom Agenda. If you’ve ever (and you know who you are) asked me about mushrooms and hunting, this is such a great opportunity.
Finally, what you’ve all been waiting for: the contest. The prize is a $75 gift certificate to any of the CSN sites, which as I mentioned above, cover any number of categories, most notably for me, cookware. If you read my blog, there are a few mushroom recipes: Lobster Mushroom Bisque, Chanterelles with pasta, but I’d love to have more options. So, tell me the most delicious thing you can imagine cooking with foraged mushrooms. I’d love a recipe too, but I can always improvise, I’m just looking for ideas. Leave your idea in the comments here, and be sure to put your email address in–it won’t display, I just need it to contact you. Contest runs through October 18th, so you’ve got ten days!
orangette’s creamed morelles on toast are pretty life-changing.
Chanterelles in roasted tomatoes cream sauce with orecchiette pasta. The chanterelles are well-portrayed in this simple.
this looks pretty tasty:
http://www.davero.com/recipes/?p=8
it’s a mushroom custard in roasted onion, arugula, and kalamata vinaigrette. my mouth is watering!
Mushroom cheeseburger(veggie Burger) melts!!! Those are super tasty.I am the only meat eater among my friends but they have a animal friendly version they made too
jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com
Well my all-time favorite mushroom recipe is this one, but it’s also so full of other flavors that I am wondering if it wouldn’t showcase all the hard work enough. http://www.three-bowls.com/three-bowls-entries/2008/2/25/miss-congeniality-mushroom-chipotle-quesadillas.html
My other favorite way to use mushrooms is to make an baked frittata or egg casserole with mushrooms, thyme and goat cheese. I make one on the weekend and have a delicious, easy breakfast all week.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Mushroom Fest!
I recently made a wild mushroom focaccia. Here’s the basic rundown:
Step 1) Bake some focaccia bread (you can make the dough ahead and leave it in the fridge until you return from your foraging adventures)
Step 2) Saute some mushrooms in olive oil, throw in some fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Add a nob of butter at the end to make it even more delicious.
Step 3: Top the fresh-baked focaccia with olive oil and chunks of goat cheese. Spoon the mushroom mixtures over the top and grate some parmigiano on top of that.
Enjoy!
I think good if you make some good dough and get a smidgen of sauce, some good tomatoes and onions and add some of your mushrooms you would have the best little pizza of your life.
Omelet but I guess that one is pretty simple but as a mushroom fan,that is how I like mine mostly.Oh, and in a bread dressing.
truthhole@gmail.com
Morel Mushroom Tamales with Fava Beans
Morels work well but any wild mushrooms will do.
-Cook down onions, garlic, then mushrooms and tomatoes for the filling
-Saute the nicer looking mushrooms with butter, garlic, shallots, and fava beans
-For the sauce purre fava beans in a blender with E.V.O.O., water, salt and lemon juice
We don’t cook mushrooms often, but I’d probably just sautee them in olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt… yummmmmmm.
ourkidsmom @ gmail dot com
I was thinking of making a savory strudel one of these days.
Shaggy manes the size of basketballs came out this weekend, maybe I should get cooking.
And, adorable picture.
Matsutakes sliced and grilled/seared. So awesome. I hear there’s a bumper crop this year (although the first of the season I had last week weren’t super delicious…)
One of my favorites is to make galletes with wild mushroom pureed in between layers of crepes, then broiled and finished with a balsamic reduction. This is one of my favorite side dishes of all time.
I suggest checking out the Puget Sound Mycological Society. They have therir annual mushroom exhibit this weekend (16-17th) in Seattle- for those of you who find the other too far. Also their website has lots of information, they offer monthly meetings with speakers, field trips, id classes, and have recipes, state collectiong rules, etc:
http://www.psms.org
Mushroom hunting is not just about filling your pot, but also about enjoying time in the woods and away from the city. But finding eatables for the table is what helpsto motivate lots of us.
Yes! I have been a PSMS member for many years now, I would recommend their show to anyone with an interest in foraging!
I made a fantastic chanterelle mushroom soup last fall inspired by Becky Selengut with bacon and lots of cream.
Oh, I’m just drooling now!
I don’t know if it would cover the flavor of your hard work too much, but one of my favorite mushroom recipes comes from my mom. It’s basically a beef stroganoff with mushrooms, but with heavy cream and brandy, not sour cream. Recipe here: http://recipeeps4us.blogspot.com/2008/01/doc-holidays-passion.html
Hmmm…now I think I’m gonna have to add that to next week’s meny plan… :)
Boeuf Bourguignon! I bet that would be so good with wild mushrooms–it’s pretty tasty with just white mushrooms from the supermarket!
When I go mushrooming I take a Coleman stove, a skillet, olive oil, garlic, parsley, sea salt, pepper and a loaf of rustic peasant bread. The most important part of this “recipe” is to be in the woods where you pick the mushrooms. It has become ritual for me.
Chop mushrooms coarsely. Grill slices of bread. Sautee in medium hot skillet. When they start to make a little juice add chopped parsely and coarsely chopped garlic, stir and served on grilled bread. The bread soaks up the juices. Breathe in the smell of the forest and the duff. Oh I forgot one important ingredient–Pike Place Amber Ale.
This is really simple, maybe not even a recipe, but I love to slice the mushrooms, put them in foil with some butter and fresh ground pepper, seal up the foil and heat them in the oven for 5 or ten minutes, Delicious!
nblexp at gmail dot com
Fall chantrelle and squash (butternut or sunshine) risotto with sage (white wine and parmesean too)
Favorite recipe is K. Kenji Lopez Alt’s “hacker-free neapolitan pizza”
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/hacker-free-neapolitan-pizza-for-a-home-kitchen-recipe.html
A base of marinara, a couple spots of chevre, and a healthy dose of chantrelles.
A good marinara recipe (just the sauce bit, and it requires the a CooksIllustrated login)
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=21349
adam.phillabaum@gmail.com
Thanks everyone who entered! The winner, via random drawing, was Sonja.
Hope to see you guys around soon, and thank you so much for the awesome suggestions.
I know this is an old post, but seeing the picture of you holding the morel (I think?) reminded me of a dinner I made last spring of braised rabbit with wild morel, which I served with new potatoes and steamed asparagus and fiddleheads. Not in season for a while, but it was wonderful.