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Fungi Foray - Looe

31/10/2019

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Various Russlla's / Brittlegills
The rain didn't stop us! We braved the elements and were rewarded with finding a plethora of wild fungi. We probably found nearly a quarter of the varieties in just the first few hundred yards. Everyone was taken a back by how much is right under our nose as we hurriedly walk by. It was a good reminder to slow down and take your time!
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We found our first hedgehog mushrooms after a bit of a trek. We had just come through a younger park of the woodland that was lacking in the right tree types and hardly found anything. This made finding them even more exciting. Some of us scrabbled about in the undergrowth on the side of the bank determined to find as many as we could for lunch.
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Hedgehog mushrooms on cornbread, with fresh thyme
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Potato, mushroom and leek soup
​Here is a complete* list of what we found on our Fungi Foray in the Looe area last week.
Birch polypore / Piptoporus betulinus
Blusher / Amanita rubescens 
Oakbug milkcap / Lactarius quietus
Beech milkcap / Lactarius blennius
​Jellybaby fungus / Leotia lubrica
​Beechwood sickener / Russula nobilis
​Terracotta hedgehog / Hydnum rufescens
Wood hedgehog / Hydnum repandum
Green elfcup / Chlorociboria aeruginascens
Glistening inkcap / Coprinellus micaceus 
Brown rollrim / Paxillus involutus
Wood blewitt / Lepista nuda
Candlesnuff fungus / Xylaria hypoxylon
Common earthball / Scleroderma citrinum
Red cracked bolete / Boletus chrysenteron
False death cap / Amanita citrina
Sulphur tuft / Hypholoma fasciculare
Ringless honey fungus / 
Armillaria tabescens
Brittlegill / Russula Farinipes
Spindleshank or Toughshank / Gymnopus fusipes
Split gill / 
Schizophyllum commune
Clouded agaric / Clitocybe nebularis
​*excluding any LBJs (Little Brown Jobs)
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(A young) Amanita rubescens / Blusher
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Amanita rubescens / Blusher
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Leotia lubrica / Jellybaby fungus
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Leotia lubrica / Jellybaby fungus
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(An old) Piptoporus betulinus / Birch polypore
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Schizophyllum commune / Split gill
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Armillaria tabescens / Ringless honey fungus
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Russula nobilis / Beechwood sickener
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Coprinellus micaceus / Glistening inkcap
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Xerocomellus chrysenteron / Red cracked bolete
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Paxillus involutus / Brown rollrim
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Lactarius quietus / Oakbug milkcap
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Xylaria hypoxylon / Candlesnuff fungus
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Lepista nuda - Wood blewitt
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Chlorociboria aeruginascens / Green elfcup
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Scleroderma citrinum / Common earthball
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Clitocybe nebularis / Clouded agaric
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Hydnum rufescens / Terracotta hedgehog
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Close up of the 'spines' that give the hedgehog mushroom it's name.
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LEFT: Hydnum repandum / Wood hedgehog - RIGHT: Hydnum rufescens / Terracotta hedgehog
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TOP: Hydnum rufescens / Terracotta hedgehog - BOTTOM: Hydnum repandum / Wood hedgehog
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Fungi Foray - Bodmin

24/10/2019

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My aim on the day was to teach my guests how to safely identify and analyze fungi. I also sort to dispel lots of myths around the edibility of mushrooms. We looked at the features of various different types of fungi to learn how to tell them apart. 
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The deceiver / Laccaria laccata - Brittlegill / Russula Farinipes - Red cracked bolete / Boletus chrysenteron - Bay bolete / Imleria badia - Lactarius omphaliformis
​An area that would normally take 30 minutes to walk took us 3 hours! Everyone had fun scrabbling around, exploring the undergrowth, and appreciating the detail in the various habitats. The moment of delight when we found the first Chanterelle led to a pause when everyone slowed down to hunt for more. 
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Amethyst chanterelle / Cantharellus amethysteus
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Amethyst chanterelle / Cantharellus amethysteus
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Winter chanterelle / Cantherellus tubaeformis
​Another key moment was finding a Death Cap and False Death Cap in close succession to compare the various important features. Know your enemy!
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Death cap / Amanita phalloides
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TOP: False death cap / Amanita citrina - BOTTOM: Death cap / Amanita phalloides
The walk ended with ID workshop and a cook up. We had Winter Chanterelles fried in butter and thyme on crusty bread, followed by a mushroom soup. The soup was a simple potato and leek soup made only with a stock from dried cep and cauliflower mushroom, to which we added our Chanterelles, Winter Chanterelles and Oyster mushrooms, and finished with fresh thyme.
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​Here is a complete* list of what we found this week on our Fungi Foray yesterday in the Bodmin area.
Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria
Common earthball / Scleroderma citrinum
Red cracked bolete / Boletus chrysenteron
Bay bolete / Imleria badia
Death cap / Amanita phalloides
False death cap / Amanita citrina
Stink horn / Phallus impudicus
Winter chanterelle / Cantherellus tubaeformis
Chanterelle / Cantharellus cibarius
Amethyst chanterelle / Cantharellus amethysteus
Sulphur tuft / Hypholoma fasciculare
Turkey tail / Trametes versicolor
The deceiver / Laccaria laccata
Toads ear / Otidea bufonia
Common funnel / Clitocybe gibba
Brittlegill / Russula Farinipes
Zombie fungus / Cordyceps militaris
Webcap / Cortinarius
Spindleshank / Gymnopus fusipes
Candlesnuff fungus / Xylaria hypoxylon
Milkcap / Lactarius omphaliformis
Gymnopus acervatus (Collybia acervata)
*excluding any LBJs (Little Brown Jobs)
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Common funnel / Clitocybe gibba
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Toads ear / Otidea bufonia
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Common earthball / Scleroderma citrinum
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Webcap / Cortinarius
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Zombie fungus / Cordyceps militaris
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Candlesnuff fungus / Xylaria hypoxylon
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Common earthball / Scleroderma citrinum
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Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria
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Gymnopus acervatus (Collybia acervata)
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Spindleshank / Gymnopus fusipes
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Fly agaric / Amanita muscaria
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Party Time!

14/11/2017

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We are having a wild feast Sunday 19th November.
It’s to celebrate the first birthday of Woodmans Wild Ales. There will be lots of foraged foods paired with Stuarts amazing wild ales, we also have a tasting expert to talk use through the various unique flavours. Each course comes with a beer included in the price and is a bargain at £35 a ticket.

If this menu tickles your taste buds then please book via Eventbright.
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The Menu

White Elephant
7.5%
wildcrafted with blackthorn leaves, elderflower, sea arrowgrass and sea purslane
Crostini with three cornered leek and sorrel pesto with white bean and pepper dulse purée    (vegan)
 
 
Kea Porter 5.2%
wildcrafted with kea plums
Helford Blue and nettle curd cheese
Or
Wild herb crusted cheese (vegan)
 
Served with pickled samphire and forager’s chutney
 
 
Growsette 5.1%
wildcrafted with gooseberries
Mussels and samphire in beer
Or
Hedgerow spiced celeriac soup with hazelnut oil (vegan)
 
Served with homemade wild thyme, seaweed and beer bread
 
 
Redruth Red 7%
wildcrafted with bilberries and wild strawberries
Cornish venison and chestnut pie
Or
Wild mushroom and chestnut pie (vegan)
 
Served with seasonal and seashore veg
 
 
Queenie 8.1%
wildcrafted with Cornish apples
Medlar sticky toffee pudding and herb bennet custard
(Vegan option on request)
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Creamy Courgette Pasta

20/7/2017

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As a forager I naturally eat with the seasons, but I have a fussy 5 year old who really suffered in the courgette crisis of January 2017! This is a family favourite that features on the menu at least twice a week, even though my daughter would happily eat it every day. When we cut out dairy from our diets to help my toddlers eczema this was the biggest hurdle to overcome.

Grated courgette tastes so much better than sliced courgette. It tastes fresh and light, with a slight melon hint, and none of that wateriness that put people off. In fact, I don’t think we have ever eaten it sliced since.

This recipe works with most green veg. I sometimes ‘hide’ spinach and leeks in it too. My Facebook feed is currently filled with people asking what to do with their glut of courgettes this summer, so I think I need to share my creation.
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Recipe

Serves 4
2 medium White Onions – sliced or diced
2-3 cloves Garlic – grated or crushed
2 medium Courgettes – grated
2 handfuls of Marsh Samphire
250ml Cream (We use Oatly Cream)
½ Nutmeg – grated
1 Lemon – zest, and ½ juice if you want it lemony
Oil
Pasta (The kids like Fusilli)
Cornish Sea Salt
  • On a low temperature sauté the onions in oil for at least 20 minutes, longer if you can, until translucent and gooey. This is the base for most of my recipes and I really feel the length of time the onions have cooked makes a massive difference.
  • (Put the pasta on now)
  • Add the zest of one lemon and freshly grate half a nutmeg. Whole nutmeg has a much deeper and intense flavour, and is available in most supermarkets. Stir and infuse for a couple of minutes.
  • Grate or crush the garlic into the pan. Stir and infuse for a couple of minutes again, but no longer as garlic burns easily.
  • Add the juice of half a lemon if you want the dish lemony.
  • Add the grated courgette. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the cream, marsh samphire, and a couple of pinches of salt and warm through. Use good quality salt. We love Cornish Sea Salt for its sweet, mineral flavour. The salt really brings out the contrast in flavours in this dish, don’t be shy with it!
  • Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and coat evenly. We add more salt at this point, but taste and check first!
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Why Wait for Wild Garlic?

5/2/2017

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The days are getting longer, despite snow flurries in some parts, winter is losing its grasp. Spring is starting to take hold and around the UK the first shoots of Wild Garlic are emerging. For many this heralds the start of the New Year’s foraging season, a time to brave the chill and gather some tasty wild morsels. I would like to share a little secret with you; whilst many have been staying cosy indoors, hibernating after the glut of Christmas they have been missing out on a plethora of wild edibles that happily brave the elements. Winter is not as barren as you may think!
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Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine Hirsute)
Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine Hirsute)
​During the shortening daylight hours as the leaves fall from the trees you could be harvesting the second flurry of delights like Wall Pennywort (Umbilicus Rupestris) or the delicious but not aptly named Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine Hirsute). Pennywort is fresh and crunchy with hints of beansprout and refreshing cucumber. Hairy Bittercress is not hairy and not bitter, go figure! It has a punchy cress flavour with a mild hint of horseradish. Both add great texture and flavour dimensions to a salad or as a wild garnish.
​As autumn rolls into winter many assume this signals the end of the wild mushroom season, this could not be farther from the truth. In fact one fungi in particular can only be found in the months just prior to spring. Late January to early February sees the emergence of the magical looking Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha Coccinea). Its appearance screams “don’t eat me” and in fact some fungi books describe this delight as inedible. Lucky for us studies have shown this not to be true. I love this for its firm texture and due to the nature of its shape it is perfect for creating canopies. See my blog post on 7th Rise for my recipe involving three out of four of these wild ingredients.
Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha Coccinea)
Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha Coccinea)
Finally a plant that I have a love-hate relationship with: if you want an early garlic hit then track down Three Cornered Leek (Allium Triquetrum). As yet it is not found all over the UK because it is a non-native species, but it is also invasive causing a delicious dilemma for foragers. It can be found growing as early as October and overwintering right the way through til spring. Mainly found in southern parts of the UK it can be seen emerging long before our native Wild Garlic (Allium Ursinum). They bear no resemblance to each other but share a similar smell. Three Cornered Leek has long thin triangle shaped stems, whilst Wild Garlic has flat darker green broad leaves. As with Wild Garlic the whole plant can be eaten. To prevent the spread of the invasive Three Cornered Leek you can harvest the flowers to reduce its propagation and they add a splash of contrast in a green salad with a mild, sweet garlic flavour.
Three Cornered Leek (Allium Triquetrum)
Three Cornered Leek (Allium Triquetrum)
​There are many more wild delights to be found during the darker months and we have barely scratched the surface. I can’t give away to many secrets on here but please spread the word. For foraging there is no wrong weather, just the wrong perspective. Grasp those few daylight hours, or if your mad like me don a head torch after dark, wrap up and enjoy a year round wild harvest.
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