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! 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. 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)
0 Comments
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. 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. Another key moment was finding a Death Cap and False Death Cap in close succession to compare the various important features. Know your enemy! 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. 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) 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. 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)
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. 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
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!
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.
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.
|