It's wild mushroom time!

[QSis]

The weather here has been warm, humid, showery and good for nothing but mushrooms.

So QBro and I went mushrooming for about an hour this afternoon and got a BOUNTY of mushrooms, at least half were porcinis (or Polish cepes)!!!

We cleaned them and are dehydrating them in the oven now, to be used in beef and pork dishes, and Polish mushroom borscht, this winter.

The following photos are of fresh woodland mushrooms (today's harvest is not shown because I forgot to take a picture), then today's mushrooms cleaned and sliced on racks, and then a few of last year's mushrooms, dried to be stored in a cheesecloth bag until they are used. The aroma of dried and drying wild mushrooms is only surpassed by their incredible flavor!

Mushrooming is my second most favorite thing to do outside (sitting on the beach is the first!)

Lee

[JohnL]

Wow!
That's quite a havest. I really don't know what kind of schrooms grow here in Md, but I'd be afraid that I would end up with a poison one....

[larry_stewart]

Yeah. i wish i knew what i was doing, because id LOVE to go searching for wild mushrooms . I know there is a club/ group around here that does it.

[stassie]

We go mushrooming all the time, when they're in season. In good years, we get buckets and buckets of them. I've never tried drying them before, though... I should give it a go. I usually stew or brown ours, then freeze the ones we don't use straight away.

Ours must be a different breed, though - most look like this:

[Maverick2272]

We were gonna try Morel hunting around here but never did get around to it. A friend went and she said she did OK, not the greatest year for em.
That is quite a haul ya got there, I envy you!

[QSis]

Originally Posted by stassie

We go mushrooming all the time, when they're in season. In good years, we get buckets and buckets of them. I've never tried drying them before, though... I should give it a go. I usually stew or brown ours, then freeze the ones we don't use straight away.

Ours must be a different breed, though - most look like this:

Stassie, I was only taught to pick 5 kinds of mushrooms - only one of which has "gills", and they are the orange chanterelles.

The other four kinds of mushrooms I pick are all of the "bolete" variety, which have the sponge underneath the cap, rather than the gills.

Obviously, there are many gilled mushrooms that are safe, I just don't know how to pick them.

Lee

[QSis]

Man, this hot, humid, wet weather is good for something! Went mushrooming for two hours this morning and got a harvest that's a record-breaker for my family!!! Got two shopping bags full of 'shrooms, and spent another 2 hours cleaning the suckers for dehydrating.

My house smells incredible!

The photo doesn't really show the magnitude of this GIANT pile - I mounded them up on half of the dining room table so I could use the other half to work with.

Lee

[Uncle Bob]

I am duly impressed Miss Lee!! WOW!!!! I wish I knew how to pick them, but I don't know good from bad...poison from non poisonous! I've never tried to learn, but you inspire me!!!

[QSis]

Thanks, UB!

A friend who is an excellent cook, just sent me this recipe. I am drying most of my harvest, but will save some out to use over grilled steaks tomorrow night (instead of in a sandwich).

Lee

Hammersly's Wild mushroom and roasted garlic sandwich

2 whole heads of roasted garlic
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
~1/2lb mixed wild and domestic mushrooms, cut into thick slices
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small shallot, finely minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 slices good crusty bread


In a large pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and the butter over medium-high heat until the butter is very hot. Add the meatiest mushrooms, like criminis and portobellos, and cook them, stirring occasionally, until they brown lightly and begin to release their juices, about 5 mintues. Add the remaining mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring once or twice, for another 5 minutes.

Add the chopped garlic, shallot and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, stir through the parsley, and remove from the heat.

Toast the bread until golden brown. Spread each piece generously with the roasted garlic. Construct two sandwiches with the bread and the mushrooms, and eat at once.