Fall is officially upon us and its bounty beckons us to fields, wood edges and forests bursting with edible wonders! This time of year is always a mad scramble to capture the incredible amount of wild foods that are at prime before winter makes an unwelcome appearance.
This week’s downpours are sure to urge a wider variety of mushrooms to begin fruiting over the next few weeks. Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, King Bolete’s and Milk Caps all favor wet conditions and should make for some great finds in August. Soon, elderberries will begin ripening along with wild cherries. Sumac, wild mustard, sweet fern and bay leaf all beckon, ready to be made into delicious seasoning mixes.
You’ve just hit the mushroom mother-load. But now an intimidating thought creeps into your head – how do I preserve my wild harvest? Worry no more! After years of trial and error, research, testing and constant experimentation, I’ve come up with some tips and tricks to help you fully enjoy your foraged fungi.
My newest Mediterranean inspired wild mushroom dish is packed with umami deliciousness. The woods were teeming with giant blooms of bicolored boletes, a number of edulis species and a few chaneterelles. After a few glorious hours harvesting, my bags were full.
Eager to sample the fruits of my forage, I decided to try my hand at making a creamless, flourless mushroom soup. Crazy, I know! The end result was a truly divine umami bomb that made me instantly crave more bowls.