Chicken of the woods scampi is on the menu for me tonight. One of my favorite ways to enjoy this beautiful wild mushroom, it’s an easy dish that will have your guests begging for more.
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.
In fields, crab apples are begging to be picked and jammed, baked or made into vinegar, Kousa Dogwood fruits are ripening and black walnuts are causing mild concussions to unaware passersby. Many spring plants are rejuvenated by fall’s cooler temperatures and begin sprouting again – garlic mustard, wintercress, bittercress, dandelions, field onions and nettles urge our bodies to eat more greens before the winter freeze.
Looking for another way to save all of those delicious fresh mushrooms? Here is a super simple recipe that will make you thankful you thought ahead this winter! In the past I have used hens, chickens, oysters and beefsteak mushrooms, but pretty much any kind of fungi will work in a duxelles.
It’s soup season! With nighttime temperatures creeping downward, it’s the perfect time to tuck in and make some delicious mushroom soup. Earlier this week I was lucky enough to harvest a perfect 2 pound chicken of the woods.
Chicken of the woods, chanterelles, black trumpets and milky caps are beginning to carpet the forest floor with each rain. And, ornamental flowers like day lily and hosta offer many options for the hot and lazy forager – from raw salad toppers and garnishes to quick pickles, sodas and stuffed-with-cheese delights.
June starts the foraging migration, when we move out of open fields and begin focusing on hedgerows, wood edges, salt marches and forest edibles. My public events this month offer a number of different foraging experiences.
The holiday season is ramping up and I am busy getting into high gear! One of my very favorite things to do during the winter months is to work on my variety of mushroom salt mixes. They are fun and easy to create, make great gifts, and add a nice personal touch.
My goal this year is to try a wider variety of preserving techniques and thus far my experimenting has really paid off. I have discovered so many wonderful new recipes and preparations and am very much enjoying the creativity and thought behind each creation.