With November’s temperatures mimicking those of spring, many tasty herbs, plants and greens are back on the menu. Nuts, berries and the last of the fall fruits are also on the table – from acorns and hickory nuts to crab apples and juniper berries.
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.
The first time I attempted to make mushroom jerky was purely as an experiment. I had a surplus of maitake/hen of the woods and had read that their meaty stems were perfect for jerky. I eat meat jerky maybe once a year, usually while on a road trip. I certainly didn’t have high expectations for the fungi version. But oh, how I was wrong!
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.