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.
Giant Puffballs in particular make an excellent bread substitute, perfect for the classic “puffball pizza preparation.” Their flavor and texture is very similar to eggs or tofu. Last September was an epically good month for puffballs and after eating so many coated in tomato sauce, shredded cheese and various toppings, I looked for new recipes to try. That’s when my partner Lauren suggested a curry.
The first half of August has been an absolute bolete bonanza! Kings, Summer Ceps, Porcini, Bicolors, Bouillons and Painted Boletes (just to name a few) are covering forest floors. A change to cooler nighttime temperatures have also encouraged numerous fall mushrooms to begin fruiting earlier than normal.
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.
This week’s steady precipitation is a welcomed break from the heat dome that encircled New England over the holiday weekend. The rains will undoubtedly encourage some solid flushes of colorful and delicious summer mushrooms over the next 7 to 10 days. To celebrate the official opening of the fungi season, I wanted to share one of my very favorite recipes with you.
My hands have been permanently stained all week, alternating between bright yellow from the pollen coated elderflowers in full bloom to deep purple from ripe, juicy mulberries. And, my cupboards have reached maximum capacity, with over 200 jars of canned jams, jellies, sauerkrauts and pickled delights.
June truly is a forager’s paradise! As lilacs and magnolias die back, new edible flowers welcome warmer temperatures with their sweet smelling blooms, including black locust (pictured above), elderflower, dame’s rocket, beach rose and linden. Seasonings and herbs like peppergrasses and mints beg to be added to salads, pickles and wild crafted cocktails or mocktails. And salt marshes explode with succulent, salty treasures including samphire. orache, sea beans and beach peas.
Cold and flu season is upon us, but fret not my foraging friends! The forests and fields offer an incredible array of plants and fungi to help ward off those pesky coughs, sniffling noses and winter blahs. Late fall in my house means its time to get tincturing. Tinctures have been used for centuries by herbalists and healers alike and can be made from plants or fungi.
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.