SHROOMS MAN

How Brilliant & Organic is That ?                                                                                                                                      Charlie

There is nothing quite like a shroom, where else do you get such earthiness? Ok, maybe a truffle, but they’re generally not ‘a volleyball’ to an ordinary bloke like me. About a year ago my old mate Ross introduced me to mushroom foraging and as a result I have eaten heaps of the beauties. I’ve also tried a bunch of recipes, all of which have made me puff out my chest with pride and delight. ‘Then again you would have to try rather hard to make them anything but delicioso’, said I, with my chest deflating ever so slightly.

The King Of Shrooms Drying                                         Mans

Each mushy has it’s own character and needs to be treated slightly differently. The robust Pine Ring is one of my faves, you’ll need to cook them a bit longer than most, remember to chop the stalks up fine, coz they can be tough (or use them to make a mushy stock). Pickled Pine Rings preserved in olive oil make an impressive homemade antipasti. Then there’s ‘The King of All Mushrooms’, The Porcini/Cep/Penny Bun/Boletus Edulis, whatever you call them, they’re magnificent. I think they are best dried, coz that’s when that umami taste really intensifies (now look at what you all have made me do, I’m drooling, dammit). The Porcini’s are
easy to dry and will last right though til the next season. They are your kitchen’s trump card, ready to be rehydrated with white wine or water and popped into just about any dish, or you can simply try ‘mushing’ them up and use as seasoning. The mind boggles at the possibilities. Just make sure that you pick the right ones, coz the mind might boggle in a way you don’t want it to, or not… On a serious note, please take care coz, there are some real nasty’s lurking in the woods, so nasty that the tables could turn on you and YOU could end up as mushroom food. IF YOU DON’T KNOW WOT IT ITZ, DON’T EAT IT.

Thanks for the guidance Ross.

The Orignal Hunter Gatherer, The Ross Man                                       Charlie