Annual Labor Day Forage

We went on our annual Labor Day mushroom forage and returned with these specimens. I have already mentioned the difference between false and true chanterelles, but this photo better illustrates. Though it won't "kill you dead" a false chanterelle, Gomphus floccopus, (left) will make you ill. Note the gills travel nearly all the way down the stem of a false chanterelle, and with a true chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius, they travel partially down. The false chanterelle is also indented like a funnel. We also found scaber stalk boletes, but not much else since the rain has stopped. All had fun nevertheless and lunch was delicious! Special thanks to Boston.com for the free blurb. Graylings (small and in the chanterelle family) should be up soon. We'll talk about these next. Meanwhile, here is a link to a mushroom recipe contest where you can win free 'shrooms and here is a link to poisonous mushroom site.

Gold in these here hills

Chanterelles galore right now. We had a tip from someone who went on one of our public forages. She and her husband came by to ask our opinion about her multitude of funghi finds. Most were not edible, but she told us where she found a nice patch of the golden darlings. There was also a patch of false chanterelles, many of which she picked. They differ in that the top appears as a funnel shape and one can put a stick or pencil down into the top of the mushroom. The color also differs. The photo shows Faith holding the false one in her right hand. The goodie golden ones in the next photo will be served tomorrow with baby chicken, and we will recommend a sturdy white wine--perhaps a viognier from Calera since the chanterelles have a little apricot nuance. Some oyster mushrooms are also around, but more should be found on decaying trees later in the season as the nights cool.