Foraging: Shaggy Mane Mushrooms

I have fond memories of my Aunt (Tante) teaching me how to make hunter sauce with mushrooms (Jager Pilzsoße). She used fresh Chanterelles, but what I gleaned at the time, was the beauty behind foraging for mushrooms and the gift of learning how to cook them!

One in particular that I find quite often this time of year are:  Shaggy Mane (Corprinus comatus) also known as a Shaggy Ink Cap. One of my colleagues pointed them out to me many years ago and I am very thankful for that introduction.

This is the best way to forage. Garnering knowledge and true ID of the mushrooms before picking them.  There have been so many cases of folks eating wild mushrooms and becoming very ill. So I too will warn you - make sure your first go at identifying mushrooms is done with someone who can positively inspect them. You need vast knowledge of IDing the specimens before you ever consume them. 

I'm blessed to have a job where sometimes I just have to look down to find mushrooms. They truly "pop-up" out of no-where.  Foraging for them can come quite easily.

The best time to find Shaggy Mane's are in autumn. Especially after a wet bought and during a cool weather change.

These were in a grassy area, surrounded by trees. I usually find them in groupings. The odd one, here and there, but generally - when you see one, you see a bunch.

They stand straight up and range in sizes.

One of their identifiable features is white to brown flakey skin - eyelash flakes that curl upwards.

Another way to determine that they are the edible kind, is finding older mushrooms that bear the blackening "ink"staining at the base of the cap.  Shaggy Mane's almost look as though they are melting into tar.

Below, I have taken a sequence of photos showing the progression of inking that takes place.

 Here the cap is nearly separated from the stipe (stem). Think of an umbrella about to open.

Then the base starts to blacken at the very bottom of the cap.

The appearance of melting takes place, as the mushroom starts to deteriorate.

Oozing black ink begins to almost drip.

Shaggy Mane's have no shelf life. It's best to eat them as soon as you pick them. They don't store well.  When foraging, gently place them in a container lined with paper towel and cook within a few hours.

Plenty - just enough for a dinner is all I need.

Because these are from an urban environment, I wash them. Yes, I know, I too have read many cook books that state washing mushrooms is a no no. But these were not in the wild. I'm not going to take any risks when collecting from an urban landscape.  The key is: as soon as they are clean I dry them with paper towel. Mushrooms must be completely dry to fry well.

I prefer simple sautéing with butter and garlic.  One trick: my Tante taught me that if you want fried mushrooms with a crispy edge....NEVER let them touch each other.  Give them space in the frying pan.

Delicious!

Well worth the effort.

Please Note:  as you forage, DON'T take all the mushrooms. Leave several behind to start the life cycle over. Leaving some behind will allow spores to spread and inoculate the ground for next year. Mushrooms are the earth's life-giving force of decay and renewal. Depleting them for the frying pan doesn't help one bit. You deplete the natural ecosystem process and prevent ever getting a second chance to forage again.

For better ID info on Shaggy Mane mushrooms:  Mushroom Collecting Website

Hope you find some!

I Eat Weeds

Ok, two years ago, the only weed I would dare to eat were Dandelion leaves - that was pretty much it. Today, I enjoy eating several and the term "weed" has a whole new meaning.

I have a job because of weeds. When you truly examine plant life, you realize: weeds are just unwanted vegetation. But not all weeds are unwelcome.

The recent welcomed additions to my diet are:

1.

Lambs Quarters

Lambs Quarters (Chenopodium album) is common in nearly all disturbed soil sites, in perennial borders, park land and growing in areas where turf is situated. It's a heavy seeder and will self seed virtually everywhere.

I only eat these when they are young plants. I prefer the tender new leaves.

Note: I've read you should be careful with large quantities of Lambs Quarters when eaten fresh. The plant has Oxalic Acid, but the acid is eliminated in cooking.  Adding a handful to salads as a fresh, crisp crunch and mild flavour. Similar tasting to Swiss Chard and Beet Leaves.

You'll find tender, newer plants in May and June. Although, new plants are also found all throughout the growing season- if you keep your eyes open and can recognize the difference.

Notable identifying flower buds. Silver underside leaves, with silvery flower buds. When it has gone to flower, this indicates tougher leaves.

Also known as Wild Spinach, it is loaded in Vitamin A and C.

2.

Purslane

The second - Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Growing under my cedar bush, I only take a stem or two at a time. The mature, fleshy stems have the best leaves. They are quite juicy, when picked fresh.

If you are foraging, take as much of the root as possible when picking. This helps with storing and lessens wilting.

It shows up later in the season, usually by mid July. Found in nearly every growing situation.

I came to know this weed as food, when several years ago my crew and I were removing a heavy cropping of Purslane in one of our annual beds. A lady approached us and eagerly asked if she could take a bag full of our weeds.  I stopped to watch her diligently remove purslane from other weeds and gingerly put them in her bag.  I couldn't help but ask her what she did with them. English was her second language, and from what I could understand she made: 1) tea with it, 2) ate it in salads and soups and 3) used it in stir-fries.

Googling its uses, I was very surprised on its health benefits and how many Asian and Mediterranean meals have it in their recipes. Highly nutritious, it too is loaded with Vitamin A and C.

Last year I transplanted a few plants into two of my containers and added the leaves to my salads. Now I find some pop up in my front yard. I leave some stems and tip growth to full maturity, as they generate flowers and seeds at their tip. This ensures they return next year.

The leaves have a slight tangy-ness to them and a great crunch. Lots of work to de-leaf them from their stem, but I got the hang of it.

The great thing about Purslane, it is edible up until frost. It doesn't get overly woody and unpalatable when the plant ages. It regrows quickly, is drought tolerant and loves the heat of summer. Leaves are also rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Here is one salad recipe:

Wash the Purslane thoroughly. It grows right along the soil surface. Lots of grit usually comes with foraging it.

You can eat the stems, but I enjoy the leaves more. I remove each leaf; by holding on to the tip of the stem and running my index finger and thumb over the leaves, pulling the leaves off the stem as I go down. Watch for leaf-miners feeding inside the tissue of the leaves - discard. They love Purslane too.

I generally add 1-2 tablespoons full in each salad I make.

Recipe:

Green beans

Celery

Cucumber

Cherry Tomatoes

Garlic Chives

Swiss Chard

Fresh Oregano Leaves

2 tbsp Purslane Leaves

2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 an Avocado

Salt & Pepper to taste

splash of Olive Oil

1/2 tsp of dried Oregano flakes

1 tbsp of Black Olive tapenade

1/2 tsp of Dijon Mustard

Yum, Yum, Yum!

Next time you see it growing in between the cracks of the sidewalk or in your own garden, think twice about composting it!