Wild Mushrooms
Aug
24
Written by:
24/08/2010 12:35
Working in a hotel surrounded by woods, and with a wild food and mushrooms expert like Chef Robert, one's interest and curiosity in wild food will certainly grow.
From late June, if one has a good look around in the woodlands, under trees and between the leaves, you can easily notice the earliest specie we get round here. The Chanterelle is a common mushroom in the woods around Eriska. As the mushroom season matures and autumn gets closer, other types of mushroom begin to appear, which include; Hedgehog fungus, Ceps (penny bun), Puff balls, Autumn Chanterelles, Orange Birch Boletus, Brown Birch Boletus, and many more. All of which contribute to a tasty wild mushroom dish such as casserole, risotto, pasta sauce, or simply tossed in nice garlic butter. One general rule has to be kept in mind when collecting wild food and fungi, unless you’re a very experienced mushroom picker always double check everything in a book devoted to identification. Some species of fungi are highly poisonous, so always be sure.
The main wild Mushroom season in the area starts in summer (though there are certain species which are around as early as spring such as the St George mushroom) and ends in late autumn when the first frost sets in, killing most of the species, thus bringing the hobby of fungi enthusiast and mushroom pickers to an end, with hopes for the next year to be an even better one. But for now, we are right in the middle of the season, let’s get our baskets and mushroom knives to the woodlands, to look for some different types for dinner……
