Are you hungry for some fall wild mushrooms? I am!

It's that time again when the air is crisp and cool. The ground is moist and the rains are coming… we hope! Why do I wish for rain every fall? Because no sooner do our Northwest grounds moisten up that the heavily sought after wild mushrooms start to pop up. Fall is fast approaching and that means it’s mushroom time! I love foraging for my own fall fungi -  Boletus edulis (king bolete, porcini, ceps, they have many names) Matsutake and Chanterelles!

I have been a huge mushroom foraging enthusiast for years now. In the 1980’s I met mycologist Patrice Benson when we took a Seattle Times reporter out to the mountains to do an article on foraging and eating wild mushrooms. Since then, we have been great friends and have been out foraging many times together. (Pictured to the right, tasty Matsutake mushrooms - nom nom nom!) Of course, I never know exactly where we are going because, like any good mushroom-hunter, Patrice will never tell me exactly where we are.  Lucky for her I’m so directionally challenged that I wouldn’t be able to find my way back if I tried! 

Nothing's better than the jolt of excitement that rushes through my body when I see it!  Its head poking out of a blanket of fuzzy moss. My first Chanterelle of the season!  I approach it slowly, open my pen knife and cut its stem, placing it reverently in my basket. I'm ecstatic with joy!  Then I eye another ... and another...and another. I pick the perky dry ones, leaving the older wet and wiggly ones. (Older wet mushrooms are usually hosts for crawly creatures – eek!)  My basket nicely full, I head back to whip up a mushroom feast with my day's finds (see below for a fabulous recipe for my Savory Chanterelle Bread Pudding).  

If you are new the mushroom “scene” in the Northwest, there are many opportunities to learn more about these fabulous fungi:

Lots of cooking at the PSMS wild mushroom exhibit! 

Puget Sound Mycological Society Presents
the 47th Annual Wild Mushroom Exhibit
October 16th-17th, 2010  

Stop by the Annual Wild Mushroom Show at the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington. The weekend is dedicated to all kinds of wild mushrooms, you can bring the ones you’ve found to have them identified. There are also several cooking demos and tastings, crafts for kids, art work for sale and much more! Click here for more information.

25th Annual Wild Mushroom Gathering
at Breitenbush Hot Springs
October 21-24, 2010

If you really want to get pickin’ get registered for the 
25th Annual Wild Mushroom Gathering, held at the fabulously rustic Breitenbush Hot Springs in Detroit, OR. Whether you are just getting started or an experienced mycologist, you’ll be sure to enjoy this conference - from the daily guided foraging outings (chanterelles, baby!), crafts such as dying fabric and fibers with natural mushroom dyes, interactive cooking classes to lectures by nationally acclaimed mycologist Tom Volk and other mycologists, identification sessions with professional mycologist Dr. Thom Odell  and more. It is an experience not to be missed, all in the beautiful and relaxing surroundings of the natural hot springs!
For more information,visit the conference website.

So if you're interested in foraging for your own this year, put on your boots and pack a compass, pen knife, basket and mushroom reference book. And take along an experienced mushroom picking friend or join the Puget Sound Mycological Society and link up with one of their field trips. Here are some tips I’ve learned in the past years in regards to wild mushroom foraging:

LEARNING TO HUNT
Before I go any further, however, I must warn you that, if you are not an experienced picker, then you need to join a mushroom interest group or find an experienced picker to go with. They can help you identify the mushrooms you come across - there are many poisonous mushrooms out there!  Be absolutely sure of what you pick!  I suggest you join one of the local mycological societies.

Membership pluses are: 

• Field trips to fruiting areas
• Members are very generous about teaching the habitat and getting people started; as you learn the habitat, then you can find your own secret spots.
• Members will also get you on the right track for the do’s and don’ts of mushrooming
• Opportunities to learn about all mushrooms and learn about identification at one of several identification classes offered to members throughout the year.
• Contact the Puget Sound Mycological Society: (206) 522-6031 or visit their website or search for a local club in your area.

PICKING PROTOCOL
Good mushrooming protocol is cutting your mushrooms with a knife at ground level rather than pulling them up. This way you are not disturbing the mushroom-producing organism, called the mycelium. (A great way to think about it is this: A mushroom is to the mycelium as an apple is to the tree.) By cutting your mushrooms you are also doing it the clean way, leaving dirt and sandy bottoms in the ground. (Keep in mind that if you are picking a mushroom with an expert to identify it, you WOULD pull the whole mushroom from the ground to make it easier to identify it) Also, bear in mind that mushrooms need to release spores to keep the species alive, so leave a couple in the ground. Place your prizes in a basket or bucket, never a plastic bag! They sweat and suffocate in plastic since they are 90-95% water.

DO NOT EAT MUSHROOMS RAW
It’s always best to cook any type of mushroom thoroughly because:

• it enhances their flavor
• drives off some harmful substances found in edible mushrooms
• destroys bacteria which may be present on raw mushrooms
• However, cooking does NOT make POISONOUS mushrooms edible

TRAILHEAD SNACK
Take along a big ol’ cast iron skillet, wine, a baguette, a camp stove and a few sautéing goodies like a little olive oil or butter, some garlic, a lemon, a few fresh herbs—such as chives, 
thyme, and, yes, for this occasion—heavy cream and some white wine. (You will probably have already burned off the calories!). Sauté mushrooms till tender and soft, then reduce with the cream 'til thick and luscious. Top thin, crusty slices of hearty bread and you’ll have the outdoor “snack” of your life.

Patrice Benson with a bounty of mushrooms!

So this fall, with the chanterelles you come across, whether it is in the woods or in the supermarkets, I hope you’ll try my Savory Chanterelle Bread Pudding that first appeared in my James Beard nominated Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table.

Savory Chanterelle Bread Pudding
Makes 6 to 8 servings1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

2 cups cleaned and sliced chanterelles (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
4 cups 1-inch-cubed firm, rustic French- or Italian-style bread
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or lemon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chanterelles and onion for 3 to 4 minutes, or until three-quarters done. Add the celery and sauté for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more, taking care not to burn the garlic. Remove from the heat.

Combine the bread cubes, herbs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix in the cooked mushroom mixture and set aside.

Butter a 6-cup glass or ceramic baking dish or spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray.
Whisk the half-and-half, milk, eggs, and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the bread mixture and mix gently and thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and level out the surface, lightly pressing the bread down into the dish.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the custard is just set in the center. Do not overbake or the custard will scramble.

Chef’s Note: It is important to use a rustic-style bread for this recipe—not airy bread

© Recipe from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table, Chronicle Books