April 15, 2010
“Not to presume to dictate but, but broiled fowl and mushrooms--capital thing!"-- Charles Dickens
Waiting for mushroom hunting season to arrive is one of the things I look forward to every spring. I call it the "eureka, magical moment".
Not only is mushroom hunting a pleasant outing in the woods hiking among the newly sprouted wildflowers, but it is also a chance to find something absolutely delicious.
A rare delicacy indeed.
In fact, in my humble opinion, nothing beats wild mushrooms sauteed in a hot skillet in melted butter. That is the way my grandmother and mother used to make them, nothing fancy, just mushrooms. Yum.
So every spring, some time between the second week of April and the middle of May, we kids would trek into the woods with our mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins searching for mushrooms.
The rules were simple: know your mushrooms and don't eat them until you are absolutely certain they are safe. Better let Uncle Kenneth or cousin K.R. check them first, we were told.
You may remember the old adage: all mushrooms are edible--once.
Granted a few are deadly and some are mildly poisonous, but one example of an edible mushroom common to Missouri woodlands is the Morel. And, I might add, we found them by the 'gunny sack' full.
I also remember some do's and don'ts about eating wild mushrooms, whose nickname incidentally, is Hen of the Woods:
· The first time you eat any mushroom that you absolutely cannot identify, try a tiny bite first. And never, ever drink 'liquor' with it, if you don't know the mushroom. Sometimes those two don't get along well together.
· Cut mushrooms in half, soak in warm water so the ants and other insects can crawl out. Yes, it's true. Wild mushrooms have a co-habitant, ants, since mushrooms are actually the fruit of fungi, which ants just happen to love.
· After soaking, it is safe to cook the mushrooms in butter or cream sauce, as we did when I was a kid, or cook them on the grill with vegetables as we do today. Or, make a Hen of the Woods salad with tomatoes, onions and bacon and all sorts of other ingredients that I can't remember.
When I was a kid, we lived near Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Missouri, a boon location for would-be or experienced mushroom hunters. If we couldn't find mushrooms in our own woods, we could venture onto the refuge where we were sure to find them.
Here's a tip: mushroom hunting is allowed at Squaw Creek, this year from April 10th until May 20 th , and no legal permit is required. It's a short day trip from Kansas City, especially if one cannot find mushrooms closer to home.
Any trained mushroom hunter will know exactly which variety is safe, but if you are unsure and want to try your hand at mushroom hunting, I recommend this guide: Barbara Bassett's "Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms."
Then, it is happy mushroom eating time!
Hope you find a gunny sack full.
