Mad about Mushrooms . . .

African Termite Mushrooms - YUM!

Omajowa, Termite Hill Mushrooms in Namibia



Termite hill mushrooms (Species of Termitomyces), a variety of edible fungi found in Namibia, also called Omajowa a Herero word for our Namibian termite or anthill mushroom, they are quite unique to Namibia, are farmed by termites and despite best attempts, humankind has been unable to grow them.

While big-game hunting in Africa may or may not be your particular cup of tea (our personal leanings are in the direction of photography, but that's just us), there are few if any on the dark continent that are more knowledgeable about the fauna and flora.  So, when we saw an article about mushrooms in Namibia recently, we were fascinated to read it, and thought you might be as well.  Here's a link: http://www.africahunting.com/content/2-omajowa-termite-hill-mushrooms-namibia-607/

Anna's By The Sea (revisited)

A play performance in nearby Gold Beach gave us an excuse to re-visit Anna's, an old favorite we hadn't been to for quite a while.  As before, we were glad we went, and scolded ourselves for taking so long.

The brief menu - which varies with the night and owner "Cookie's" mood - featured "Quack - Single Lobe Duck Breast, oven seared to medium rare, served with Potato Puffs and Slathered with Chanterelles."  I read no further, having made my decision.  I didn't regret it.  The duck was done to perfection, moist and juicy, and the chanterelles were just right.  A nice Pinot Noir was the perfect accompaniment. 

  

Mushroom Radar, Part 3

As we walked into a department store in Medford early this week, we stopped in our tracks.  In a planted area within a few feet of the main door, grew an interesting white mushroom.  Several smaller specimens grew nearby.  As we stood there looking at them, then went back to the car for the camera, at least two dozen people walked by.  No one even glanced in their direction.

We did, because our "mushroom radar" is always on, even if it's only idling.  We weren't think about mushrooms as we walked in from the parking lot; we simply had our eyes open.  You can, too.

What an interesting find in the Fred Meyer parking strip!

Mushroom Radar, Part 2

Salem, the state of Oregon's Capitol, is a very attractive city.  One of the things that's special about it is that years ago, some smart person or committee in state government arranged for trees from other parts of the country to be part of the planting scheme around the government buildings, along with native trees.

Business takes us to Salem a couple of times a year.  While walking to a meeting last year, Mary noticed some mushrooms growing below a deciduous tree.  Returning to the car later, she stopped to investigate.

They were Boletes, but didn't look like any Bolete with which we were familiar.  We scratched our heads, made a few notes, took some photos, harvested the mushrooms and left for home.  Only later did we figure out what was going on.

The birch boletes dehydrate nicely.

Mushroom Radar, Part 1

Years ago, when we were first starting our mushrooming careers, we avidly pursued any opportunity to participate in, and learn from, our local mycological society.  It presented its members with numerous ways to broaden their knowledge, including classes, forays, field trips, attending the meetings (which usually featured an interesting speaker) and just associating with the other members, almost all of whom had a far deeper understanding of this strange new activity than we did.

One such event involved a field trip to a well-known mushroom cultivation operation in our region.  We'd never seen such a place, and jumped at the chance. 

Fall is such a colorful season.

Mt. Hood: We came, we saw, we ...

Our eagerly anticipated whirlwind trip to the Mount Hood area on October 2, 2010 was, um, interesting, but not quite as productive as we had hoped. 

Saturday dawned gray and there was just a hint of intermittent drizzle, but it burned off and was clear and beautiful by noon.  We headed out for one of our very favorite spots, over the ridge and into what we call the transition zone between firs and pines, at between 3,000 and 4,000 ft elevation.  The Tamaracks were just starting to turn, but the Viney Maples were on their way to fall colors, and we spotted our first White Chanterelles from the car as we drove in on a back road.  Obviously, a very good sign!