I suppose we are all traditionalists at heart. Certainly I am when it comes to mushrooming. I have my traditional spots both here in Port Orford and on Mt. Hood that I need to visit on a regular basis. And, I have my traditional mushrooming forays: New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and Super Bowl Sunday.
Yes, you read it right - Super Bowl Sunday. It may be the day that other folks spend glued to their TVs watching the game and rating the advertisements, but for me it's my last mushrooming trip of the season. Typically, my basket fills with Hydnum Repandum, those delicious pale orange-tan mushrooms with spines that we commonly call "hedgehogs".
This year, however, with the lack of consistent rain, the hedgehogs were scarcer than usual in a grove of tan oaks near our home that they tend to favor. Nonetheless, the mushroom gods were smiling gently on me. I was able to collect a generous amount for our delicious roasted mushroom recipe, but, alas, not enough for the dehydrator. I think it's time to put it away until the fall season brings another fruiting of wild mushrooms to our traditional spots!
This year our dehydrator preserved hedgehogs, corals and one very welcome cauliflower.
This year, my foray on the last day and the first day of year were exceptionally fruitful, with a tasty assortment of hedgehogs and chanterelles being contributed to the table fare. They were in excellent condition and a pleasure to welcome into our kitchen. We shared some with friends and savored the remainder in various preparations over the next couple of weeks.
Spending time in the woodlands, gathering and preparing wild mushrooms... some traditions are well worth continuing, don't you agree?
A lovely meadow on our way to one of our traditional autumn spots.