Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Chanterelles and Morels on the South Coast in June - unbelievable!!

Who would have thought?  It's a pleasant Sunday morning, and I'm exploring the several trails at the BLM's New River Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) which sits a little north of us and a little south of Bandon.  I have an appointment in Coquille in the afternoon and stopping at New River is my morning treat. 

Imagine my surprise when I notice chanterelles growing along both sides of the East Muddy Lake Trail.  The specimens are moist and firm, with several newly fruited ones among a gathering of fully grown chanterelles.  What a gift! 

Of course, there's no mushroom gathering permitted at New River (for reasons that elude us!).  Yet, for many of us, simply reacquainting ourselves with this fall treasure in June is a sublime pleasure - a reminder that mushrooms really do grow when and where they want to!

Clumps of Douglas Iris enchant the walker at New River.

In case  you're unfamiliar with New River, it's truly a splendid spot to stop and restore your vitality wherever you're headed, whether it's Bandon, Coquille or other parts north of Port Orford.  The 1.4 long East Muddy Lake Trail is by far my favorite.  This weekend it offered a jaw dropping spring wildflower show with the Tiger Lilies being the real show stoppers.  A profusion of dragonflies was flitting here and there, and the sound of the Pacific Ocean in the background was almost deafening. 

June 2016's Recipe of the Month: Jamie Parchman's Chocolate Mushroom Bundt Cake

We heard various murmurings as the judges considered the first chocolate mushroom cake ever entered in our recipe contest.  There was a little hesitation.   Then, a sigh was heard.  Followed by another sigh and someone declared, "This is really quite good." 

We have to whole-hardheartedly agree with this assessment, and are grateful to have obtained Jamie's permission to print the recipe.  As is our practice, we asked Jamie how she'd developed this unusual dessert, and here's her answer:

I am not a wild mushroomer, but a friend of mine from Canada who winters here in Texas is.  She got me hooked on them.  I love playing with writing new recipes and putting my twist on old standbys in my free time. When I saw your contest I thought it would be fun to come up with a dessert.  I am a mushroom lover and have many more conventional mushroom recipes but thought they would go perfectly with chocolate.  I luckily have a wonderful group of friends who don't mind doing the taste testing.  I waited until they told me how much they liked it before I told them the secret ingredient was mushrooms.  Everyone was pleasantly surprised!  The mushrooms really give a depth of flavor to the cake.  

We're always looking for a new way to include
mushrooms in our lives and Jamie's cake recipe
is a welcome addition to our collection.