Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Sharing Memories of Spring Mushrooming

Here it is almost the end of July, and we're still reminiscing about spring mushrooming on Mt. Hood. 

True, our success was somewhat limited this year.  We found our usual giant puffballs mid-May.  Then, events conspired against us, and we weren't able to venture to our favorite morel and bolete spots until June.  Nonetheless, the mushroom gods smiled fondly upon us, gifting us with a bolete, and one that had a lot of character.  As you might guess from the misshapen cap of this particular mushroom, it had forced its way through a mound of gravel and disturbed soil before bursting into the daylight, undoubtedly accompanied by a loud Hallelujah chorus.

  The cap may not have been perfectly shaped,  but
the quality and condition of the flesh was A+.

July 2017's Recipe of the Month: Cooking Light's Fusilli with Curried Beef and Cauliflower

This is one of my favorite tried and true recipes.  Whenever I find a bargain-priced cauliflower at the market, it's sure to appear on the dinner table in some version of Cooking Light's recipe, usually with the addition of mushrooms.  And why not?  The added flavor from either first-of-the-year golden chanterelles or reconstituted boletes is certain to add another depth of flavor to the dish.

Does it seem too early to add fresh chanterelles to a July recipe?  Not here in the refuge!  In a rainy year like 2017, we typically encounter our first chanterelles mid-July:  compact and dense and a delightful surprise!

 
This year's persistent rains brought us an astonishing
abundance of Douglas Iris in May
along with a fruiting of chanterelles in July.