Mad about Mushrooms . . .

Are There Really Going to be Mushroom Shows in the Time of Pandemic?

We've been checking into the possibility of mushroom shows and festivals this year and would like to share what we have found. 

First, a cautionary note:  Although we make every effort to be correct, please contact the sponsoring group that you choose to attend in order to verify that the event is as we've shown it. 

My treasured first-of-the-year mushrooms popped up in the
center of a stump, not an edible but treasured nonetheless.

True Confession: I love Zoom!

Yes, it's true.  I have to confess that I love Zoom if for no other reason that it enables me to be introduced to speakers and ideas that otherwise would be unavailable.  I no longer have to travel absurd distances just to participate in an educational opportunity; instead, it comes to me.  Hurrah!  This is the way that information should arrive, freely flowing from a knowledgeable source to interested parties.  And, as an added bonus, the presentations often seem to end up on a YouTube platform for future reference.

Learning More about Psychedelic Mushrooms with Eugenia Bone

I have to admit that I love living in the age of ZOOM.  It makes communicating and learning so easy and convenient ... and comfortable.  Take the recent presentation offered by NAMA (North American Mycological Association) with Eugenia Bone  providing a "roundup of the science" on psychedelic mushrooms.   During the 2 hour meeting, the presenter not only encouraged her audience to take a break and pour a glass of wine ... but also led us to believe that she was going to do exactly that!

Daniel Winkler - presentations and photographs

We had the pleasure of joining the Oregon Mycological Society's Monday night ZOOM meeting where Daniel Winkler was the featured presenter with his "Best of Mushroaming" talk.  You may already know him as the author of several highly acclaimed books, including A Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest and A Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of California, and, along with Robert Rogers, A Field Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms of North America.   

A bag is just a bag until it's a mushroom bag

A bag is just a bag is a bag ... until it's a mushroom bag.

Yes, we're still in quarantine, and I'm still trying to come up with projects that satisfy and keep me occupied.  Bet you are doing the same thing!

That's how I turned to making bags.  First, I thought of them as grocery bags, and then it dawned on me that they might really be mushroom bags for collecting mushrooms or anything, for that matter.

The instructions are pretty straight forward and easy, even for the most inexperienced of sewers.  100% cotton fabric is a great choice - it's sturdy and washable - be sure prewash the fabric before putting your bag together.  Once you've made the first bag, you'll find yourself energized and thinking of the many different sizes and fabrics that might please when making additional totes.

The bag in the attached photo is a roomy 15 x 17 x 6 inches, lined, with a flat bottom.  Other bags that have been created in my sewing area have interior pockets which can be quite convenient for tucking away little items or are lined with a fusible fleece which creates a more substantial product.

Wonder what's in the bag?

Show your true colors in a mushroom print face mask

My face mask making days seem to be slowly coming to a halt, thanks to the ever increasing availability of commercial masks.  But, boy, it was such a crazy ride for a couple of months, making masks and masks and more masks, primarily for the local senior centers. 

Finding the fabric was easy and fun.  I had good access to a variety of printed cottons, some with fish, other with flowers, autumn leaves, geometric shapes, honey bees (yes, for those bee keeping friends), and so on.  The only challenge was finding the elastic pieces for the ears.  But, there was never a challenge finding people who wanted a free face mask; most often they were quickly drawn to one print or another. 

Now, I am going into semi retirement, deciding to specialize in mushroom print face masks using a bolt of fabric that I purchased a number of years ago in Seattle.  In the past I've made this dramatic print into shower curtains, blouses, aprons and the like, but making a face mask out of this material was a first. 

Thinking that you too might be interested in constructing a couple of themed fabric masks, I am happy to share the following instructions from the Great Falls Clinic.   I'd recommend that you check out their online video which is quite well done and helps to clarify the written instructions.

The mushroom print face mask is a popular choice.

Who's afraid of the big, bad mushrooms?

Yes, we all know them. Those people who are “mycophobic,” afraid of mushrooms. I’ve encountered them as I’ve traveled throughout the world, but most commonly they appear to be in Great Britain, Canada and the US.

Just merely mentioning that I gather wild mushrooms tends to make these folks distance themselves from me. Then comes the eye rolling, and the confession that they “would never do such a thing,” as one Scottish BNB owner unequivocally stated. She hastily added that all the mushrooms that she prepared came from the market down the way and that was the end of that conversation.

Unfortunately, there are times when even these commercially distributed mushrooms may hold some dangers. We’ve recently been reading about the enoki mushroom listeria outbreak that has been unfolding over the past 3 years, running from November 3, 2016 to December 13, 2019. After much study and testing by the FDA and other agencies, the finger pointed to enoki mushrooms distributed by the Green Co. LTD of Korea. Satisfied with the outcome of their investigation, the FDA and CDC officially closed their investigation on June 9, 2020.

Commercially farmed enoki are a very distinctive mushroom.

Hua Hsu lead me to Merlin Sheldrake's celebration of fungi

Here's a big shout out to friends who keep me informed and stimulated, people like Paula who recently presented me with the May 18th edition of The New Yorker which included an article by Hua Hsu, a staff writer at The New Yorker, entitled "Fungus Among Us."

Hsu's piece was rather interesting and a good read.  I especially appreciated the comments concerning Merlin Sheldrake.  Hsu noted that Sheldrake "was drawn to fungi because they are humble yet astonishingly versatile organisms, 'eating rock, making soil, digesting pollutants, nourishing and killing plants, surviving in space, inducing visions, producing food, making medicines, manipulating animal behavior, and influencing the composition of the earth's atmosphere.'"

Further research into the young fungal biologist Sheldrake found him to be the author of the much praised Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures.

Morels: You can't always get what you want ...

No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need

 

The Rolling Stones put it succinctly:  You can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes you find you get what you need.  True enough.  That's pretty much the summary of my recent morel hunting trip on the slopes of Mt. Hood.  

The company was fabulous.  The scenery was breathtaking.  Meandering in the woodlands in high 70 degree temperature in early May was awesome.  Yet, my mushroom basket was nearly empty at the end of day, save for a few small morels and two lovely Calbovista, otherwise known as giant warted puffballs, although mine were none too giant. 

Yes, these mushrooms will certainly add interest to a couple of dinners.  Still, we had heard reports about and had anticipated an abundant crop of morels awaiting us on Mt. Hood.  Perhaps, but certainly not in the three locations that we 4 hunter-gatherers traversed.  We saw a few other vehicles presumably carrying other foragers into the woods, but certainly not enough to believe that morel collecting was the hot activity of this area. 

Not really a giant, but delightful nonetheless.

Verpa - spring has sprung!

Can there be any doubt that spring has sprung?  Verpa are popping their pretty little heads above the duff and announcing their presence!

Don't doubt it for a minute!  Yesterday, my friend and I were wandering trails not too far from here and were greeted by the heavenly Verpa bohemica.  What a lovely surprise, although it shouldn't have been too surprising because they usually make their appearance this time of year and in this rather dampish landscape dotted with cottonwood seeds. 

Even though it has been several years since I hunted for Verpa, the sheer joy of these forays is still forefront in my memories.  How can I forget the countless baby snakes that seem to litter and slitter thru the grounds that hold the Verpa.  Oh, well, even those of us who are ophiophobic, can set aside our fears for the sake of gathering these little Verpa gems.

Caution:  Verpa do require special preparation if one is to consume them without side effects.  After the thimble-like caps are separated from the stems, parboil the caps before preparing them for further preparation in order to release their Gyromitrin-like toxin which, when ingested, produces monomethylbydrazine (MMH), the leading chemical in rocket fuel, according to the University of Alaska.  Even with this step, it is reported that some people may still experience a bit of discomfort, such as gastrointestinal upset and lack of coordination, from ingesting Verpa.  I never have.  In fact, I value Verpa for their deep earthy notes.   Be sure to check out our post, Verpa 101, for additional information. 

Welcome back to spring,
welcome back Verpa!