 |
| 4WD was a lucky thing to have |
Mushrooms have always been a perfect food for me with their earthy flavour and meaty flesh, they lend themselves so well to many menus and many cuisine styles. It had long been in my mind to have mushrooms aplenty, both home grown and freshly and wildly foraged, to add to our menu.
 |
| Drive Vista |
With time and desire on our side we put into place a plan to drive off into the wilds and find us some mushrooms. The weather having been so shroomingly condusive to fungal activity with warm days and abundant rain we went our merry way hopeful of success and baskets of bounty.
Taking roads less travelled in our trusty 4WD and our idea of camping equipment piled in the back we went mushrooming. The coast is not overly planted in pine forest, our chosen target environment, so we had to climb to an elevation and region where pine forests were cultivated and a state forest plantation had to be found.
 |
| pine plantation |
In NSW it is an entirly legitimate activity to enter a state pine plantation and harvest wild mushrooms, but it is always best to know what is permitted in your own state. It is also best practice to familiarise yourself with what is and what is not edible.
Fly Agaric
Amanita muscaria
 |
| Fly Agaric |
A fairy tale appearance belies a potential to grave consequences should they be eaten. A dose of 15 mushrooms is estimated as potentially fatal with lesser doses, dependant on habitat, season and body weight, having effects that can range from nausea and twitching to drowsiness, low blood pressure, sweating and salivating, auditory and visual distortions, euporia, relaxation, ataxia and loss of equilibrium.
Research and tradition tells us that there were many peoples using fly agaric for shamanic and religious purpose as well as it being found in fairy tale and literary imagery.
Not recommended for eating.
Saffron Milk Cap
 |
| Saffron Milk cap |
Lactarius Deliciousus
Sold in French markets, considered the best of all edible fungi in Germany, gathered and eaten on a large scale in China and represented in frescos in Pompeii this mushroom is easily the most profitable find of our adventure.
The red to orange cap with darker concentric zones and reddish orange gills reaches up to 10 cm in diametre and is easily distinguished in the pine mulch.
Tastes mild, with an aromatic smell, it is delicious when cooked
slowly and well.
Slippery Jack
Suillus Luteus
 |
| Slippery Jack |
This edible mushroom is as unattractive as it sounds with a sticky cap that attracts debris and insect larvae. Best practice is to clean very carefully to remove the debris and indulging creatures. It is brownish yellow sometimes with a purplish bloom radially streaked wit a darker hue. Reaching up to 10 cm in diametre it as pale yellow or white flesh and sponge like tubes instead of gills
With the cap peeled to remove the slimy cap skin, as this may cause stomach upset, it is best enjoyed fried or may be dried for later use in soups and stews.
 |
| Grey Knight |
Grey Knight
Tricholoma Terreum
Also found in French markets this very edible mild mushrooom is best eaten fresh as the fine fragile flesh quickly spoils. The smell of this mushroom should not be mealy, but mild and fresh, as this may indicate a less edible variety. The cap can grow to up to 7cm in diametre and the flesh thin and delicate.
 |
| horse mushroom mature |
Horse Mushroom
Agaricus
arvensis
 |
| Horse Mushroom button |
Common, prized and delicious mushroom much like the cultivated agaricus species most found in supermarkets.
The cap can be found up to 35cm in diametre with the more mature having a mild anise scent. Easily adapted for use in any common mushroom recipe.
Recipes
Saffron Milk Cap Carbonara
2 cups Lactarius deliciosus, cleaned and sliced vertically
 |
| Saffron Milk Cap Carbonara |
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
100 gm finely sliced leg ham
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp good dry sherry
2 tbsp butter
4 eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp grated parmesan
2 servings of pasta cooked to instructions
Method
Beat egg, cream, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in skillet and saute mushrooms over medium
high heat until just browned. Reduce heat to medium-low, add onions,
garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute until onions are translucent. Add
sherry and ham, salt and pepper to taste, and continue cooking and stirring
until liquid has condensed into a sauce. Add cooked pasta to the mushroom mixture with 1 tbsp of the cooking liquid.
Add the butter and allow to melt,
then pour in the beaten egg mixture. Stir with wooden spoon and remove from the heat
and continue stirring until the egg mixture has thickened but not scrambled.
Divide the pasta and sauce between 2 pasta bowls. Sprinkle parsley and cheese over
all and serve.
Saffron Milk Cap Stroganoff
 |
| Saffron Milkcap Stroganoff |
2 tbsp olive oil
2 small onions, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 small red chilli, finely diced
1/2 tspn fresly ground black pepper
2 pinches paprika
400gm beef or veal mince
1/4 cup red wine
2 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp pickled nasturtium pods, finely diced
(can use capers if you don't pickle your own nasturtium pods)
3 cups saffron milk cap, sliced
1 cup shredded spinach
2 tbsp butter
125gm soured cream
salt to taste
1 cup rice cooked to instructions
Method
Saute the onion, garlic, pepper, paprika and chilli until the onion is translucent then brown off the mince. Add the red wine and the pickle and allow to reduce slightly before adding the sauces.
Add the mushroom and stir gently then cover and simmer until the mushroom is tender.
Add the spinach, butter and soured cream and stir until a creamy sauce forms, the spinach is just wilted and season to taste.
Serve with cooked rice
 |
| Mushroom Pate |
Mushroom Pate
500 g horse mushrooms
90 g butter
chopped leaves from 2 sprigs thyme
salt & pepper
Method
Sauté
sliced or chopped mushrooms in 30 g of butter until soft. Lower heat,
add thyme and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until liquid has all
evaporated and mushrooms are fragrant. Puree in a processor with
seasonings and remaining 60 g of butter.
Pour into small pots or a serving dish , cover with enough additional better melted to cover in a good layer and chill.
I have set some nasturtium petals in the butter
Saffron Milk Cap stuffed Potatoes
 |
| Saffron Milk Cap stuffed Potato |
2 large potatoes, srubbed clean
1 tspn butter
2 30cm sq pieces aluminium foil (or sized to fit potato)
1 tbsp butter
4 small saffron milkcaps finely sliced
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 pinch cumin powder
1 pinch freshly groound black pepper
salt to taste
Method
Smear 1/2 tspn of butter in the centre of each of the pieces of foil and wrap the potatoes firmly and place into a hot oven away from the heat source for appoximately 40 minutes turning half way throug te cooking time. Test they are cooked by using a scewer to test that the centre is very tender.
Saute the onion and garlic with the cumin and pepper in the remaining butter until transluscent and add the mushrooms and cook until tender.
To serve cut an "X" in the foil where the butter was smeared and using some heat protection push into the bottom of the potato forcing to top to flower up and open the centre of the potato. season with salt and put 1 tbsp of the sour cream in each and share the mushroom mixture between them and serve as a side or a substancial snack
Wild Mushroom Omelette
 |
| Wild mushroom omelette |
4 saffron milk caps, sliced
2 horse mushrooms, sliced
2 slices of bacon, finely sliced
6 free range eggs
2 tbsp cream
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
1 pinch pepper
50 gm tasty cheese, grated
Method
Saute the bacon in the butter and oil until almost crispy ten add the garlic and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are tender. use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and mushroom mix to a plate and reserve.
Whisk the eggs and cream until well combined and add to the well oiled and buttered pan and reduce the heat. when the egg mixture is almost set add the bacon and mushroom mixture to half the egg and top with cheese. Use an egg slide to lift the unfilled side and fold over the filling. place the fry pan under a grill for 2 minutes, cut in half and serve.
Saffron Milkcap, Leek and Cacciatore Risotto with Wild Sorrel
Ingredients
 |
| Saffron Milkcap, Leek & Cacciatore Risotto with Wild Sorrel |
2 cups Saffron milkcaps, sliced
1 cup Saffron milkcap buttons
1/2 cup white wine
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 leek, finely sliced
1 cup cacciatore salami sliced into batons
2 tspn extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbls butter
1 cup arborio rice
1 1/2 cup chicken stock (or mushroom stock)
1/2 cup sorrel leaves
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 pinch salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
Sweat the garlic and leek gently in the oil and butter with the cacciatore and gently cook out the salami fat.
Add the rice and gently cook stirring until the rice becomes translucent.
Slowly
introduce the wine and stir until completely absorbed and the caramelisation deglazed from the bottom of the pan, this
should take 20 minutes to complete. Add the stock slowly and allow that to be
absorbed while stirring. Add the roasted mushrooms and allow the risotto
to begin to slightly catch to the bottom of the pan.
Add the finely sorrel and parmesan and stir off the heat, season and serve.
Garnish with shreds of parmesan and a few baby leaves of sorrel.
Further to accommodating our fine feathered family we have made use of our location by foraging for seaweed to top dress our raised garden bed that is in winter fallow. This gives the girls access to micro minerals as well as encourages worms and insects to the surface for the girls to have all sorts of fun catching as they break up the seaweed and turn the garden over for us. Encouraging their natural instincts and behaviours makes for happy birds. Our State environment regulations allow us 20 litres of seaweed each per day which I think is excessive, but once a month for enriching the garden and the lives of our poultry it is worth our effort to make use of local wild produce. We also collected shell grit, which we are allowed 10kg each per day, and re-purposed a used tyre to make a shell grit bed for them. Some pummelling action from my son with the blockbuster rendered the shell-grit into a smaller mesh size and the girls now have access to calcium and a place the scratch in something different.
