When you are in the woods foraging, you are not really just looking for mushrooms, you are away from the daily grind, not really thinking about anything else but enjoying the nature and the wildness of it. No wonder the Japanese prescribe “Forest Bathing” as a form of mental care. The woods act on you psychologically and physically. And we need to do more of it, all of us, as mental health is declining across the world. So get out there, soak in the forest, and pick some mushrooms.
My mind is in the pasture with the cows, when I am in the woods with the nature, a Bosnian proverb!
Now you have a basket filled with the forest bounty, all kinds of mushrooms: chanterelles, morels, a juicy beefsteak mushroom, or some golden milkies, and maybe some porcini. Even the thought of them all puts a smile on my face. You bring them home, clean them, and are ready to make a delicious meal for yourself, family and friends.
I have included here some simple recipes I have experimented with over many years. I hope you enjoy!
King Bolete Sashimi
Ingredients:
- Fresh king bolete mushrooms
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
Method:
Clean the dirt off the bottom of the mushrooms with a knife. Slice the mushrooms very thin, caps and stems (do not separate), and set on a serving plate. Sprinkle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. (Most mushrooms should be cooked before ingesting, but King boletes are a delicacy raw)
Reishi and Elderberry Tincture
Ingredients:
- Fresh or dried Reishi (sliced)
- Fresh or dried elderberries
- Honey (local to where you live, preferably organic)
- Brandy
- Canning jar
Method:
Morel Toast
Ingredients:
- Morels (fresh or dried)
- Butter
- Fresh garlic
- Salt and Pepper
- Cheese slices (your favorite)
- Fresh bread
Method:
Honey Mushrooms Pizza
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough
- Pizza sauce
- Favorite cheese for pizza
- Fresh honey mushrooms
- Anchovies (you can omit)
- 1/2 a can of favorite beer
- Butter
- Garlic
- 1/2 an onion
- Salt and pepper
Method:
Cinnabars over Steak
Cinnabar chanterelles are usually tiny, and you need a lot of them for a meal. But why I really like them is because when you cook them, they retain their orange color, so I like to use them as garnish for dishes.
Ingredients:
- Fresh cinnabars
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Butter or olive oil
Method:
Turkey Tail Chicken Soup
Turkey tails are woody, and taste like cardboard, but they do pack a lot of flavor and medicinal properties.
Ingredients:
- Turkey tails
- Ingredients for your favorite chicken soup recipe
Method:
Oyster Mushroom Fries
Ingredients:
- Fresh oyster mushrooms
- Flour
- Eggs
- Milk
- Your favorite spices – I like salt, pepper, crushed rosemary
- Frying oil
- Mayonnaise ( I prefer Dukes)
- Sriracha sauce
Method:
Beefsteak Sashimi
Ingredients:
- Fresh beefsteak mushrooms
- Olive oil
- Lemon pepper spice
- Salt
Method:
Lionsmane Croquettes
Ingredients:
- Fresh lionsmane mushrooms
- Milk
- Eggs
- Panko
- Parmesan cheese
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Frying oil oil
- Salt and pepper
3 thoughts on “Cooking with Wild Mushrooms”
L. sulphurea
I thought was the common species and can grow on oaks and others. Is there one that will inky grow on cherry?
There are lots of Chicken of the woods species. L. sulphureus is one of them. We do have a specimen that we found on a cherry, and that is available on our website. Just know that cultivating Chicken of the woods is almost impossible, LOL!
Ouuu thank you so much for this! I made tinctures and cook from time to time with wild mushrooms but now I have lots of fun ahead of me with all this stuff!
Mush love 🙂