Here are some of the fungal highlights (both edible, non-edible and in-between).
Found this nice Polyporus squamosus (Dryad's Saddle) right in the yard. As you can see, we weren't the first to find it... slugs, slow as they seem, ALWAYS seem to get there first. This one had a handful of slugs eating into the cap's flesh. (Those white scrapes are the result.) Field guides often differ on the edibility of Dryad's Saddle. Most will list it as non-edible, but a few claim that the tender edges can be sauteed. One of my wife's edible mushroom guides says that it can be "eaten raw, too, but only in modest quantity." And that "tender slices have a slightly crunchy texture, and the flavor somewhat like watermelon (but without any sweetness). Ummm... wouldn't that be water? Okay, maybe pink water? Anyway, Stacey tried some raw, lived to tell the tale, and reports it was sort of all right.
Also in the yard (and also with a slug or two) was a nice chunk of Herecium coralloides (Comb Tooth). We've often found this in the fall, and this was one of the better specimens. A few tears ago in New Hampshire, we found a massive chunk about twelve feet up in a tree. I found a large branch and jabbed it until it fell. The idea was to catch it. Of course I hadn't really thought through the fact that I'd still be holding the branch when it fell... so how was I going to catch it? As it turned out, with my face. Unfortunately we have yet to find a foolproof way to cook these. We tried. And failed. I mean it was acceptable, but not as good as I read it can be. If anyone has a preferred way to cook these, let me know!
You're walking in the woods, minding your own business, when BAM! there it is. A stinkhorn. This is Phallus ravenelii (Ravenel's Stinkhorn). I have a few photos of these and this is the first where some of the spore mass (that middle shiny band on the head) is still intact. The spore mass is actually what stinks on a stinkhorn. Since the spore mass is sticky, it is unable to disperse the way that many other spores do - via wind. The putrid smell attracts flies and other insects that conduct the dispersal for the mushroom. Stinky, but smart.
Up next: Part 2 of fungal finds.
2 comments:
Hey Dan,
I am a fellow Fun-guy. i work at teh Kalamazoo Nature Center in Michigan with Katy Avery (Bonjour). She told me about you so I checked out your blog. Great picks. Can I rely on you as a resource to bounce questions and ideas in regards to fungi in hte future? Great Stink horn. We found about three in hte same locations. The eggs were so cool prior to the rest of the shroom budding out. Dryad's Saddle is the first mushroom I keyed out myself.
Talk to you soon,
Pete
Hi there, I was poking around online looking for other mushroom people and found your very nice blog.
As far as cooking Hericiums, I slice them into slabs (H. erinaceus, anyway), between 1/4 & 1/2" thick, and saute them in butter until they just start to brown. I think the slight browning might be the secret (but, anything browned in butter is good, in my book). They need to be young and fresh and WHITE--if they're starting to yellow, they will be sour.
Lion's Mane is my all-time favorite edible mushroom. They taste like scallops or lobster! Keep trying.
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