Mushrooms

[Speedy]

This is one way i like to cook mushrooms.


In this one I'm using Saffron milk caps (Lactarius deliciosus),
a mycorrhizal associate of Pine trees, they're found in autumn/winter in Southern Australia.

Other mushroms can be cooked this way including Oyster M, Elm Oyster M.(incorectly called Shimeji in Aust.)
Agaricus spp. (the common cultivatedMushies), Shiitake, Wood Ear M. , Shaggy Manes etc.

Clean and slice mushrooms

slice onion and fry in oil

add a sliced fresh chile

add mushrooms and salt, stirring over med-high heat for a few minutes

add some Epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides), cause I'm doing Mexican flavours.

> other herbs that work well are Thyme, Tarragon (use the real one), Oregano or Parsley<
Add 1/2 -1 cup of water and cover to steam for about 5min.

Here I've made a fresh salsa,
then served the mushrooms on fresh warm corn tortillas spread with a bit of sour cream
and topped with the salsa.

Saffron Milk Caps are easy to identify.
Carrot-coloured latex will bleed from any cuts made in the gills near the
stem and they will bruise and age an unattractive greenish colour.
They're brittle and can be snapped when the hollow stem is bent.
they dont reduce in volume as much as a lot of other species.
The texture can be a bit sort of 'grainy' and not to everyones liking.
If you cook them long enough the texture changes.

They're also really nice placed gills up and grilled on a bbq (over charcoal best) after dressing
with olive oil , garlic and salt.
In Europe they are often preserved in jars with salt, though I've not tried that yet.
Even the Peppery milk caps (L.piperatus) is supposed to be rendered edible with the salt treatment.

[purplepear]

Wow Speedy - I just love your work. I wonder if I got someone to milk the cow for a few days and get myself down south, would you take me mushrooming? Identification and preparation are definate holes in my education. Thanks and more please.

[Speedy]

Yeah, for sure.
nobody where I live seems to be interested in mushroom hunting.

The other thing is making your own spawn at home and inoculating logs and woodchip piles with it
and laying them in the garden to 'fruit' with the seasons.
convenient and a good way to convert wood to plant food ...and people food.
...but I think thats the subject of another thread in another subforum...

more recipes to follow , later :-)

[eco4560]

Is there a simple rule of thumb for identifying edible mushrooms? I have mushies popping up around the garden - which I THINK have come from the mushroom compost, but I haven't been game to try them in case I start seeing green monkeys on the ceiling.

[Speedy]

Only rule of thumb for identifying mushrooms that I would sugest is only eat them if you've properly identified them from a good field guide or other reputable source.
even then don't be too hasty and when tasting a mushroom species for the first, dont overdo it.
some people can eat a species mushroom with no ill effect , while others eating the same meal can have a stong reaction to it.
There are old stories like about a silver coin turning black indicating that a mushroom is poisonous, but there are always exceptions to these 'rules'.
Fariliarise yourself with the parts of mushrooms (stem - rings, volva, texture, dimentions etc. the cap- gills or pores, habitat etc....
These are the keys to how to identify them.

Some books on edible mushrooms categorise them as beginner (easy), intermediate and experienced as far as identification goes.
suffice to say that some in edibles in the latter category are easily confused with poisonous species.
Even experienced mycologists have been known to make the ultimate mistake.
most good books will have 'Poisonous lookalikes' next to the edible ones.

and I cant't help but to quote an old Russian proverb,
or answer to the question
"Is that mushroom edible?"
"All mushrooms are edible...
some, only once"
:-)

[eco4560]

Damn - I was hoping that a simple - if it is grey its OK - or something that easy! I do like the Russian advice though.

[Speedy]

If you post a pic I might be able to head you in the right direction... (Family or Genus)

[eco4560]

Found one to take a photo. What do you think i have?

[Speedy]

I have an idea, but I'll get a second opinion to make sure.
Do they ever have a burgundy coloured cap?
are they growing in woodchip or straw or old compost?

[Michaelangelica]

A NSW Mushroom farm is open for inspection!
I would love to go but my car is kaput!

TWICE a year, Neil Arrold takes keen foodies beneath a hillside near Mount Gibraltar to a disused railway tunnel filled with mushrooms.

Here, in the controlled damp and dark, Dr Arrold cultivates a treasure trove of exotic species - shiitake, golden enoki, shimeji, king brown, oyster and more.

The southern highlands mushroom grower produces 1.5 tonnes a week in the one kilometre long tunnel.During a tour of the tunnel, visitors will be guided through the different varieties and can take their favourites home.

Tour the tunnel and a cheese-making workshop, 10am-4pm, October 3, $25. Bookings: 4871 2524. Go to siff.com.au.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/...924-15qku.html

I noticed the exotic mushroom grower at Sydney's Paddy's markets in Sydney had mushroom logs for sale for only $5 this week.
I might give a couple ago next week