Roasted Mushrooms, Spring Onions, and Pea Shoots This versatile dish can be served as a topping on bruschetta or Eggs Benedict, or standalone as a salad. ... Pleurotos ostreatus. © David Rust (from mushroomobserver.org) Objective: Sauce/Garnish/Stuffing Total Time: 45-60 mins Yield: Varies by usage Suggested Mushrooms: See code Ingredients Mushrooms 1 Lb small oyster mushrooms, left whole, roots chopped 1 Lb Cremini mushrooms, quarted with stems 5 oz Pioppini mushrooms, left whole, roots chopped 2 T Coconut Oil, melted 2 t salt 1 t black pepper Spring Onions 5 spring onions, roots and tops removed (keep the bulb together) 1 T coconut oil melted 1⁄2 t salt 1⁄2 t black pepper Final Assembly 2 pea shoot clamshells (ventilated platic packages), slightly chopped 1-2 Tbl. Truffle Oil Method Mushrooms Toss all ingredients together and roast until browned at 400°F (about 10 – 15 minutes). Spring Onions Toss all ingredients together and roast at 400°F until they get some color and soften. Chop against the grain into small pieces Final Assembly While mushrooms are still hot, toss with pea shoots, onions and truffle oil. Pea shoots will wilt slightly, but keep the green flavor. Serve on bruschetta, on eggs Benedict, or eat by themselves as a salad. Note : This recipe was originally posted alongside "Relishing Medicinal Mushrooms" by Chef Zachary Mazi in the May 2013 issue of Duff . Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Come to the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair to learn fascinating and fun facts about beautiful and diverse species of mushrooms! View remarkable mushroom arts and crafts, taste unusual and exceptionally good fungal fare, and experience FFSC's overriding mission: "We keep the fun in fungus!" Fungus Fair Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Fungus Fair General Information Did you know that without fungus, we’d have no bread, cheese, beer, or wine? Or that anti-cholesterol medicine was developed from mushrooms? Come to the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair to learn fascinating and fun facts about beautiful and diverse species of mushrooms! View remarkable mushroom arts and crafts, taste unusual and exceptionally good fungal fare, and experience FFSC's overriding mission : "We keep the fun in fun gus!" This unique Santa Cruz area tradition draws thousands of visitors each year. These pages provide details for the 2026 Fungus Fair, which was held in January. The next Fair is scheduled for January 8-11, 2027. Check back in November for tickets and the new schedule of speakers! A Forest of Fungi One of the highlights of the fair is the Great Hall, where visitors explore the shapes and scents of wild mushrooms in a recreated woodland habitat. Fair volunteers collect hundreds of species of local fungi in the days leading up to the Fair, and carefully identify and label each one. Science advisors and experienced FFSC members are available to answer questions about the mushroom exhibits throughout the event, and to identify any wild mushrooms you’ve found yourself. Found a mushroom but can't bring it with you? Visit our Photography for ID Purposes page for tips on taking photos that will help us answer your "what is this?" question. Expert Speakers Nationally and locally renowned speakers present talks on a wide variety of topics each year. Sessions sometimes also include short hands-on workshops. Many talks are FREE with your purchase of a Fair Admission ticket, and you can also purchase tickets to larger sessions (Room 3 headliner talks) for a modest additional fee. Check out the schedule of speakers for the 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. Make, Eat, and Shop Create fun mushroom art, sample gourmet foods made with mushrooms, and take home beautiful mushroom-themed crafts, books, and more. Create your own mushroom art at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair! Try dyeing fabric swatches, get your face painted and more. Fun for all ages! Make Fungi Art Tasty food, beautiful artwork, mushroom-dyed silks, jewelry and more can be found throughout the venue. Vendor Areas Presented By The Santa Cruz Fungus Fair is organized by the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz actively promotes the study of mushrooms, and is dedicated to encouraging an avid interest in the fungal kingdom. We hunt mushrooms for scientific interest and for the table. We encourage a sense of wonder with regard to one of the least understood segments of our global environment. We are fungiphiles, and you just might be one, too! See our mission page and member benefits for more information about FFSC. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors. It was the first museum in Santa Cruz, dating back to 1905 with the founding collection of Santa Cruz lighthouse keeper and naturalist, Laura Hecox. The museum has been connecting people to the wonders of nature for over 100 years. The museum served as one of the original locations of the annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. See the museum's About page for more information about its mission.

News & Stories / Field Reports Mushroom Heaven, a Restaurant in Beijing Not far from the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) Square in Beijing is the gate to Mushroom Heaven. Here, in the center of Beijing, is a restaurant specializing in fresh wild mushrooms from all over China. Cliff Warren • April 2, 2002 Morchella esculenta. © (CC BY-NC) by Louisa Z. Riedel (from inaturalist.org, ID 132324429) Upon entering the restaurant a few weeks ago, I was immediately confronted with 46 different kinds of wild mushrooms. All were laid out on a table, already cleaned, sliced and in their own bowl of water(?). Each was priced separately and sold by weight. Prices ranged from about $2 to about $4 per 100 grams. We chose boletus edulus , matsutake, morel and 3 others from among the 46 varieties. Fortunately, I had brought along a beautiful picture book of Chinese edible mushrooms, which I had just bought, which listed both the Latin and Chinese names for the various mushrooms. So, it was rather easy to choose the mushrooms and then match the picture or the Chinese characters to the displayed mushrooms. Alternatively, you can simply point to each mushroom you would like to have, the price is listed next to each bowl. Before sitting down at our table, and after choosing the mushrooms we liked, we then were asked which of two ways we would like to cook them at our table: stir-fried or boiled in consommé (similar to shabu shabu in Japan). We chose to boil, and so, very soon after sitting down, a large wok was placed in the center of the table over a built-in single burner stove. A natural gas tank under the table provided the fuel, which ultimately boiled the liquid. Once seated, we were asked what additional vegetables and type of meat we wanted (beef, pork, lamb or chicken). We chose a variety of green vegetables as well as both beef and lamb. In addition to the fresh mushrooms on the table, there were at least six large bottles of mushroom-infused liquor made from "baijiu," a kind of Chinese grain alcohol, each made from a different mushroom. We stayed with beer (non-infused). Extremely aromatic, the boiling liquid turned out to be a mushroom consommé made, I was told, from more than 40 mushrooms. Besides smelling great, it tasted delicious, even by itself. Our small group (3) had chosen 6 different mushrooms and these were brought to the table along with the vegetables and meat (lamb and beef). My Chinese hosts wanted the two kinds of meat! One by one, we cooked each type of mushroom in the boiling consommé. Each had its own unique taste and texture. Cooking them ourselves, we were able to control the degree of doneness and monitor the effect each was having on the consommé. Simply stated, they were very delicious, especially the morel, which was quite succulent and tender. When the raw meat came, we had to choose which sauce to dip it in. Choices were: sesame, soy sauce or hot sauce. We each took a different one, but the hot sauce was the best. Both the meat and vegetables were added to the boiling water and again we were able to control the cooking time of each. In between, we often sampled the bouillon. Finally, when all the mushrooms, vegetables and meat were consumed, noodles were added to the still boiling liquid to make the final soup. The resulting mixture of flavors was intoxicating; so aromatic, so complex and so wonderful, it is impossible to describe. At that moment, I knew I had reached nirvana, I was truly in mushroom heaven. Mushroom Heaven business card, 2002 Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushrooms in Chongqing China Setas Silvestres in San Sebastian Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mushrooms in Chongqing China My hometown, Chongqing, China—nicknamed the “Mountain City” and “Fog City” and home to 30 million people—is famous for its spicy cuisine, ancient rock carvings, and breathtaking landscapes featured in Transformers. Little is known, however, about its mushrooms. Harvey Feng • October 1, 2025 Mushroom from Chongqing, China. © Harvey Feng Welcome to Chongqing! It has many to offer and cheap tickets in September and October. Got time to hike twice in nearby hills (450 meters elevation) before returning to the US. Here are the most impressive mushrooms. Hope I can go deep in the wood next time. Its terrain is from ~ 200 to 2000 meters and first soaking rain this year was in mid-September. Note from the Editor: In February 2026, Harvey will take us through his journey to Chongqing , and what he rediscovered in huge surprise--the mushrooms, nature, and the fascinating fellow foragers. Chongqing ("chaang-ching") is located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, about 1,756 km (1,091 miles) Southeast of Beijing. Chongqing, China (from Google Maps) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Mushroom Heaven, a Restaurant in Beijing Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Mushroom Potato Pancakes These pancakes are like cheesy latkes (but not cheesy in the silly way). They can be served hot or cold! by Rene Seltzer Boletus edulis. © (CC-BY-NC) by James Maughn (from inaturalist.org, ID 19542802) Objective: Side Dish Total Time: About an hour Yield: 6 to 8 wedges Suggested Mushrooms: Agaricus bisporus (portobello, portobella, cremini, crimini, baby bella, white button) Boletus edulis (porcini, penny bun, king bolete) Boletus rex-veris (spring king bolete) Ingredients 1/8 cup olive oil 3 large Agaricus bisporus (portabello) or Boletus edulis (porcini), diced 1 large onion, sliced 1 clove minced garlic 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and grated 4 medium potatoes, shredded ½ cup medium cheddar cheese, grated salt and pepper to taste Method In a large skillet, cover bottom of skillet with olive oil. Heat over medium high heat. Place your diced mushrooms in skillet and cook until moisture is removed (about 10 minutes). Add onions and garlic and continue cooking until onions are transparent (about 5 minutes or more). When done, remove immediately. Grate carrots, zucchini, and potatoes. Mix together with the mushrooms. Cover the bottom of a large skillet (ensure it has an oven-proof handle) with olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Pour the grated mixture into skillet. Stir and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes. Then flatten the potato mixture into a large pancake with a spatula, but do not stir. Cook for another 6-10 minutes until the large pancake is browned on the underside and almost cooked completely through. Remove skillet from stovetop and sprinkle grated cheese on top of the pancake while in the skillet. Place skillet under broiler until cheese is completely melted and cake is gold brown on topside (about 4 or 5 minutes). Then remove from broiler immediately. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and serve immediately as a hot dish. This can also be served as a cold side dish. Just wrap each wedge in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Stewardship Culinary Diva Steps Down After 4 years of dazzling FFSC members with outstanding culinary events, René Seltzer is relinquishing leadership of the culinary committee (not to be confused with any insider mushroom trading scandal)! Patria Brown • November 1, 2002 Full crowd at a Holiday Potluck. Photo by Debbie Johnson René's enthusiasm and culinary talent will not be missed however, as she will continue to support the committee in it's quest to further the fungal feast. Thank you René for all the time, energy and inspiration you give to us all. The culinary committee is beginning its new year under the artful leadership of Vernetta McGuire, with the assistance of Patria Brown and Marilyn Fenn. Patria will be writing the culinary page for the Duff. If you have any information or recipes you wish to contribute please send it in! If you have ever considered participating on the culinary committee now is a great time to get involved. Our first event is the Annual Holiday Potluck. There are many ways to help make the evening a magical holiday event. The set up and decorating starts at 3:30 PM. Anyone interested in helping can contact the Culinary Minister. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Propagation of Propaganda Perpetuated... Letter from the Outgoing CEO Message from Our Outgoing CEO Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Shiitake Mushroom Moussaka with Bolete Béchamel Sauce This rich, very filling dish was served at the Fungus Federation's 2001 Wine and Mushroom Fest last year. ... Boletus edulis var. grandedulis. © (CC BY-NC) claredowling (from inaturalist.org, ID 325205056) Objective: Main Course Total Time: About 3 hours Yield: 8 - 12 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Agaricus bisporus (portobello, portobella, cremini, crimini, baby bella, white button) Boletus edulis (porcini, penny bun, king bolete) Boletus rex-veris (spring king bolete) Lentinula (Lentinus) edodes (shiitake) Ingredients 3 medium eggplants salt Mushroom Tomato Sauce 2 t olive oil 2 C onions, chopped 1 1⁄4 tsp. salt 2 lbs. wild mushrooms (or shiitake and cremini), chopped 1 C reduced vegetable broth 5 cloves garlic, minced One 14 1⁄2 oz. can of tomatoes, including liquid One 6 oz. can tomato paste 1 tsp. cinnamon lots of black pepper 1 tsp. dried oregano and basil (more, if fresh) 1 C freshly minced parsley (packed) 1⁄2 C fine bread crumbs, and more for topping 1⁄2 C grated parmesan cheese Bolete Béchamel Sauce 3 T butter or margarine 6 T flour 2 1⁄2 C hot milk (low fat is acceptable) 1⁄2 C grated parmesan, and more for the top 1⁄2 to 1 C pulverized Boletus edulis or rex-veris (or preferred edible bolete) Method Prepare the Eggplant Slice eggplants 1⁄4” thick. Salt both sides, drain 20 min. in colander over sink. (Meanwhile, make the mushroom tomato sauce below.) Oil baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375. Pat eggplant slices dry and spread on the sheet, in piles if need be. Bake until tender (20 to 25 minutes). (Meanwhile, prepare the mushroom tomato sauce and bolete béchamel .) Mushroom Tomato Sauce Heat oil in large deep skillet. Add onions and salt, cooking over medium heat until onions become translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes). Stir in the shiitake (or cremini or wild mushrooms) and garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes more. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and herbs, breaking the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Bring to boil, lower the heat, simmer uncovered for an additional 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan. Set aside. Bolete Béchamel Melt butter over low heat in medium saucepan. Whisk in the 4 Tbsp. of flour. Cook several minutes, whisking all the while. Pour in hot milk, still whisking. Stir over low heat till smooth and thickened (5 to 8 minutes). Sift in remaining flour, whisking to prevent lumps, and cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, boletes, and nutmeg. Remove from heat. Assembly Preheat oven to 375 (if not already heated from the initial eggplant preparation). Oil large casserole dish or a deep oblong baking pan (at least 9 x 13 inches). Layer half of the baked eggplant slices, then alternate layers of mushroom tomato sauce and the remaining eggplant slices. Spread the bolete béchamel thickly over the top. Lightly dust with the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Bake uncovered until bubbly and lightly browned on the top (35 to 40 minutes). Serve hot! Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Field Reports 2002 Albion I Foray Species List FFSC members can login to view the species list from the 2002 Winter Foray at Albion. Bill McGuire • January 1, 2003 Hydnellum peckii. © CC-BY-NC by ajbradley (from inaturalist.org, ID 99409043) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Fair News Fungus Fair 2003 Recap The Fungus Fair for 2003 is now a pleasant memory; I hope everyone had the opportunity to attend. We had 2700 attendees over the two days and close to 300 attending the Friday evening reception. 251 species were recorded. Phil Carpenter • February 1, 2003 2003 Fungus Fair ID table As chairman of the FFSC planning committee, I would like to acknowledge those responsible for the different aspects of the event and to thank all of those people who put in so many hours of effort to produce a successful fair. The planning committee for the fair includes personnel from the Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History (it is actually their event!) and the following other FFSC members: Marje and Henry Young, Mark Gillespie, John Brown and Dan Farber. Specific contributions were provided by the following people: Exhibit layout and design, and setup - Marje Young, Debbie Johnson, Horst Kuhlman Labels - Marje Young Vendors - Debbie Johnson FFSC Stores – Monise Brown Reception decor – Vernetta McGuire Collecting forays - Ken Sommers and John Brown Duff collection for displays - John Brown Art exhibit - Marilyn Fenn Kids room - Ken Sommers Mushroom identification - Henry Young, Dan Farber, Mark Gillespie, John Brown, J.R. Blair, Mike Wood (MSSF), Bill Maxfield, Nathan Wilson and Phil Carpenter. Speakers - by committee, contacts by Phil Carpenter Jennifer Switzer, Deb Munoz, Patria Brown and Vernetta McGuire after setting up for the 2003 Fungus Fair Reception Contributors include all of the many volunteers who helped throughout the setup and weekend, in addition to those named above. We wish we could thank everyone individually. Rest assured, we couldn’t do it without you! If you have any specific input to the fair committee on how to improve the fair, we would welcome your contribution. Opinion polls were collected during the fair and will be assessed for feedback, both positive and negative. We will be meeting again soon to have a debriefing of this year’s fair so that we can start right away on next year’s. Sofia Clemens decided that she would attend the 2003 Fungus Fair dressed as a mushroom Again, many thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of our fungus fair. It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to continuing next year. Phil Carpenter, Fair Coordinator Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2005 Fungus Fair Wrap Up Fair News A Short History of the Fungus Fair Fair News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Gloria's Excellent Adventure Picture chanterelles, golden chanterelles, masses of golden chanterelles proud above the duff, thousands of golden chanterelles amongst the trees and bushes like blossoms blanketing the forest floor. Gloria Woodside • March 1, 2003 Chanterelles in Gabon. © Anne-Hélène Paradis (from inaturalist.org, ID 334600620) Fantasy? No. Where? Gabon. Africa. Western Africa, on the equator, nine hours by four-wheel drive from the coast into Lope Wildlife Reserve. Was I there for fungi?No. The gorillas, reclusive lowland gorillas. To see them you hike the thick hilly rainforest: never-see-the-sun thick forest, all tree trunks and green bushes and vines and leafy, muddy trail with the occasional bright flower or fruit or flutter of a brilliant butterfly. Groups of three go with two Baku tribesmen trackers. They are the "pygmies" and know every organism in the forest and what to use it for. We hike steadily, slowly, watching feet, quiet, listening, pausing for sightings of animals with whispered names and plants with uses. We walk about ten hours a day. It's total immersion in the forest to see the animals: eights pecies of monkeys, dozens of gorgeous birds, forest elephants (to be avoided), red river hogs (furry with silly white tufts on their ears and tails), duikers (like little deer), and the main attraction, the gorillas. My group saw them high up in trees above us watching with their ever-so-wise brown eyes. And were terrified by the roaring and chest-pounding display of the silverback behind the bushes. Impressive. But to the chanterelles. The day was getting late and I was dripping, and days of hiking were taking their toll on my legs and feet, and it had been a couple hours since we had seen so much as a monkey, and I just wanted a cold shower and bed. We finally headed back a direct route. That meant straight over the ridges: huff and puff and slog up and then slippy and slidy down. An hour of that and then across a flattened dip in the land and there they were. Gold amongst the green - for hundreds of feet and ever so perfect. The most incredible patch of chanterelles I ever dreamed of finding. Out came the cameras, exhaustion forgotten. The Baku started picking and piling them in huge leaves to wrap up. I wandered about, incredulous - "I don't believe it. I don't believe it." Ten minutes of mushroom heaven in a place I never imagined they could exist. Fungal serendipity. The stuff dreams are made of. A nature encounter of the surreal kind. A highlight of a trip never to be forgotten. - Gloria Woodside, Minister of Archives Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Setas Silvestres in San Sebastian Adventures in Austria Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Culinary Committee Tailgate Mixer, 2003 Culinary Committee members and Local Forays minister Ken Sommers combined forces on a January weekend to greet and welcome new members and to familiarize them with the culinary aspect of wild mushrooms. Bill McGuire • March 1, 2003 Cantharellus californicus. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) After a morning’s foray in and about the woods of Marshall Field, Ken and his foray assistants helped the novice pickers identify their fungal collections. After introductions, new members were treated to freshly sautéed Chanterelles and a pot of Chanterelle soup that was contributed to the event from larders of FFSC members and prepared by Bill & Vernetta McGuire of the Culinary Committee. Subsequent feedback from those attending has been positive; we hope we can make this an annual event to make new members feel welcome and to encourage their participation in our activities, I.D. classes and forays. - Bill McGuire, Consort to the Culinary Minister Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Stewardship Propagation of Propaganda Perpetuated... We extend our warm thanks to Roxann Hills, outgoing Minister of Propaganda. Roxann assumed editorship of this newsletter last fall and has done a wonderful job. Deb • April 1, 2003 April 2003 Duff Logo She has put in many hours to ensure that we are all up to date and informed. Personal circumstances have dictated that she pass the task along, and she will be missed! Roxann will be most sorely missed by the new propagandist, Debbie Johnson, as she sorts her way though new software and the mysteries of desktop publishing. The new editor asks for your patience and forbearance, as well as your input. In an effort to be Minister of Propaganda rather than of Misinformation, she would like to hear about what you’d like to see more of or less of in the Duff . Opinions, comments and letters to the Editor are most welcome! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Letter from the Outgoing CEO Message From Our Incoming CEO 2009 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article