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News & Stories / Mycology & Art News A Tale of Ozark Shiitake Growing Living in the Ozark woods brought out an interest in Fungi. Mushrooms... wild, exotic, forbidden fruit for the picking. But never enough...! Why not grow my own? Bo Letos • November 1, 2009 Lentinula edodes. © Alan Rockefeller (mushroomobserver.org) Calling one of many commercial suppliers resulted in a wide range strain of spawn shipped to my door. After thinning out a variety of oaks trees, I had a few dozen gently collected fresh logs, about 3-4 feet long. The suggested optimal log harvest time for sugar and water content is mid-to-late winter. My shiitake mushrooms grow in logs. Photo by the author After drilling a cross-hatch pattern of 1/2 inch holes in the logs, a spawn laced plug was placed in each hole and sealed with a paint-brush stroke of not-to-hot liquid wax. Soon a white patch with blackened edges will appear under the wax. Hmmm... Is this fungi? After a nice growing season with a little water and rain, the Shiitake come bursting out of the wax. Time now for the one-of-a-kind luxury of popping small tender crumbly pinhead primordia straight from log to mouth. I know where this mushroom has been. ( Editor’s note: cooking mushrooms thoroughly prior to consumption is generally advised, but this is a tiny taste indeed.) Commercial mushroom cultivation in the Ozarks uses oak sawdust, water, and rabbit food (yep), placed in tubular plastic with rubber bands holding each end of the foot long “log”. After being cooked, a pencil shaped dowel injected with Shiitake spores is poked in one end. The logs are placed in a warm dry room and grow quickly. The stiff brown skinned logs are next placed in the rain room, minus plastic. Fresh cool humid air is pumped in with five minutes of sprinkler rain every few hours, resulting in commercial grade Shiitake. Commercial Shiitake often have uniformly smooth brown caps. The home grower may have a variety of beautiful strains and environments. Shaggier caps or cracked caps from colder drier environments are more highly valued and UV exposure increases vitamin D content. If placing your logs outside, give some thought to the ground the log resides upon. The log can wick up moisture from the ground along with whatever chemical substances that are in the ground. For instance the shady side of your house under the drip edge of the roof is an easy and convenient location, but consider the variety and strong doses of long-lasting termite and insecticides that may lurk underneath the surface. Think about an “organic” growing site. Author- Unknown Hillbilly (by request) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports January 2016 Field Report Although soggy, there was a fair selection of fleshy fungi to be observed. Notably, a couple of lucky folks went home with a basket of candy caps, and a mushroom-dyeing enthusiast went home with a nice clump of jack-o-lanterns! Cass Fuentes • January 24, 2016 Hypholoma fasciculare (Sulfur tuft) at a Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. Photo by Larry Volpe Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2016 February Local Foray Field Report Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Field Report - Nov 2025 Local Foray After scant fall rains, about 30 inquisitive fungiphiles met on a Saturday morning to see what might be popping up in our local fields and forests. Dan Tischler • November 1, 2025 Phil explains why not to eat Amanita phalloides. On a beautiful summerlike day, the mushroom spirits were smiling on us with quite a few porcini and coccora making their appearance, along with a good representation of other local fungi. Login as a member to see the full species list below. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts January 2016 Field Report Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Learn About Mushrooms The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz is all about educating its members and the general public about the dangers and delights of collecting, studying, consuming , and creating art with wild mushrooms. We understand that people learn in different ways. We aim to offer something for everyone! Winter Chanterelles Bunch. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Join Our Indoor and Outdoor Activities We get together from September through May to learn and share knowledge about mushrooms, while having fun! Monthly talks from mycologists and enthusiasts that inspire and educate. Peruse mushrooms that people bring in, and enjoy refreshments. FREE and open to the public. Monthly Speakers From tailgate tastings and potlucks to chef dinners, our foodie fun events are scattered throughout the year. Potlucks & Chef Dinners Join local forays in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay areas. Learn while exploring our local woods and fields with like-minded people. Local Forays Long-distance forays are overnight (or longer) trips farther afield. They carry the allure of new fungal finds, amazing culinary pleasures, and collaborative education adventure. Long-Distance Forays Gain more knowledge and hands-on experience with our classes and workshops covering mycology, art, and culinary topics. Classes & Workshops Explore hundreds of wild species, both deadly and delicious. Create mushroom crafts--fun for all ages! Visit vendors and sample delicious mushroomy treats. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Join our club for only $25 per household! Why Join FFSC? Online Resources The safest way to learn about mushrooms is to hunt and identify mushrooms with knowledgable people in person. In addition, here are some field guildes, recipes, and other resources that can help you build your knowlede. Stay safe, and have fun learning! Featured Fungi Get background intel on mushrooms you may encounter in your wanderings. Myco Art Mushroom photography, and making art with or inspired by mushrooms. Field Reports Foray stories and species we found. (Available to FFSC members only.) Mushroom Recipes Recipes with mushrooms, and complementary dishes. Try them at home or for an FFSC potluck! Culinary Techniques Bring out the flavors of your edible finds by cleaning and storing them properly Online Learning Advice and self-challenges to build your skills. Scholarships & Grants Scholarship opportunities for students, non-profits, and FFSC members studying fungi. What We're Reading Browse our selection of books and articles on mycology.

"Mushrooms Demystified" © David Arora What We're Reading Over the years we've collected a library of books, articles, and other educational resources. We've started to list a few of them here, and we'll add more as time goes by. Field Guides We Use Here's a list of field guides and other mycology books and articles that FFSC uses for our classes and/or shares through our member library. We offer some of these books at or near cost at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair . They're also available through various book retailers and the original publishers. Mushrooms Demystified , by David Arora All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms , by David Arora Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast , by Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz Mushrooms of Cascadia , by Christian Schwarz and Noah Siegel More Resources Mushroom Dye Resources : Books and articles suggested by our members who dye fabrics with mushroom pigments. NAMA Book Reviews : A reading list by the North American Mycological Association

Chawanmushi with Matsutake Chawanmushi is served as a first course, in place of the soup. Sit down in a quiet place and eat it slowly. It's a delicate taste. by Shea Moss Tricholoma murrillianum. © nick (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 199214530) Method Dashi Wash kelp and reconstitute by placing in a saucepan with 6 cups of cold water. Heat water to a rolling boil, and remove the kelp immediately! Add the bonito, let it roll once, then turn off the heat and let it stand until the shavings settle to the bottom. Strain to collect the clear broth (the dashi). Note: Optionally, you can dry the kelp and wrap it in plastic wrap, and use it again for another dish. It's not part of the dashi. Chawanmushi Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine dashi with the eggs, strain through a sieve, then mix in the salt, sugar and shoyu. Divide the matsutake between 6 large Japanese tea cups (or six 8 oz. ceramic custard cups, or six 8 oz. oven-proof coffee mugs — What the hell, this is America). Pour the egg mixture over the matsutake. Cover each cup tightly with aluminum foil. Place in a bain-marie (hot water bath) with the water reaching about 1/2" below the top of the custard cups. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until the custard is set; maintaining the hot water level. Cool slightly and serve with a couple of green onion bits on top for garnish. Recipe contributed: January 1989 Objective: Soup Total Time: About 2 hours Yield: 6 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare, Tricholoma matsutake, Tricholoma murrillianum) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients Dashi (Soup Stock) 1-4" square kombu (dried kelp) 6 cups water 3/4 cup katsuobushi (shaved dried bonito) 2 whole cloves (optional, goes well with matsutake) Chawanmushi 3 Cups dashi 1 Cup eggs, whipped 1 tsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. shoyu (soy sauce) 3/4 Cups thinly sliced matsutake (paper thin) 1 tsp. green onion, finely chopped Six 8 oz. ovenproof tea cups Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Field Reports Albion I Foray 2007 – Species List There was a medium turn out for the foray, with only 30 people there, but there were lots of mushrooms of all kinds. The big one for the weekend was the matsutake, which many people found in profusion. Douglas Smith • January 1, 2008 Galerina in Mendocino. © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) I would assume the market has collapsed on matsutake, and you can now find them as the common mushroom they are, instead of the rare, over-picked, 'shroom they've been. There was much more diversity than what is reported here. I think the number of edibles up there made people spend most of their time harvesting, instead of hunting small maybe interesting things. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2008 Spring Foray Species List Albion I 2008 Recap Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports 2013 Sierra Scouting Report Last weekend I drove up Hwy 50 looking for Porcini. At Wrights lake, I found one buggy Bolete and several cuttings. A forest service employee who lives there told me they had a thunderstorm 3 weeks earlier - nothing since. Mark Gillespie • September 12, 2013 Porcini (bolete) (from a Spring foray) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2016 March Sierra Report Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Chocolate Truffle Torte Shea's truffle tort recipe was published here by popular request, after members tried it at the Continental Mushroom Hunt. by Shea Moss Stock photo of melted chocolate Method Torte Prepare the Batter Using a double boiler*, cream the sugar with the egg yolks, whisking constantly until the moisture thickens, pales in color, and registers 160°F. Remove the bowl from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Warm the butter to soften and let it cool enough so that it's warm to the touch. Soften the chocolate in your microwave (or in a clean double boiler). Add the cooled butter to the chocolate and stir thoroughly. Add the chocolate mixture to the creamed yolk-sugar mixture, stir to blend gently and thoroughly. In a clean bowl, whip the pasteurized egg whites to form soft peaks. (Pasteurized whites take slightly longer to whip vs. fresh eggs; some people add a pinch of cream of tartar to help with this.) Gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped whites into the warm chocolate mixture, then another 1/3, then the final 1/3. (This can help to keep the filling light and airy.) Bake the Cake Grease the bottom of the cake pan (not the sides). Put half of the batter into the cake pan, patting and pushing gently to make it level. (Put the remainder of the batter into the refrigerator.) Bake at 325° until the center hits 160°F (about 20 minutes). Try not to let the cake crack, or it will be too dry. Remove the cake from the oven when it is finished, and let it cool completely. Remove the Cake The cake will fall in the center, leaving a ridge stuck against the un-greased sides of the pan. Run a thin, flexible knife around this edge. Open the pan and remove the cake and pan bottom with the cake intact. Run a long knife between the cake and the pan bottom to free the cake from the pan. Using a cake lifter (or jumbo spatula), lift the cake onto a serving dish. Mousse Filling Take the rest of the batter out of the refrigerator and spoon it into the cake, filling the fallen center and spreading the top so it's level. Place the filled torte in the refrigerator to harden and settle (about 4 hours). Frosting You will have to work quickly because the cold torte will try to harden the chocolate frosting before you are finished; and the warm chocolate will try to melt the torte. Melt the chocolate until it runs. Melt the butter and stir into the chocolate. Add the powdered sugar and hot water. Use a spoon and a knife to quickly frost the torte, and a bowl of hot water to keep your knife clean as you go. Place in the refrigerator and let the icing harden. Flavoring Options Some of you may wish to experiment with flavoring the torte. Be sure to add the flavoring only to the unbaked half (the mousse filling). I found it is best to flavor the frosting rather than the torte itself. I found Grand Marnier or Armagnac to be good choices. Some people like to add a layer of apricot or raspberry jam between the torte and the frosting. Serve Ideally, this truffle torte should be served cold and hard before slicing. It can be decorated with chocolate leaves, white chocolate flowers, ground mocha and coffee beans, espresso candy, etc. Have fun, and don't forget to lick the bowls. Recipe contributed: April 1985 Objective: Dessert Total Time: Several hours (plus 4+ hours to chill) Yield: 12 medium slices Suggested Mushrooms: Without mushrooms (non applicabilis, sine fungis) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients Equipment A 4'' high, 9'' round springform pan (or removable-bottom pan) Microwave oven (for melting chocolate) Double boiler** (preferably a glass one) A cake lifter (i.e., a jumbo spatula which looks like an 8"x10" cookie sheet with only one side for holding; or a pizza transfer shovel) Torte 10 ozs sugar 12 ozs French sweet chocolate 5 egg whites** 10 oz sweet, unsalted butter 9 egg yolks** Frosting 10 oz sweet chocolate 2 egg yolks** 1 cup powdered sugar 4 oz sweet, unsalted butter 2 Tbs hot water * If you don't have a dedicated double boiler, you can place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, without letting the bottom of the bowl touch the water. ** Those concerned about consuming raw eggs can use pasteurized eggs (in the shell) or liquid pasteurized eggs purchased from a store. Remember that your end product will be as good as the quality of your ingredients! Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Fair News 2005 Fungus Fair Wrap Up The Fungus Fair held on the 8th and 9th of January, 2005, was a rousing success on all counts. Phil Carpenter • February 1, 2005 Fungus Fair Toadstool We had 3000 paid attendance and over 275 species identified. All went very smoothly, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I want to sincerely thank all of the very many people who put in long hours to help make the fair a success. The turnout of volunteers was very gratifying and, believe me, appreciated! Without all of the great help, the fair would certainly not have been the event it was. If you have any suggestions you'd like to share with the planning committee to make the fair even better, please submit them. Again, many thanks to those who contributed to the successful fair. - Phil Carpenter, Fair Committee Chairperson Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2006 Fungus Fair: Thanks to Our Volunteers! 2007 Fungus Fair — Thank You Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

About FFSC and Our Mission Our mission is to foster and expand, through education and by example, the understanding and appreciation of mycology; and to assist the general public and related institutions or groups to further this goal. And to always keep the "fun" in fungus! Local Foray 2023. Photo by Katherine Elvin The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz (FFSC) is made up of a collection of creative individuals who come together for the study and pursuit of wild mushrooms. We are a diverse lot with members of many interests: master gardeners, winemakers, chefs, beekeepers, chocolatiers, brewers, and of course, mycologists. In addition to running our own events for our members, we co-sponsor or volunteer at community educational events, provide grants to mycology students, and provide mushroom identification services to local hospitals. FFSC evolved as a result of David Arora’s mushroom classes and early Fungus Fairs in the Santa Cruz area in the 1970’s. We incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 1984, and celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2024! Visit our FFSC History page to learn more about how we started. FFSC an affiliated club of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA). Visit our Other Mycological Clubs page to learn more about NAMA and some of the other clubs in California. Visit these pages and other areas of this website to learn more about our organization: Why Join FFSC? FFSC Financials FFSC Bylaws Contact FFSC Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Alison McGregor The Scholarship Committee has awarded funds to UCSC student Alison McGregor in order for her to purchase a microscope to better pursue her mycological studies. Marje Young • May 1, 2012 Microscope Lenses (stock photo) She writes: “I am interested in the species diversity and composition of Santa Cruz crustose lichen communities, and in exploring novel methods of propagating local species of mycorrhizal fungi for the purpose of myco-restoration. I dream of conducting crustose lichen surveys in the coastal ecosystems and the urban surfaces of Santa Cruz. These surveys require the observation of spore size, type and number per ascus to diagnose the details of reproductive structures. With a microscope I could identify samples and create herbarium specimens for UCSC’s Museum of Natural History Collections. “My other major pursuit is to develop the skills necessary to nourish and rejuvenate disturbed and decimated ecosystems. With the aid of a microscope, I will be able to inspect spores to ascertain species and observe the morphological characteristics of fungal spawn. Over time, I can use this knowledge to introduce appropriate mycorrhizal fungi to aid in the recovery of disturbed, poisoned and eroded habitats inbackyards and agricultural watersheds of Santa Cruz.” The FFSC looks forward to having Alison speak to us about her many projects. Marjorie Young and Phil Carpenter Scholarship Committee Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article