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  • Pan Roasted Chicken with Chanterelle Gorgonzola Stuffing | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    Pan Roasted Chicken with Chanterelle Gorgonzola Stuffing This is also good with brie, for those that don't like blue cheese. Great served with wild or white rice. by Annie Lang Cantharellus californicus. © Boleslaw Kuznik (Bolek) (CC-BY-SA) (from mushroomobserver.org, obs. 35041) Method Make the Stuffing Place a 12" heavy skillet or wide sauté pan over medium-hot heat, and add the bacon fat. Sauté garlic, shallot and onions until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add chanterelles and continue sautéing until tender, and liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes). Deglaze with white wine. Simmer until the liquid reduces by three quarters, leaving a thick glaze on the mushrooms. Transfer mushrooms and glaze into a medium mixing bowl. Place the bowl into the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are completely cool to the touch. Once chilled, remove bowl from fridge, and fold in gorgonzola, basil, oregano, salt and black pepper. Set mixture aside at room temperature. Stuff and Roast the Chicken Preheat oven to 350°F With a boning knife, butterfly the 4 chicken breast halves. Open the breasts like a book, and lightly season the inside walls with a little salt and cracked black pepper. Stuff center of each breast with ¼ of chanterelle-gorgonzola mix, then tie with 2-3 pieces of butcher's twine to ensure that it stays together. Pat the outside (skin) dry with paper towels, then season the outside with salt and cracked black pepper. Dab out any excess moisture from the the 12" skillet (leaving the tasty stuck-on bits in the pan, scrape loose if necessary). Heat canola oil over high heat until shimmering. Lay each chicken breast in the pan, skin side down. Sear for 1 to 2 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn over and sear for 30 more seconds. Place the entire skillet into the 350°F oven, and roast until the thickest part of the chicken (and center of stuffing) reads 165°F with a meat thermometer (15 to 20 minutes). Remove chicken from skillet, and place on a warm plate to rest. Tent loosely with foil until ready to serve. (Optional) Make More Pan Sauce You can serve the chicken with the pan juices, or make some extra sauce as follows: Use an oven mitt to place the empty, hot skillet back on the stove over medium-high heat. Pour in ½ cup of chicken stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up and loosen all the browned bits (fond) and melted cheese left in the pan. Bring to a boil, and let the liquid reduce by half (about 3 minutes). Turn off heat. Drop in 1 Tbsp. cold butter. Swirl the pan continuously until the butter melts and becomes glossy. Serve the Chicken Snip the twine off the rested chicken. Slice chicken if desired. Spoon the warm pan sauce over the chicken (or in a gravy boat), and serve. Recipe contributed: October 2011 This recipe was inspired by a Food Network recipe by Kent & Kevin Rathbun. Objective: Main course Total Time: 45 mins to 1 hour Yield: 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) 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 Stuffing 2 oz. bacon fat 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. shallot, minced 2 oz. yellow onion, minced 4 oz. chanterelles, sliced about ¼" thick ½ cup white wine 4 oz. gorgonzola blue cheese, crumbled 1 Tbsp. basil, chopped ½ Tbsp. oregano, chopped Kosher salt, to taste Cracked black pepper, to caste Chicken 4 boneless chicken breast halves, skin on 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. cracked black pepper 2 oz. canola oil (for searing) (Optional) ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock (Optional) 1 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

  • The Turkey Tail | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    Turkey tail. Photo by Meryl Wilsker The Turkey Tail Meryl Wilsker Found at Rancho San Antonio Park in Los Altos, California. This particular Turkey Tail was approximately 6-7 inches across sitting on the very top of a tree stump/log with smaller Turkey Tails up and down the trunk. Trametes versicolor at MushroomExpert Trametes versicolor at MykoWeb Trametes versicolor at Tom Volk's Fungi Camera Apple iPhone 4 Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on February 18, 2017 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

  • Culinary Committee — Whats Up? | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    News & Stories / Culinary Committee — Whats Up? So, will it be lots of early rains this year? We've had 0.4 inches so far. Rene Seltzer • October 1, 2000 Collybia nuda. © MJ Nehl (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 332550168) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

  • From the Perpetrators of the 2025 Echo Summit Foray | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    News & Stories / Field Reports From the Perpetrators of the 2025 Echo Summit Foray If you missed the Echo Summit foray, well, sorry and don’t let it happen again! Thirty eight of us did make the journey and a good time was indeed had by all. The weather was fine and a number of species were found, edibles among them. Marje Young • November 1, 2005 Echo Summit Foray 2005. Photo by Jerri White Thanks to those who shared: John Brown brought Tricholoma magnivelare (yes, Matsutake in the mountains!) and oysters for tasting, Bill McGuire and Richard Rammer prepared Sarcodon imbricatum , and Tina and Thomas Keller, Mark and Toni Gillespie and Gloria Woodside donated boletes to the brethren. Apologies to anyone we’ve missed, and thanks to all of you! And thanks to everyone for your help, both in the kitchen and out, during the foray. You’re the best, and it couldn’t happen without you! Marje and I have been coordinating this foray for the last eight years. Richard Rammer, our predecessor, also organized Echo for eight years, as did Phil Carpenter before him. It seems we’ve hit our expiration date, so we’re looking for new people and new ideas! The job basically involves taking reservations and money, menu planning, food purchases/transport, and coordinating kitchen duties. Foray attendees help with food prep, dishes and cleanup. An added perk is that the organizers get first crack at the private rooms! We would be happy to work with you next year to get the hang of things. If you have questions, please call either of us for details. Cheers! Debbie Johnson & Marje Young Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Echo Summit Foray 2025: A Participants Perspective Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

  • Morel Cultivation | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Morel Cultivation Ken Litchfield of the Mycological Society of San Francisco shared the following article on morel cultivation. Ken spoke to us earlier this season about the ongoing cultivation project he coordinates at the Randall Museum 's Mushroom Garden. Sue Willis • May 1, 2003 Morels. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts What are You Doing This Summer? A Tale of Ozark Shiitake Growing Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

  • Propagation of Propaganda Perpetuated... | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    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

  • Chanterelle Look Alike Rewriting Evolutionary History | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    News & Stories / Chanterelle Look Alike Rewriting Evolutionary History This beautiful little mushroom isn't a mushroom at all. It is Dendrogramma enigmaticaI, a newly named organism from the deep seas near Australia and it may be rewriting evolutionary history. Well named...It is in fact an enigma! Cortinarius • September 2, 2014 Dendrogramma enigmaticaI (hosted on nationalgeographic.com). Photo by Jorgen Olesen Found in 1986 but only recently named, this deep sea organism can't be classed in known animal groups. It's relatives could have roamed the seas 540 million years ago. Now, biologists are scratching their heads over the little guy and wondering what it can tell us about evolutionary history. For more information visit: https://web.archive.org/web/20140904222855/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140903-evolution-animal-dendrogramma-mushroom-species-ocean/ Thank you Richard Rammer for this news post from National Geographic! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts The Wood Wide Web (from the BBC) Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

  • How I Spent My Summer Vacation | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    News & Stories / How I Spent My Summer Vacation I officially retired in Oct 2024 and after the end of our club season this year, I suddenly had more time to go foraging. Katherine (Kitty) Elvin • November 10, 2025 2025 Calabria gang My allergies are the opposum and fish I headed down to Mexico and joined Chad and Rose Hyatt in Oaxaca with Zachary Hunter of TheFungivore.com . I signed up for the MyComida Rupestre - Forage & Feast. For those who know me, what I love almost more than hunting mushrooms, is traveling and eating. This tour was to explore the foods of Oaxaca with a fungal bent. All my three loves in one tour. It was a culinary feast: mole, squash blossoms, corn many ways, insects, mezcal and much more. Unfortunately, the rains arrived 2 days before we were done, but we still found many mushrooms, flowers, plants and insects to entertain us. We were up in Sierra Norte Mountains at around 7000 - 8000'. We found Boletus edulis , Amanita ceasarea , and at Monte Alban inside a tree trunk Volvariella bombycina flaviceps which Chad got really excited. This mushroom was on his bucket list. This area is part of the cloud forest and we found orchids, air plants and carnivorous plants. Definitely worth visiting. Josepha and Ken Hendry. That's a lot of Chicken of the Woods in their Maine neighborhood I headed to Maine to visit with Josepha and Ken Hendry (FFSC members) in Windham Maine and was joined by Phil and Margaret Carpenter who happened to be on the East Coast for the Nama foray. This coastal part of Maine has elevation which was much lower than Oaxaca and more like here in the Bay Area. We hiked around many lovely lakes. I found my first Velvet Foot ( Flammulina velutipes ). We found chicken of the woods and was gifted a large fresh hen of the woods from a member of the Maine mycological club. Josepha managed to get us invited to a local foray nearby. One surprisingly delicious mushroom was the Aborted Entoloma ( Entoloma abortivum ). The current thought is this mushroom is a parasite of Armillaria species. My favorite find was the ghost pipes ( Monotropa uniflora ), this parasitic plant of Russulaceae species. While in Maine, I enjoyed eating lots of lobsters, the crustacean type and not the fungal type. Very much appreciated the hospitality of the Hendry's for putting us up and planning our forays into the woods. What's Cookin Calabria group picture I finished my summer vacation by heading to Italy. I was joining my favorite mushroom tour group, What's Cookin and this time we were visiting Calabria. I have gone on about 5 tours around Europe and parts of Italy with this group led by mycologist Britt Bunyard. Their tours cover my 3 loves: travel, food and fungus. Calabria is famous for their chili and sweet onion and we definitely got to taste those offerings. We hiked amongst conifers and chestnut trees checking out the fungal offerings. Again, I was skunked by the lack of rains and although we had some rains earlier, things were looking a little dry. We found Boletus edulis , chanterelles and many others. I got to eat a soft polypore, call goats foot which was pickled and delicious. What I love about these tours is we have a local mycologist on our foray along with Britt. I love traveling and foraging in different areas. I get to try eating different mushrooms prepared differently from us. I learn that in spite of the differences, I see many similar mushrooms and characteristics. I am a newbie in their woods and with my newbie eyes, I pay more attention and relearn to stop and look deeply. I remember why I love foraging for mushrooms and the best part is even if I don't manage to collect anything, the beauty of the woods is more than enough so I breathe and live. Kitty (Apprentice newbie of the woods) FFSC Long Distance Foray Minister Enjoy the Trip! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts My Adventures in Telluride Colorado Field Report - 2021 NAMA Foray Grandby CO Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

  • Fungi of Quail Hollow Ranch | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    News & Stories / Fungi of Quail Hollow Ranch Thanks to Adam Ryzska of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz, Quail Hollow Ranch is getting the attention it deserves with regards to fungi. Christian Schwarz • December 1, 2011 Adam Ryzska mobilizing the collecting cadre. Thanks for organizing this great event, Adam! Photo by Richard Lyness Bob Wynn cooking up the edibles, with assistance of fellow foodies. Thanks to all!. Photo by Richard Lyness After a number of visits from local macrofungal taxonomists and two larger, coordinated forays supported by volunteer surveyors, a preliminary list of macrofungi occurring in the park has been compiled. The list so far stands at 69 species, but it is clear that this will grow rapidly with more intensive surveying effort. The park is unique and truly remarkable to mushroom taxonomists because of its sandhill and Ponderosa pine habitats, as well as its older live-oak groves. It has been a pleasure to visit so far, and begs for continued research and documentation. The mycota of the sandhills is unique and, like the sandhills, highly restricted. Some of the fungi associated with this habitat are likely endemic to the tiny chain of suitable habitat islands found in Santa Cruz county. A list is included on the next page with brief comments on species of interest. Those interested in knowing more about these fungi, or about volunteering for surveys should contact Adam Ryzska or Christian Schwarz. Christian Schwarz Science Advisor Macrofungi of Quail Hollow Ranch as of 23 November 2011 Compiled by Adam Ryzska, Henry Young, and Christian Schwarz. Agaricus cupreobrunneus - uncommon and declining locally Agaricus aff. summensis - quite uncommon to rare locally Amanita calyptroderma Amanita franchetii sensu Thiers Amanita gemmata group Amanita novinupta Amanita phalloides Amanita sp. (Lepidella) Amanita vaginata Armillaria mellea Astraeus hygrometricus Aureoboletus citriniporus Aureoboletus flaviporus* Boletus barrowsii Boletus eastwoodiae Boletus ‘marshii’ - formally undescribed Boletus regineus Cantharellus californicus Chlorophyllum rachodes Chroogomphus pseudovinicolor - locally very estricted Clitocybe nebularis Clitocybe odora** - formerly fairly uncommon, recently increasing Conocybe sp. Cortinarius regalis Cortinarius sp (Myxacium) Cortinarius spp. Cortinarius trivialis Cortinarius xanthodryophilus*** Entoloma aff speculum - locally quite uncommon Entoloma ferruginans Entoloma sp. Entoloma subsaundersii Ganoderma sp. Gomphidius oregonensis Gymnopus dryophilus Hebeloma crustuliniforme Hohenbuehelia petaloides Hygrophorus hypothejus sensu CA - locally uncommon Hypholoma fasciculare Inocybe sororia Lactarius alnicola Lactarius megacarpus Lactarius xanthogalactus Laetiporus sulphureus Leratiomyces ceres Lycoperdon perlatum Marasmius quercophilus Mycena californiensis Mycena capillaripes Mycena purpureofusca Omphalotus olivascens Pleurotus ostreatus Psathyrella conopilus group Russula albonigra Russula brevipes Russula cerolens Russula cf. basifurcata Russula cyanoxantha Russula nigricans Russula spp. Suillus caerulescens Suillus ponderosus Suillus pseudobrevipes - locally restricted Suillus pungens Trichaptum abietinum Xerocomus chrysenteron Xerocomus dryophilus - locally rare Xerocomus subtomentosus Xerocomus truncatus * Aureoboletus flaviporus – one of our most beautiful boletes, it can be distinguished by the brilliant yellow pores, slimy reddish-brown cap, and whitish-yellow stipe. The cap surface tastes like lemon juice. ** Clitocybe odora – this beautiful species smells strongly of black licorice or anise. *** Cortinarius xanthodryophilus – a recently described species, and a widespread mycorrhizal associate of Coast Live Oak. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Citizen Science - Amateur Ain't a Dirty Word Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

  • Species List from December 11, 1999 Local Foray | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    News & Stories / Species List from December 11, 1999 Local Foray Here is a species list from the foray. Bill Maxfield • February 1, 2000 Amanita sp. 'gemmata-CA01'. © Dean Lyons (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 190884555) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

  • Hot and Spicy Morels and Chicken in Coconut Milk | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    Hot and Spicy Morels and Chicken in Coconut Milk It's March and the beginning of our lower-elevation morel season. This dish is delicious when made one day ahead and reheated. by Shea Moss Morchella snyderi. © forage_cali (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 212796047) Method Reconstitute morels in 2 quarts of water for 2 hours. Drain morels well, reserving liquid for future use. Melt the margarine in a shallow dutch oven, then sauté the morels for 5 minutes in the margarine. Remove morels and reserve. Add the vegetable oil to the pan and sprinkle in the turmeric. Brown the chicken in the pan, then remove and reserve. To the pan, add the chopped onion, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, clove, and sauté for two minutes, stirring. Add the salsa, salt, cayenne, and garam masala, and cook another minute. Add the coconut milk, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add salt if desired. Add back the chicken and morels, then add the raisins. Cover and place in the oven for one hour, or until the meat is tender. Serve hot. Recipe contributed: March 1993 This dish goes well with steamed rice. Objective: Main course Total Time: About 4 hours Yield: Serves 6 Suggested Mushrooms: Morel (Morchella sp.) 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 1 cube margerine 1 1/2 qts. (6 Cups) dried morels 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil 3/4 tsp. ground turmeric 3 lbs. frying chicken, cut into small serving pieces 1 tsp. salt 1 med. red onion 2 fresh bay leaves 2/3 tsp. crushed cardamom 2 med. cinnamon sticks 1/4 tsp. cloves 1/2 Cup hot salsa 1 tsp. mild cayenne pepper 3/4 tsp. garam masala 2 Cups coconut milk, unsweetened 1/4 cup raisins Water Dutch oven Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

  • Happy New Year from the CEO, 2001 | Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz

    News & Stories / Stewardship Happy New Year from the CEO, 2001 Happy New Year! I trust your holidays were great, with plenty of candy caps in your stockings and boletes on your latkes. Deb • January 1, 2001 Marasmius oreades (fairy ring marasmius) © mitchellpittsley (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 185374436) I'm happy to say that with the new year we have a new Minister of Propaganda, Madeleine Wyke. Madeleine is from Sweden, loves mushrooming, has a wonderful laugh and I believe she can catch a copy error at twenty paces. Welcome, Madeleine! Many thanks to Marje Young and Larry Payne for their great work on the Duff . Don't miss the 27th Annual Fungus Fair. The Friday evening preview reception for FFSC and Museum Association members is a wonderful opportunity to see and admire the displays without the crowds. As always, we need your help with setup the week prior, various jobs during the fair, and cleanup at the end. Our Fair is truly superb, gets better every year, and I am very proud of it. Thanks for helping out! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

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