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"Fungi and Feline" (Psathyrella sp.) Photo by Mari Stauffer Fungi and Feline Mari Stauffer Howard Taken by by phone upside down on the grass. "Feline grace and lithe" appearance of the mushrooms along with the original feline in the background. Psathyrella genus? (Likely either Psathyrella corrugis or P. bipellis .) Camera Phone Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on December 31, 2018 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Todd Spanier The founder and owner of King of Mushrooms, one of California's most respected wild and specialty mushroom companies. A pioneer in the sustainable and wild food movement, Todd has spent decades building deep relationships with chefs, foragers, farmers, importers, and culinary professionals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Todd's journey into mushrooms began at the age of five while hiking throughout California with his grandfather, Ed Marcellini. During those early years, he learned not only how to identify wild mushrooms, but also the importance of habitat, lunar cycles, seasonal weather patterns, and sustainable harvesting practices. Those experiences became the foundation for what would later evolve into King of Mushrooms. Chef Todd Spanier Upcoming Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets Cooking Demonstration & Wine Pairing Saturday, January 14, 2017 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 3 Black Gold - A discussion of tast of the world's most prized mushroom Friday, January 12, 2018 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 3 Past Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Black Gold - A discussion of tast of the world's most prized mushroom Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Friday, January 12, 2018 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 3 Cooking Demonstration & Wine Pairing Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 14, 2017 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 3

Alone by the Log... Albion II (2013). Photo by Hugh Smith Alone by the Log Hugh Smith Read up about Hygrocybe sp . in our Featured Fungi pages: Hygrocybe laetissima (Waxy Caps) Hygrocybe singeri, Western Witch's Hat Camera Canon EOS Rebel T3i Focal L. 18mm Aperture f/22.0 Shutter Sp. 8s ISO 100 Flash Off Photo taken on January 26, 2013 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Honey Mushrooms - Armillaria mellea Objects or firewood stacked up against a trunk, misguided nearby plantings, surplus soil or mulch, and other man-made sources can allow certain mycelium to infiltrate oak, maple, grape vines, blackberries, and orchard trees and shrubs. Mark shares some lessons from his professional experience with mitigating and preventing "Oak root rot", a.k.a, Armillarea Root Rot, or Armillaria mellea . by Mark Benson Armillaria mellea (cropped). Photo by Hugh Smith This article was reposted from a message in FFSC's Google Group. A few minor editorial updates have been made since it was originally posted in 2016. How about all this rain! Those were a beautiful display of honey mushrooms, Hugh! Tight and turgid and just the right time to harvest. Seeing them prompted me to write a few lines about honeys not from any formal knowledge... but from my work experience and from 'experts' with whom I consulted for my clients in my work with trees. I hope it is helpful to some of you. I am not a scientist... just an observer. Clusters of Armillaria mellea (honeys) at the base of a tree. Photo by Hugh Smith Tree culture is a subject near and dear to my heart. I love oaks so much that I named my first horticultural business, 'Acorn Tree Service'...which morphed into 'Green Mansions Tree and Horticultural Specialty Services'. As an arborist/landscaper in So. Cal. for many years, I had to remove many dead or declining oaks after their battle with honey mushrooms ("Oak Root Fungus", Armillaria m. complex). I did not know that these shrooms were considered edible back in those days. In fact, not until I joined the FFSC a decade or so ago had I ever eaten a wild mushroom. (I made my wife eat a Chantie she harvested then I waited 48 hours!) Of course, she had harvested edibles in Kentucky for years before moving out here. I was just a city boy, an urbanbushman...what did I know? What I learned is that some sp. of honey mushrooms are more aggressive than others (i.e. our Armillaria mellea complex are very aggressive). Under certain unnatural conditions, they can/do attack and kill live trees ...and don't just fruit from dead stumps. They attack many sp. such as oaks, our native maple, other native flora like native grape vine and many ornamental/orchard trees and shrubs, vines (blackberry). Another potential plant foe, Phytophthora root rot, can be colonized by Armillaria sp. (honeys) and spread through that organism as well. Armillaria mellea . Photo by Hugh Smith This will not be news to many of you... but hopefully of interest to some newer members of the club, or others who are gardeners or stewards of one or more beautiful oak trees. Aside from being a potential host for delicious chanterelles and other benign edibles, oak trees, especially in urban settings under certain conditions, can attract parasitic honey mushrooms which you can see in Hugh's spectacular photos. In the urban setting, generally speaking, honey mushroom attacks on oaks and other ornamental trees/flora or orchard trees can be avoided...or halted in the early stages. Oaks in an undisturbed habitat are generally protected naturally. Obviously, though, trees fall or are damaged or are cut down in the woodlands as well. A specialty preventative or 'habitat remediation' service I offered was to restore the area under oaks from drip line to trunk as a 'fungus-free zone'. What would lead to an oak's demise all too often (and had to be removed or dealt with sooner than later) were an accumulation of man-made objects (used tires, boxes of tiles, etc.) or firewood stacked up against the trunk or misguided water-thirsty plantings needing frequent Summer water, water basins fashioned from brick, stone or wood around the tree's base, etc. Surplus soil or mulch built up above natural grade would also act as a wick or conduit for untoward mycelium to infiltrate the trees natural defenses between root crown and trunk. It all had to be removed or redistributed. Irrigation systems simply had to be reconfigured, redirected or yanked out. Older, established Oaks hate Summer water. Honeys love it. If a client wanted more than my preferred minimalistic design (letting oak leaves fall, naturally to cover the bare earth) I would 'plant' a few large, loosely arranged mountain stones, spread out away from tree trunks and/or I would plant and establish sparse native flora then call it a day. My main "design" and intent in this type of job was of a restorative nature and to prevent invading parasitic mycelium tendrils. We had a registered heritage oak tree (estimated 400 plus years of age) in my home town of La Cañada (pron. "lah canyada") that finally went into decline. I was one of many people called to consult with the property owners. The estate had changed hands a decade or so before and the new owners (from out of state) had immediately re-landscaped the entire property and over-trimmed the old tree "to favor the new plantings with air and light", not understanding the aforementioned cultural dynamics and consequences. It had taken about 10-12 years but the fungus won. Still barely alive, opportunistic beetle grubs finished the job and an iconic oak was lost to the community. Many folks who were my customers will have a regular supply of 'honeys' for a real long time. Armillaria can survive as rhizomorphs and vegetative mycelium in the soil for years hanging around old stumps and roots, dead or alive. Tough to control. A real bad actor in the wrong places. On the positive side though...good eating for some folks . Just avoid inadvertently introducing this particular fungal bonanza to your own vegetable garden...or your neighbor's by introducing white mycelium threads from your boots. For those who want to read more about different flora's susceptibility or resistance to "oak root fungus" and other related info, there is much to study online. Here are some links: RPD No. 602 - Armillaria Root Rot of Trees & Shrubs , University of Illinois Integrated Pest Management Armillaria Root Rot , University of California Integrated Pest Management Morphology (from mushroomexpert.com ): attached gills persistant ring on fiberous stem growing en-mass an the base of a sickly Quercus.speckled roughened cap sometimes orangey gills at age a tough outer stipe that peels away like string cheese. white spore drop color can often be seen in the field, by observing the tops of caps under other mature caps Mushrooms covered: Armillaria mellea (honey fungus) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

French Onion Soup — Minister's Style Here's something to do with very gritty morels. Shea (former Minister of Culinary Affairs) has served this soup at a couple of our FFSC dinners, and we're sharing the recipe by popular request! by Shea Moss Morchella snyderi. © Kayla Dixon (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 365201748) Method Morel Stock Place the quart(s) of sautéed morels in an 8-quart stockpot and fill with water until the level of water is 4 inches above the level in the pot. (If you started with dried morels, make sure they fully reconstitute and sink before determining the covering level of the water.) Bring water to a vigorous boil, and cook for 30 minutes, skimming any impurities which rise to the surface. Reduce heat to a spritely simmer. Replace any water that has boiled off, then allow to come back to a simmer. Add 2 whole bay leaves and half of the sliced onions (i.e., 3 of the onions). Cover lightly with the lid, and continue to simmer for 3 hours, replacing the liquid as necessary to maintain a constant level. Pour entire contents of the stockpot through a large stainless steel strainer lined with cheesecloth, catching all the juice with a large pot or bowl(s). Squeeze all the juice you can out of the morels by gathering up the edges of the cheesecloth with the morels in the center, squeezing and wringing until no more juice comes out. Put all the juice back into the stockpot. At this point, the morel remains will have lost their taste, so toss them and any other solids into your compost bin. (If you think the remains still taste good at this point, feel free to use them in another dish). Sauté the other half of the onions (3 onions) in 3 Tbs. unsalted butter or margarine until they are clear, but not browned. Add the sautéed onions, including their residue, to the stockpot. (Optional) Add one very lean short rib of beef, and one additional quart of water. (If you don't add the beef, don't add more water.) Bring the stock to a simmer, then add the paprika, cumin, dried red peppers, rosemary, peppercorns, chili powder, dried oregano, and sage. Continue to simmer until onions are decomposed (about 1 hour). Do not add more water. Add 1 cup dry white wine, and salt to taste. Simmer 15 minutes more, then remove and cool slightly. You now have a morel stock. If needed, you can stop here and refrigerate the stock for up to a week (or longer if you divide it into mason jars with tightly fitting lids and store in the back of the refrigerator or freeze). Then warm up the stock before continuing. Bread and Cheese Crust While the soup is cooling, preheat oven to 325°F. Place individual ovenproof serving bowls on a large cookie sheet, and fill with approximately 1 cup of soup each. For each bowl, slice a 5/8" thick round of sweet french bread, large enough to sit on the edges of the bowls without falling in and sinking to the bottom. Toast the slices lightly in a toaster. Place one toasted round of bread on each bowl, then place a slice of swiss cheese on top of the toast. Place the cookie sheet filled with the bowls of soup, toast, and cheese into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, runs slightly, and starts to set again--kinda like the way you like your pizza. Decorate each bowl with one freshly sautéed whole morel on top of the cheese. Provide freshly ground Parmesan cheese on the table for aficionados. Bonus Tips from Shea Brown Stock Without the bread and cheese, this recipe can be used for any recipe calling for a brown stock. You can add anything else you like to the stock. It happens I don't care much for celery in my soups. I think it changes the morel flavor too much. But, if you like it, by all means add a little. Morel Glaze You can also reduce about 2 quarts of the stock to make a glaze (2 cups) by boiling the hell out of it. Then cool and pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Remove from tray and put the cubes into plastic bags or freezer bags for later use in sauces, or as a flavoring for other soups. --Shea Moss Recipe contributed: October 1987 This recipe takes several hours, as you'll first create a brown stock with morels. The stock can then be used to prepare your French Onion Soup immediately, or refrigerated for later use. Objective: Soup Total Time: 6 to 7 hours Yield: About 20 servings 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 Equipment 8 quart stock pot Cheesecloth or reasonable facsimile (such as a tea towel or a clean cloth diaper) Large stainless steel strainer Ovenproof serving bowls, large enough to hold a serving of soup without spilling Morel Stock 1 to 2 quarts sautéed* morels (to taste), including any liquid 2 bay leaves 6 large red onions**, thinly sliced 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine 1 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. cumin 2 dried red peppers (optional) A 4" branch fresh rosemary 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. whole dried oregano 6 leaves fresh desert sage (or 1/4 tsp. dried powdered) 1 very lean short rib of beef (optional) 1 Cup dry white wine Salt to taste Bread and Cheese Crust Swiss cheese Sweet french bread*** As many whole sautéed morels* as the number of bowls you will serve (to use as a garnish). Freshly ground Parmesan cheese for the table * Sautéed in butter or margarine. ** Red onions are sweeter than yellow or white onions, but if all you have are yellow onions, use those. *** The loaf should be wide enough that each slice can sit on the edge of your ovenproof serving bowls without falling in. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Other Mycological Clubs Looking for a club closer to you? Here's some intel about a few of the clubs in the greater Bay Area, and the North American Mycological Association, our national organization. Or just visit them all to see what they have to offer! Spore print on aluminum foil NAMA Wants You! And when you learn a bit about the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), the feeling will be mutual. NAMA is a non-profit organization of professional and amateur mycologists with affiliated mycological societies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Why join NAMA? Expand your mushrooming purview beyond the Central Coast Increase your knowledge through NAMA's newsletter, The Mycophile , and peer-reviewed journal, McIlvainea Attend annual conferences with forays and lectures by professional mycologists Are you a teacher? Gain access to well-planned teaching kits and educational content for K-12 grade levels The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz is an affiliated club, which allows our members to join NAMA at a reduced rate. Further information about joining can be found at namyco.org/join . If you have questions about NAMA, you can chat with Phil Carpenter at any of our events. Phil is a science advisors on our FFSC Ministers board, and our club's current NAMA representative. California Mycological Organizations Bay Area Mycological Society The Art and Science of Mushrooms Humboldt Bay Mycological Society Since 1978, HBMS has welcomed thousands of members. Los Angeles Mycological Society LAMS is a non-profit group whose purpose is to foster and expand the understanding and appreciation of mycology. Mycological Society of San Francisco The Mycological Society of San Francisco was founded in 1950 to promote the understanding and enjoyment of mushrooms and other fungi. Peninsula Mycological Circle Mycological Facebook Group dedicated to individuals and families on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the South Bay, who are interested in mushrooms. Mycological Society of Marin County A community organization for all things fungal. The pursuit of culinary mushrooms. Identification, education and foraging fun with lectures and forays. Sacramento Area Mushroomers Welcome all who are interested in things fungal -- beginners, amateurs, professionals, artists. San Diego Mycological Society Educate and disseminate scientific information about mycology, the study of fungi. Sonoma County Mycological Association The Sonoma County Mycological Association (SOMA) is dedicated to learning about local mushrooms and fungi, supporting mycological research through scholarships and educating the public about the vast and diverse world of fungi. Looking for more? Check out NAMA's fill list of affiliated clubs . Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / Field Reports Field Report - 2021 NAMA Foray Grandby CO I was fortunate to be able to attend the annual North American Mycological Association (NAMA) foray that was held at a beautiful YMCA camp just outside of Granby, Colorado from August 12th through the 15th. This camp is located in the traditional summer residential valley of several native American tribes, the Utes, Arapahoe, and Cheyenne among others. Phil Carpenter • October 28, 2021 NAMA Logo For those unfamiliar with this NAMA event, it is held at a different location every year, always selected for a time and place where mushrooms are, or at least should be, coming up. This year, contrary to several past years, the selected location had extensive mushrooms, that is if you were over 10,000’ in elevation. The seasonal monsoon conditions favored several southwestern states this year, including Colorado, at least over 10,000’. Every afternoon we were treated to those showy cumulonimbus clouds rolling in accompanied by thunder and lightning. Our last night there we even had a prolonged shower at the camp. It was good to see rain again! This annual foray is a great experience to visit other parts of North America to meet like-minded people and see the mushrooms of that area. Many forays are always held, a full team of sorters and identification experts is on-hand to put names on things and each year, examples of all the mushrooms found are described and vouchered. This year the foray was attended by over 250 people, many that were friends that I’ve made over several past forays. It was great to reacquaint with old friends and make some new ones. Just like our local forays, attendees to the NAMA forays are friendly, easy to talk to and pleasant to be around. For me, the draw for these forays is always the mushrooms. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the wide variety of different mushrooms in different parts of the world. As such, I went out on every opportunity there was to sign up. There were daily all day and four to six half day trips each day so there was ample opportunity to visit different habitats. It is always pleasing and somewhat surprising how many things I recognize. I typically recognize most things I see at least to genus. Even things that appear to be a species I recognize, I am unwilling to try to put a species name on them. I’ve been wrong too many times. Many familiar genera were found: Amanita, Russula, Lactarius, Hebaloma, Suillus, Hygrophorus, Albatrellus, Leccinum, many Cortinarius, etc. A total of just over 150 species were identified and vouchered. While the tables holding the finds from each foray were sagging under the numbers found, many were repeats. The most collected species for the trip was the familiar Amanita muscaria (variety flavivolvata). I had heard reports that a species I was looking forward to finding was abundant this year: the famed red-capped porcini of the Rockies, Boletus rubriceps . And yes it was. They were big, beautiful, bountiful and bug-free (for the most part). I estimate that I picked over 20 pounds. After the foray, I met my cousin who lives fairly close so I was able to donate them to his dwindling stash of dried boletes. I've been told that that species is the best tasting of all the different porcini species. After having them several different ways, I can report that I found them no better or no worse than our local king boletes. In other words, delicious! As the NAMA Trustee for the Central Pacific Region, liaison to NAMA for 12 local clubs, I attended the board meeting where the business of running a national organization was conducted. In many ways it is quite the same as what I've been part of for the FFSC for the past 35+ years. One decision made at that meeting is that the location for next year's foray will be in the Missouri hills. In addition to the numerous collecting trips at the foray, there is always a variety of excellent presentations available to attend every day. Every evening there are several talks given to the entire assembly of attendees. One of the more interesting ones I heard was a talk on burn morels. As someone who makes several trips every year to our burn sites in CA, I was curious to see what he had to say. Instead of just driving up to a burn area to scope it out, he presented ways of using current technology to do scouting from a distance. He used burn maps, topo maps to judge steepness and orientation (north-facing slopes versus south, etc.), aerial photography to judge canopy cover, rainfall maps to judge moisture content and timing, and other maps to judge access roads. This guy had it down to a science! He showed the anticipated pictures of mountains of morels and even one that he took of someone's haul that had been confiscated by the authorities for some reason. He ended the talk with the statement that he can't eat morels. That brought down the house. As I have had in the past, I had a great time, learned a few new species and renewed some friendships. I'm looking forward to Missouri. You should consider joining me!! If you're an FFSC member, you can get a club discount on your NAMA membership. Visit Other Mycological Clubs for details. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts My Adventures in Telluride Colorado Phil Carpenter receives Knighton Award at Appalachia NAMA 2023 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Henry Young FFSC Science Advisor, Foray & ID Specialist, Willamette Valley Mushroom Society Henry moved to Salem, Oregon in 2016 from Santa Cruz. He is active with the Willamette Valley Mushroom Society teaching a mushroom ID class for members and leading forays. Henry is an amateur mycologist who has collected and studied fungi for over 40 years. He started by taking identification classes with David Arora. He joined the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz in 1986 and has been a board member since 1987. Henry attended the San Francisco State University “Spring Fungi of the Sierra Nevada” course taught by Dr. Dennis Desjardin and several other workshops and classes dealing with various aspects of mycology. He has been a contributor to mushroom identification for the Willamette Valley, Santa Cruz and San Francisco Fungus Fairs. His name is on the NAMA call list to help identify mushrooms in poisoning cases. In between giving classes at the Fair, he works at the identification table helping to identify mushrooms. Besides a general interest in all types of fungi Henry has a particular interest in poisonous mushrooms, ascomycetes and lichens. Henry is also a member of the Cascade Mycological Society, BAMS and NAMA and has attended several national forays. Henry Young Upcoming Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets Mushroom Toxicology (Friday) Friday, January 11, 2013 4:45 PM - 5:45 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicology (Sunday) Sunday, January 13, 2013 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicology (Friday) Friday, January 10, 2014 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicology (Saturday) Saturday, January 11, 2014 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicity (Saturday) Friday, January 13, 2017 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicity (Sunday) Saturday, January 14, 2017 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicity (Friday) Friday, January 12, 2018 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicity (Saturday) Saturday, January 13, 2018 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM Room 1 A Survey of Poisonous Mushrooms Friday, January 10, 2020 4:45 PM - 5:45 PM Room 1 A Discussion of Poisonous Mushrooms Saturday, January 11, 2025 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Room 1 What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms We will explore the intersection of poisonous mushrooms and people who accidentally or purposefully eat them. Toxic fungi from the deadly to the lose… Show More Saturday, January 11, 2025 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Room 3 Poisonous Mushrooms Saturday, January 10, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 1 What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms Explore the intersection of poisonous mushrooms and people who accidentally or purposefully eat them. Toxic fungi from the deadly to the lose your lunch… Show More Sunday, January 11, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 3 Past Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms Explore the intersection of poisonous mushrooms and people who accidentally or purposefully eat them. Toxic fungi from the deadly to the lose your lunch bunch are covered, along with their impact on humans. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Sunday, January 11, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 3 Poisonous Mushrooms Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 10, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room 1 What You Need to Know About Poisonous Mushrooms We will explore the intersection of poisonous mushrooms and people who accidentally or purposefully eat them. Toxic fungi from the deadly to the lose your lunch bunch and their impact on humans will be covered. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 11, 2025 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Room 3 A Discussion of Poisonous Mushrooms Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 11, 2025 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Room 1 A Survey of Poisonous Mushrooms Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Friday, January 10, 2020 4:45 PM - 5:45 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicity (Saturday) Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 13, 2018 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicity (Friday) Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Friday, January 12, 2018 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicity (Sunday) Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 14, 2017 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicity (Saturday) Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Friday, January 13, 2017 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicology (Saturday) Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 11, 2014 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicology (Friday) Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Friday, January 10, 2014 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicology (Sunday) Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Sunday, January 13, 2013 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Room 1 Mushroom Toxicology (Friday) Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Friday, January 11, 2013 4:45 PM - 5:45 PM Room 1

Morel Corn Fritters These Thai-inspired fritters can be served warm or at room temperature, as an appetizer or side dish. by Deb Fried Morel Corn Fritters at Suds 'n' Shrooms. Photo by Katherine Elvin Method Sweet Chili Sauce You can buy sweet chili sauce at the market, or here's a suggestion if you want to make your own: In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and chili flakes. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and let it simmer for about 3–5 minutes, allowing the garlic to soften and the flavors to concentrate. Give your cornstarch slurry a quick stir to make sure the starch hasn't settled, then whisk it into the saucepan. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce becomes glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (another 1–2 minutes). Remove from heat and let it cool completely. (It will thicken up more as it cools down.) Make the Fritters In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar with a fork. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, garlic, fish sauce and curry paste until smooth. Whisk in flour mixture until no streaks of dry flour remain, and the batter has an even color and consistency. Stir in corn and morels and continue mixing until completely blended to a thick, smooth batter. (The amount of batter relative to solids may seem scant, but don’t worry.) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Cook until deep golden brown (about 2 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet chili sauce for dipping. Recipe contributed: May 2008 This dish goes fast, especially after a long day of hunting. I made these fritters at an FFSC Continental Picnic that we held at Bob and Judy Lipp's house. (It was a great gathering!) It seemed that everyone was thinking ahead to our Spring Foray, as morels were the predominant, but not the only, species served. This recipe is adapted from The Mauna Loa Cooking Treasury by Leslie Mansfield. That recipe has a more Hawaiian style and also includes macadamia nuts. Objective: Appetizer Total Time: 30 mins (est) Yield: 45 fritters 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 Fritters ¾ cup flour 1½ tsp baking powder 1½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp sugar 4 eggs, beaten 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 1½ Tbsp. fish sauce* 1½ Tbsp. red curry paste 2 Cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed 1 Cup chopped, sautéed morels** (fresh or dried and reconstituted) (Optional) 1 Cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts 1 ½ cup neutral, high heat stable oil (peanut, sunflower, canola) Sweet Chili Sauce (You can also just buy sweet chili sauce at the market, if you don't want to make your own.) ½ cup water ½ cup white granulated sugar ¼ cup rice vinegar (or white vinegar in a pinch) 1 Tbsp. soy sauce (or vegan fish sauce) 1 Tbsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. red chili flakes (use more if you like it more spicy) A slurr of 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp cold water * If vegetarian, you can substitute the same amount of light soy sauce or tamari, or vegan fish sauce. ** If you don't have morels, you could substitute hedgehog mushrooms, well-chopped porcini, or yellowfoot. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Echo Summit 2012 Foray Report Conditions were on the dry side, but we found mushrooms nonetheless! And, of course, had a great time. Bill White • October 1, 2012 Photo by Hugh Smith Photo by Hugh Smith Photo by Hugh Smith Thanks to Dawn Engel, Marje Young and the kitchen wizards for planning and cooking such delicious meals, all the volunteers who helped with food prep and lodge cleanup, Phyllis Cole for handling registration, Cassandra Fuentes for tracking species for the foray, and to Hugh Smith for documenting all the fun! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2013 Echo Summit Foray Recap Echo Summit 2015 Foray Report Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings The Season Begins A poem, while we all wait in anticipation of the first coastal rains that bring the autumn boletes and a wealth of fungal fruiting. Regardless of your preference for edibles and/or rich fungal diversity, it is difficult to ignore each passing day that brings us closer to local forays. Bill McGuire • September 1, 2010 Boletus edulis. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org The sounds and smells of fall in the air, fat pumpkins lying in the fields Wood smoke rising lazily, moon in apogee, full, the summer yields A quiet breeze rustles the leaves, leaving only a faint sound Like the flutter of the Fairies’ wings heard in ghostly flight The leaves winter colored, frost crisp’d, dry in their season of death Slowly twist, and then suddenly free, fall silently to the ground Warm mists of October, November rains, fairy rings up last night Baskets ready, anticipation, mushrooms thrusting, pounding hearts A good day, baskets full, shadows long, campfire blazing, happy sounds Of those dying leaves, give thanks, they have had their season in the sun Their short life has run, in their dying commences a new life, the fungal mycelium Mushrooms, in their turn, become the leaves; their life cycle then to be o’er As nature intended, their day in the rain has quickly run, ad infinitum Mushroom lovers: observe the leaves as they twist and turn and fall to mother earth Observe, prepare, it’s soon our turn, our day in the sun, and our season of rebirth —Bill McGuire 2010 Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Haikus Celebrating the Secret Life of Fungi Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings Editoricus Blatheronsus: Actual Start Date of the New Millennium? We have just entered the New Millennium as of January 1st, 2000 — that is, if you subscribe to the "Mathematician's Solution" method of counting the years. Larry Payne • January 1, 2000 Boletus edulis var. grandedulis. © Kuoni W. (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 255822920) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Editoricus Blatheronsus: What are Entheogenic Mushrooms Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article