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Sparassis americana (American cauliflower mushroom), Pisgah, North Carolina. Photo by Judy and Bobb Lipp Sparassis americana in North Carolina Judy Lipp Roaming the East Coast in our RV. Pretty dry out here until we went into the Pisgah National Forest near the North Carolina Arboretum. It's practically a rain forest there. Must have seen over 50 species without looking hard and literally thousands of mushrooms. It was hard to ever be out of sight of at least 5 species at a time. Fun to see so many different species that are different or uncommon to the West Coast. Used the Audubon Guide on my iPhone and kept popping up familiar names on the photos such as Debbie Viess and Noah Siegel. Thanks guys! (David Rust helped with the ID.) Learn about this mushroom: Cauliflower Tales , NAMA Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on August 15, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

To Brush or to Wash? Generally speaking, the best mushrooms are fresh mushrooms. Refrigerate as soon as you get home, and don’t wash until you’re ready to prepare or process them. by Sue Willis Brushing a mushroom Keep fresh mushrooms in the fridge in paper or waxed paper bags, never plastic, as they need to breathe. Plastic bags will yield mush rather than mushrooms. Objective: Storage/Prep Total Time: Varies Suggested Mushrooms: No mushrooms listed. Equipment and/or Ingredients May you be fortunate enough to find sufficient mushrooms for dinner and then some! (Found bucketloads while on a foray? See Collection Ethics and Etiquette .) Method Brushing: One school of thought is that one must never get mushrooms wet, as this will dilute their flavor. Advocates instead carefully trim and brush their fungi clean. This can be achieved with a pristine bolete, but you’ll be crunching on grit if you try it with a mud puppy chanterelle! Washing: Another perspective is that fungi absorb a negligible amount of water from washing, and that subsequent cooking will drive off the moisture along with that already present in the mushroom (they’re 90% water). Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking , a wonderful exploration of food chemistry and taste, did an experiment: He weighed 252 grams of fresh mushrooms, submerged them in water for 5 minutes, then removed them, blotted dry and weighed again. They then weighed 258 grams, 23 mushrooms having absorbed less than half a tablespoon among them. So he now rinses for 5 or 10 seconds with no compunctions. You can make up your own mind. Previous Technique All Techniques Next Technique

Crab and Parmesan Stuffed Morels There are so many ways to stuff morels! Here's an approach we enjoyed at one of our Wine & Mushroom dinners. by John Lang Morchella snyderi. © RHMorrison (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 359683855) Method Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice morels in half vertically, and clean out any grit inside. In a medium bowl, gently combine the precooked crab meat, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese to taste, being careful not to break up the crab lumps much. (Feel free to add lemon juice, chives, or seasonings.) Fill morel halves with the crab filling. Place the stuffed morels on a rimmed baking sheet, then bake at 375°F for about 12 to 15 minutes. The morels should be fully tender, piping hot all the way through, and the filling should be lightly browned on top. Let cool for a minute, and serve. Editor's Note : Alternatively, you can try steaming the morels before stuffing them, and then baking them after stuffed. Just ensure the morels are fully cooked before serving them. Recipe contributed: March 1995 Objective: Appetizer Total Time: About 30 mins Yield: 12 stuffed morels 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 12 large fresh morels (or 12 dried morels, reconstituted and patted dry) 8 oz (1 cup) precooked lump crab meat (picked over for shell fragments) 3 to 4 Tbsp. mayonnaise (to bind the crab) 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese (plus a little extra) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Sand Rock Farm Fungi Dinner was Exquisite! Our first Fungi Dinner of the season was on November 1 at Lynn Sheehan's Sand Rock Farm Bed & Breakfast . The dinner was exquisite. The company was superb. Rene Seltzer • December 1, 2001 Western Bellybutton Hedgehog (Hydnum oregonense). © Peter Vahlberg (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, ID 339838251) I absolutely love the ambiance, the fireplace, overstuffed chairs, long dining room table, the right background music. Oh, and did I mention the wines brought by Jerold O'Brien and David Bruce and the Riesling from Lynn's cellar. We started with the Silver Mountain 1998 Chardonnay; next a 1998 Vin D'Alsace Riesling Domaine Zind-Humbrecht; then my favorite of the evening a 1969 Domaine Docteur Marion Chambertin Clos de Beze; a 1972 Clos De La Roche Domaine Ponsot and finishing with a 1998 Pinot Noir David Bruce Russian River Valley. Thanks for the members and non-members who participated in the kick-off dinner of 2001-2002. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Collection Ethics and Etiquette We share these pointers to promote fungal fruiting and maintain harmony in the mushrooming community. Agaricus campestris. Photo by D. DeShazer Respect private property: One person can cause collecting privileges for the entire mushrooming community to be revoked. Don’t pick every mushroom you see: Leaving very young and very old mushrooms, along with a few in their prime may allow them to sporulate and reproduce. Don’t leave trimmings and broken mushrooms around: Bury your trimmings in the depression in the duff and cover with more duff. This keeps the mycelium healthy, prevents that “ravaged” look and vastly improves the aesthetics of a walk in the woods. (Cutting mushrooms and leaving the bottom exposed does not help the mycelia to regrow a mushroom as some people think.) You’ll know you’ve done a good job when you stumble across the area again and hunt it twice! Respect personal space: When collecting with a group, be respectful of your neighbors’ personal space. That said, if you found a huge bonanza, share a few of your findings with those less skilled or fortunate. It will come back to you! Review event policies: Each FFSC event includes a few policies for the safety and well-being of all participants, cancellation policies, and/or policies defined by the facilities we use. Be sure to read the policies carefully before registering and before attending each event. For long-distance forays, please also read Must Know to Participate in Long-Distance Forays . Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Aureoboletus (Boletus) mirabilis, Puget Sound. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Aureoboletus mirabilis Yevgeny Nyden Aureoboletus (Boletus) mirabilis , commonly known as the admirable bolete, the bragger's bolete, and the velvet top, is an edible species of fungus in the Boletaceae mushroom family. ( Wikipedia ) I took this photo in the Olympic National Park, Washington when I was visiting the Puget Sound Wild Mushroom Show. Camera Samsung SGH-M919 Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/2.2 Shutter Sp. 1/700s ISO 1000 Flash Off Photo taken on October 13, 2013 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Purple Mycena at FFSC's Santa Cruz Mycoflora Foray (2018). Photo by Michelle Torres-Grant Purple Mycena Michelle Torres-Grant Michelle C. Torres-Grant took this picture attending our 2018 Santa Cruz Mycoflora Foray. We had some rain so we were focused on the small and tiny. Glad we did. Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on December 15, 2018 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Species List for February 2000 Local Foray We recorded 29 species during this local foray. Ken Sommers • May 1, 2000 Omphalotus olivascens. © Emma (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 196145770) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Oyster Mushrooms, Red D'Anjou Pears, Fig Balsamic Vinegar on Toasted Brioche This delightful dish was prepared for us by Jeff Kramer at a 2003 Fungus Fair Culinary Demonstration. by Marje Young Pleurotus ostreatus. © Debbie Viess (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Brioche Slice the brioche into 1⁄4 inch thick sections, then take a round cookie cutter (about the size of a silver dollar) and cut about forty rounds (or however many you would prefer). In a sauté pan heat the oil slowly, add the cut round brioche slices and toast them lightly golden brown. Place them on paper towels to absorb the oils and keep them in a warm place, covered. Oyster Mushrooms In a large sauté pan, slowly sauté the oyster mushrooms with butter until the mushrooms have caramelized. Add the pears, cook for a few minutes and then deglaze the pan with the fig balsamic vinegar. Reduce until almost thick then add some more butter to finish the sauce. Add chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Assembly On top of each toasted brioche round, place a small amount of the carmelized oyster mushrooms and slice of pear with some of the sauce. Arrange around a platter and serve! Recipe contributed: March 2003 This recipe will serve up to 10 people as a first course, or more if served as an hors’ d'oeuvre. Objective: Side or first course Total Time: About an hour Yield: 10 or more Suggested Mushrooms: Oyster / king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus) 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 loaf brioche or other good-quality white bread olive oil 1 to 2 lbs oyster mushrooms 1⁄2 C fig balsamic vinegar 1or 2 red D’Anjou pears 1⁄2 lb butter 1 bunch parsley salt & pepper to taste Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Mycophagy Challenge: Ten Edibles to Find this Year People come to the love of mushrooms for various reasons, but for most in this club, the main reason seems to be that they are good to eat! By focusing on learning just a few mushrooms really well, you can “pick up” a few new species each year almost effortlessly. by Douglas Smith Mushroom collecting basket. Photo by Susan Labiste Visit our free Online Learning section to start this challenge: FFSC Online Learning Mushrooms covered: Agaricus campestris (lawn mushroom, meadow mushroom, field mushroom) Boletus aereus (queen bolete) Boletus edulis (porcini, penny bun, king bolete, cèpe) Cantharellus californicus (California golden chanterelle, mud puppy, oak chanterelle) Cantharellus cibarius (golden chanterelle) Cantharellus formosus (golden chanterelle) Cantharellus sp. (chanterelle) Cantharellus subalbidus (white chanterelle) Coprinus comatus Craterellus calicornucopioides (black trumpet, black chanterelle, horn of plenty) Hydnum repandum (hedgehog) Hydnum umbilicatum (depressed hedgehog) Lactarius rubidus (candy cap) Morchella elata (black morel) Morchella esculenta (yellow morel) Morchella sp. ( morel) Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster) Tricholoma magnivelare (American matsutake, white matsutake) Previous Description All Featured Fungi Next Description

News & Stories / Elections 2013: Wednesday May 15th Cast your vote and celebrate with a sparkling wine toast! Isn’t democracy great? In fact, if you’re mulling over taking on a position but are still undecided, a glass to help you decide can be arranged before voting... Phil Carpenter • May 1, 2013 General Meeting The FFSC Bylaws call for election of Club Ministers (Officers) every two years. We are now at the end of the current two year term and re-election of Ministers will be conducted at our last regular meeting of this mushroom season in May. Our bylaws also call for a slate of Ministers nominated for the next season to be announced in the April and May issues of the DUFF . At the April general meeting, the Ministers nominated were announced and additional nominations from the floor were taken. The slate to date is printed below. Duties of the various Ministers can be seen in the bylaws. This notice is a call for nominations for the elected Minister positions. If you are interested in doing some interesting and rewarding work, please notify me regarding the position you are interested in. While some Ministers have graciously consented to continue their positions for another two years, all positions noted below are open for nomination (volunteering) and election. We would welcome the chance to have two people vying for a position! As someone who has been a Minister for most of the 25+ years that the FFSC has been around, I can attest that it is a lot of fun (the monthly Minister’s meetings alone are worth it!) and a great group of which to be a part. Consider joining us! Phil Carpenter Prime Minister Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts FFSC Minister Elections 2013 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Notes from the CEO — April 2001 Greetings to all, Spring is drawing close and we're all looking forward to morel season, including the Spring Foray and whatever surprises Horst and Bill may cook up for us! Deb • April 1, 2001 Tubaria furfuracea sp. 'IN01' © Lisa Tesler (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 341689933) The Beginner-Intermediate ID class is drawing to a close, and sincere thanks go out to Bill Maxfield, class coordinator, and his partners (in slime?) Henry Young and Phil Carpenter for their efforts. "Really outstanding" were the words one member used to describe the class. Plan to attend when classes resume in October! The Wine & Mushroom Gala in March was a huge success. I wasn't alone in regarding it as the best ever; the sentiment was unanimous! Nine wineries poured, FFSC members brought a great variety of exquisite food, and the room literally sparkled, thanks to the Culinary Committee's crack decorating team. Culinary Minister Rene Seltzer's boundless energy brought the whole event together, with a fantastic team effort on the part of the committee. Thanks to all of you! May will bring our biennial elections for officers of the Board of Directors, or Ministers, as we prefer to call ourselves. As noted in our bylaws, printed herein, officers are divided into two groups, elected and appointed . Terms run for two years, with job descriptions given in the bylaws . The slate of officers are proposed by the Nominating Committee. Additional nominations will be taken from the floor at the April General Meeting. Voting on the slate of officers will take place at the May General Meeting for elected positions. Appointed ministers will be designated to fill positions by the Ministry. I encourage everyone to take a look at the position descriptions to see if there is a job you'd like to take on or provide assistance for. Taking part in the operation of the club is really a lot of fun. It's an opportunity to get to know a great group of people, take part in planning events you'd like to see happen, and a guaranteed good dinner once a month at the Ministers Meetings! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or ideas. We welcome your input and ideas. To quote Phil Carpenter (former President for Life), "It would really be interesting to have more than one candidate for an office!" See you at the meeting! Debbie Johnson, CEO Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Notes from the CEO — March 2001 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article