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News & Stories / NAMA Foray Report: McCall, Idaho David and I, and a bunch of other fungally inclined folks, just returned from the NAMA 2008 McCall foray, and what a fine time we had. The rather dry mountain terrain much like our Sierra, in fact) was well wetted by recent rains, and by the end of our time there, the ground was producing scads of glorious fungi. Debbie Viess • December 1, 2008 Dr. Rod Tulloss. Photo by Debbie Viess Before the masses discovered the mycological motherlodes, plenty of fungi could be had by hunting various wet zones...along lakes or stream-courses, and in moss-laden seeps. The non-fungal wildlife was abundant, too, with ospreys and eagles, blue grouse and spectacular mountain woodpeckers overhead, and moose, elk, bears, cougar and even wolves skulking the woods. I didn't see very many of those splendid denizens of Idaho, but I am sure that some of them saw me! The human element was no less spectacular, with a great variety of friends and acquaintences and myco-luminaries present from across our great country. Rod Tulloss, master of amanitas, drove to McCall from New Jersey after a brief, unexpected stop in Salt Lake City. I think that I speak for everyone when I say that we were beyond delighted to see him appear, and even more delighted to get his scholarly opinions on our amanita collections! Dr. Cathy Cripps was our Chief Mycologist, and presided over the taxonomy lab for the duration of our stay. A fine contingent of mycologists from the PNW collaborated on IDs and lectured to the masses, including Michael Beug, Steve Trudell, Judy Roger and Patrice Benson. Contributing members from the Great Plains states included Steve Miller, the University of Wyoming "Russula Guy", and Larry Evans from Montana. Suillus ( Fuscoboletinus ) ochraceoroseus . Photo by Debbie Viess We were, as always, delighted to see Tom Volk, who educated, entertained and regaled us. Vera Evenson, talented CO mycologist, was also a constant presence in the taxonomy lab, and was the proud and genuinely surprised recipient of the 2008 NAMA Knighton award for devoted and exemplary service to NAMA in particular, and to amateur mycology in general. Pennsylvania mushrooms were well represented by the Plischkes both Sr. and Jr., and Carlene Skeffington was a great example of North Eastern mycology at its finest. Many, many others contributed in myriad ways. Larry Stickney at NAMA Foray. Photo by Hugh Smith The California contingent was its usual enthusiastic self, comprised of BAMS members Hugh and Sandi Smith, Dimi and Alex Bojantchev, BAMS/FFSC friends Henry and Marje Young, David and I, and Ron Pastorino and Tom Sasaki from across the Bay. And of course, the inimitable elder fungal statesman Larry Stickney, who was always cheerful, as well as mindful of the decades of NAMA history that he has lived through. A number of our fine California photographers were represented in the NAMA photo contest: the perennial Ron Pastorino, Hugh Smith and even myself were photo prizewinners. Although my new buddy from North Carolina Todd Elliot, aka the "Cordyceps Kid" was unable to attend, I was pleased to see several of his entries in the photo contest. And there were several entries by the talented David Work, a photogra-pher with both a good eye and the ability to capture what he sees. Michael Beug also had many fine, prizewinning photographic entries, and produced a nice Saturday night "Mushrooms of Idaho" program for both NAMA members and paying members of the local McCall community. The very fine, fine artist Paula Fong displayed and sold her artwork to the myco-masses. I spied Tom Volk purchasing some of her morel prints (go figure!), and I became the proud owner of a gorgeous print of her spectacular "candy stick" painting (indicator species and obligate achlorophyllus parasite on matsutake mycelia). Maggie Rogers brought with her a veritable library of mushroom and mycology books, all for sale to the highest bidder, and I managed to increase the weight of my already bulging suitcases with a number of fine and bargain purchases, the proceeds of which benefited NAMA. SIMA, the local Southern Idaho mushroom club, worked hard to put together a broad spectrum of talks and field excursions, and our meals, such as they were, were produced on site by the Pinewood Camp Baptist Church; hope the food's better in the afterlife, folks! But maybe I've just lived too long in my little slice of California gourmet ghetto.... The weather in the McCall mountains, elevation 5,000' and up, was delightfully cool and sunny. The forests where we hunted were mostly comprised of conifers: spruce and fir, hem-lock and larch, and a smattering of pine. Our tree ID was helped along by a little booklet produced by the Idaho Forestry Service. There was some old growth, too, although I never got into any ancient forest myself. But there was not much in the way of hardwoods, despite a few pockets of aspen. And of course, as promised, there were plenty of hot springs. While David sweated in an all-day NAMA meeting, Marje and Henry and I happily sweated in the delightful Gold Forks hot spring, followed by a quick jaunt up a streamside mountain road, where my first mushroom of the foray was a gi-normous Boletus edulis just off the road, itscap at least 18 inches broad, adjacent to a cozy cluster of three more big boletus. Many other curious mushrooms followed. Amanitas in the field primarily consisted of muscaria var. alba (the white-phase muscaria) and something that Rod is calling Amanita ameri-muscaria, which differs in significant ways from the European muscaria, as shown by DNA analysis. This beastie had an orangish cap, and a rather odd universal veil, similar in some ways to aprica; Micheal Beug and I were arguing over this very ID when Dr. Tulloss drove up, to have the ultimate final word. Talk about good timing! Hypholoma capnoides . Photo by Debbie Viess Collaborative IDs were the rule, and the lab was abuzz with congenial and happy mycologists, from seasoned pros to talented amateurs and several formal students of mycology. I was amazed by the broad spectrum of colors represented by the species complex Russula xerampelina , all tied together by that distinctive odor of shellfish. We had at least forty species of lichen IDed to species by Dr. Roger Rosentreter, a former student of Orson Miller, who was a decades long, local lichenologist, and plenty of polypores too, brought to life by Tom Volk and another gal polypore expert, Jessie Glaeser. I was delighted to renew my acquaintence with Walt and Fran Sundberg, who happily attended and contributed to both the NAMA 2008 foray and the Highlands NC mushroom class we all enjoyed in July. And of course, Hope Miller was a constant presence, our mycological godmother as it were, as she shared and smiled and remembered in a place that she and Orson loved so well. Great mushrooms, great people, great times. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts FFSC Members receive NAMA Awards and Honors in 2009 NAMA Foray Kudos Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Vendor Areas Tasty food, beautiful artwork, mushroom-dyed silks, jewelry and more can be found throughout the venue on Saturday and Sunday. Food and Mushroom Vendors Fantastic Flavors for Foodies Have you ever smelled candy cap mushrooms ( Lactarius rubidus )? When dried, candy caps smell like maple syrup, butterscotch, fenugreek or burnt sugar! A compound called "Soloton" is responsible for the aroma in these foods. Fungiphiles use candy caps to flavor chocolate, pastries, ice cream and more! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotolon And freshly picked Matsutake ( Tricholoma murrillianum ) smells like cinnamon to some people, and the taste of cooked matsutake is often described as earthy and spicy, nutty and sweet with an aroma of pine and cedar. Another popular edible mushroom is our state mushroom, the California golden chanterelle ( Cantharellus californicus ). When cooked, people think it tastes fruity, like apricots or peaches, with a hint of pepper. Learn all kinds of interesting information about edible mushrooms at the Fungus Fair while you sample a variety of wild mushroom delicacies for sale by vendors at the Fair, and/or purchase mushrooms to try at home. Some of the vendors below include recipes on their websites, and you can also explore FFSC's Mushroom Recipes . For 2026, the Fair's food vendors include: Indoors King of Mushrooms , Todd Spanier Outdoors Far West Fungi Penny Ice Creamery Benni Pops (Santa Cruz Fungi) Fox Tale Fermentation Sea Soil Sky Shared Cultures , @sharedcultures Living Swell Kombucha Modern Forager Geo Forager FUNGI Magazine , Britt Bunyard Be sure to also check out the menu for our annual After Hours Dinner, presented by Chef Chad Hyatt. (A separate ticket is required.) Clothing, Craft and Services Vendors 301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Take home beautiful prints, ceramics, blown glass, and/or clothing that features your favorite mushrooms. Enrich your mind and spirit with related onsite services. For 2026, the Fair's craft and service vendors include: Outdoors Lovage Somantics Mushrooms in Bloom , Sara Stinson (@mushroomsinbloom) Fossil Forager (@fossil.forager) NorCal Forager Indoors Light Energy Glass, Jeff Hinkle MacLean Custom Screen Printing , Robin MacLean Forage and Dye The Local Naturalist , Andrea Dingedein (@the_local_naturalist) J Calcagno Pottery , Jeannine Calcagno Mayumix Botanical Design , Mayumi Fujio Ancient Hands Tile, Steve Baranoski The Deep Read , Laura Martin, UCSC Humanities Institute Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz The 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair T-shirt will be available for sale at the FFSC Store. This year's shirt features a glow-in-the-dark version of the 2026 Fair logo! Books, Stickers and More Get great prices on useful field guides and more at the FFSC Store. FFSC also sells posters, stickers, books and other mushroom-related items at the Fair for fundraising and to promote interest in mushrooms. The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History will also be on hand with fascinating educational items for sale. Interested in Becoming a Fungus Fair Vendor? We usually finalize the list of vendors 3 or 4 months before the fair (by early October). If you sell mushroom-related items and you'd like to be considered for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, please use the Contact FFSC form and select "Fungus Fair Vendor" as the topic. (We appreciate vendors whose wares include or depict a wide variety of mushroom species.) Let us know why you think you'd be a great fit!

Golden Pholiota (Lassen 2014). Photo by Steve Olson Golden Pholiota Steve Olson Steve Olson, the photographer says: "I found 2 separate fruitings of this "unknown to me" variety. I feel like I should know what this is but can't come up with it. I'll be bummed if it happens to be a tasty edible!" Phil says, "It's a Pholiota , in the aurivella group." Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora says that as far as eating goes, it is to be avoided. Camera Olympus C-4000Z Focal L. 7mm Aperture f/2.8 Shutter Sp. 1/100s ISO 100 Flash Off Photo taken on September 19, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Early Fruitings that Don't Require Rain It's odd to be writing about the mushroom season in August, when the prospect of rain is months away. Still, there are those early fruitings that do not require rain. Henry Young • September 1, 2002 Agaricus augustus. © Karen Offerein (CC-BY) (from inaturalist.org, ID 345223859) Agaricus augustus , the Prince, fruits in the summer and early fall. A. augustus is related to the common button (and cremini and porcini) mushroom, Agaricus bisporus , found at the market, but with a sweeter almond/anise aroma and taste. This usually is a large mushroom, reaching dinner plate size. The cap is a light tan overlaid with darker fibrils. The flesh of the cap stains a deep yellow when bruised and smells of almond/anise. The gills are pallid when young turning through pink to chocolate brown in age. The stem is about as long as the cap is broad, with a skirt-like annulus. The surface of the stem below the annulus is shaggy. Two other mushrooms which can often be found around this time are Laetiporous gilbertsonii (Sulphur Shelf) and Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom). Check out some of our other pages for more info about these mushrooms: What is Not to Love About The Prince? (Agaricus augustus) Four Dry Season Mushrooms To hone up on your ID skills, join our ID classes or drop in at our monthly meetings from September through May. Bring in any mushrooms (the whole mushroom) that you find, in paper or wax bags. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Don't Forget Mushrooms Just Because It’s Summer! Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

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 / Fair News Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo Design Contest 2027 Thanks to all who entered the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo design contest. We have contacted all artists with the status of their entries. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee • July 7, 2026 Showcase your design on T-shirts, posters and more UPDATED SEPTEMBER 19, 2026: Everyone who submitted an entry has been emailed about the status of their entries. (If you submitted a concept and you haven't heard from us, please check your email spam/junk folder, or use the Contact Us form to reach out.) Thank you to everyone who responded with your beautiful designs! The winning artwork will be used as the basis for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo. You'll have a chance to see the new logo when we begin offering tickets to the 2027 Fair! Please submit your logo design(s) via the method described below by 10pm PT on Monday, August 31, 2026 . Grand Prize The winning artist will receive: $500 in cash Two (2) General Admission tickets to the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair (valued at $15 each) One (1) 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair T-shirt (valued at $30-35) One (1) set of 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair giveaways (poster, etc.) Artist name credited with the artwork on all official 2027 Fair materials that use the logo Finalists Exhibit Photographs or reprints of the winning artwork and up to 10 of the finalist entries for this logo contest will be displayed at the London Nelson Community Center during the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair in January. Each displayed image will be accompanied by the artist's name, URL or contact info, and a brief description. Images of the exhibited entries will also be posted on the FFSC website, and may appear on social media. Contest Rules Eligibility Anyone in the United States can submit an entry. Each individual can submit up to 5 entries. Submit the entry by using the form linked at the bottom of this page. (Submissions sent via email, Facebook messaging, etc. are not eligible.) The finalists and winning design will be reviewed and selected by representatives from the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair organizing committee. Members of the selection committee are not eligible for the grand prize. The deadline to submit entries is August 31, 2026 at 10pm PT . Logo Design Guidelines Your original work only. Please don't violate any copyrights. Special consideration will be given to designs that incorporate these concepts: Distinctly recognizable, real mushroom species known to occur in California The 2027 Fair theme: "Entangled Beauty: The Art & Science of Fungi" Suitability for an all-ages T-shirt Special consideration will also be given to designs which are accompanied by: Suggestions for background colors to use for the T-shirt and poster Suggestions for where to place "Santa Cruz Fungus Fair" and the year (2027) Suggestions for typefaces to use on the T-shirt and poster. Note : If you choose to include text within the artwork, any fonts used must be free for commercial use. Poster Sample (Optional) If you choose to provide a suggested poster layout(s) featuring your logo placement, it will be easier for us to visualize if you include the following types of content on the poster: Event Name : Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Year : 2027 Theme : "Entangled Beauty: The Art & Science of Fungi" Fair Logo : (Your logo design) Dates : January 8-11, 2027 Activities : Wild Mushroom Exhibits, Expert Speakers, Tasty Food, Crafts and Fun for All Ages (feel free to suggest wording adjustments which cover the same activities) Pricing : Adult Admission $10-$15/day Kids under 12 FREE Headliner Talks +$5 each Skip the line, get tickets now and reserve talks in advance Presented by : (Allow space for 2 or 3 logos) Tickets: "Tickets and more information at ffsc.us" (please leave space for a square QR code, which we will insert) Location: London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center Street, Santa Cruz We encourage you to view examples of our past Fungus Fair logos for inspiration. Technical Guidelines Initially, we only need a PDF or screenshot of your artwork for consideration. If your entry is shortlisted as a finalist, we will need your original artwork file. We strongly recommend that you design your contest entry to be print-ready or easily adapted to the following requirements for the final logo: Colors: Max colors within the art file for printing: 7 colors You can suggest a specific T-shirt color as an 8th color If possible, please separate the colors into their own layers within your artwork file, as this is required for T-shirt printing. Artwork / digital canvas size: Printable with high quality at 9-11"w x 9-11" tall File type: Vector art (Adobe Illustrator (.ai), or a .pdf containing vector art is strongly preferred. Adobe Photoshop (.psd) or .png that contains high resolution vectorized art will be considered. If you provide rasterized art, please prepare it for printing at 300 dpi. File name: Include your name and the artwork title in the filename. Logo Design Usage The winning entry will be used for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo. The 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair committee may, at their discretion, alter the graphic elements, font or verbiage from the winning entry while creating the final 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo and merchandise. The winning entry and final logo will become the property of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz for exclusive commercial use in marketing and merchandising for the 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair, and in any other way the organization sees fit in alignment with FFSC's mission . The Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz reserves the right to reproduce the artwork and logo indefinitely. The 2027 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair logo will be displayed at the 2027 Fungus Fair, and will appear on the 2027 Fungus Fair T-shirt, as well as on posters and other materials which will be displayed in the Santa Cruz, California region before and potentially after the event. The logo may be also used in marketing by Fungus Fair vendors, sponsors and speakers, as well as in social media which could be seen worldwide. Submit Your Entry Due to the number of submissions we receive, we are using a Google Form to collect and keep track of all entries for this contest. (We cannot accept submissions via email or other channels.) Submissions are Closed We look forward to seeing your ideas! Past Examples of Fungus Fair Logos Check out our Fungus Fair Posters page for examples of past logos. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Logo Design Contest 2026 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair: Our Mission in Action Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Scarlet Waxy Cap. Photo by Jim Kern Scarlet Waxy Cap James Kern Scarlet waxy cap in Mesick, Michigan. Photo taken August 18, 2017 by James Kern. Read upon Waxy Caps in our Featured Fungi: Hygrocybe laetissima (Waxy Caps) Camera Nikon D600 Focal L. 60mm Aperture f/3.5 Shutter Sp. 1/800s ISO 200 Flash Off Photo taken on August 19, 2017 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Curried Green Beans with Sulphur Shelf Enjoy this tasty treatment for sulphur shelf mushrooms in coconut curry. by John Brown Laetiporus time lapse Day 11. Photo by Phil Carpenter Method Melt a little fat in a heavy frying pan and thoroughly cook the mushrooms. If you are lucky, the'll sauté up orange, looking kind of like pieces of salmon. These need to be cooked for quite a while. Some people are allergic** to it when insufficiently cooked. In the meantime, break green beans into another pot. Add potatoes and 1 1/2 cans of chicken broth. Save the other half can to add as needed. Cover an cook until veggies are tender. Add 1 Tbs curry powder, about 1/4 can coconut milk (to taste) and the sautéd mushrooms. Serve! * "Deep" brand, my favorite, is available in some Indian food stores. ** Exercise caution. Some people are allergic to certain varieties of sulphur shelf. If the sulphur shelf you found is new to you, try only a little bit. If you're serving this dish to others, make sure they are aware of which variety you're using, and that they understand the risks if they've never had it before. Recipe contributed: October 2006 The West Coast has two varieties of sulphur shelf: One is associated with hardwoods such as eucalyptus and oak ( Laetiporus gilbertsonii ). The eucalyptus variety is said to cause stomach upset for some people; and some have trouble with the oak variety. The other ( L. conifericola ) associates with conifers. Note: Traditional Chicken of the Woods ( Laetiporus sulphureus ) isn't found in California. Objective: Main course Total Time: "Quite a while" Yield: TBD Suggested Mushrooms: Sulphur Shelf (Laetiporus cincinnatus, Laetiporus gilbertsonii, Laetiporus sulphureus) 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 Tbs curry powder * 2 c chicken of the woods ** (just the tender tips, in 3/4 to 1" pieces 2-14oz cans of chicken broth small red potatoes, diced (as many as you like to compliment the green beans) 1 lb fresh green beans 1 can coconut milk Fat of your choice. Coconut oil would be good. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Members Holiday Potluck A Festive Gathering for Members and Their Guests Spend a delicious evening in the company of the great cooks of the FFSC at our annual members' Holiday Potluck! We’re excited to invite all Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz members and their guests to our Annual Holiday Potluck—a cherished tradition that brings together our community, celebrates mushrooms, and embraces the spirit of the season! FFSC members can login for details about the date, time and location of the 2025 potluck, what to bring and more below. (This event replaces December's member meeting and guest speaker.) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / Field Reports Another 2007 NAMA Foray Perspective Extreme heat and a lack of rain for the previous couple of weeks made conditions on the ground quite challenging for hopeful finders of fungi. Debbie Viess • September 1, 2007 Cantharellus lateritius. Photo by Debbie Viess Our host and travel guide, Coleman McCleneghan, took me on a few pre-NAMA forays in Virginia, where conditions were much improved. My very first walk ever along the Appalachian Trail, at the foot of Mt. Rogers, Virginia, was delimited by a huge, local species of lepidella: Amanita rhopalopus (rope-uh-low- pus). This monstrous, off-white, deeply rooting amanita was the most abundant fleshy fungus collected; they covered most of a specimen table in great stinking piles. Amanita jacksonii . Photo by Debbie Viess Better even than fat, stinky lepidellas were the big and beautiful fruitings of Amanita jacksonii , or the American Caesar's mushroom. Coleman and I found a fairy ring of these edible amanitas along the Appalachian Trail. They were cloaked in gorgeous shades of bright orange, in a moist, verdant and delightfully unfamiliar woodland, alive with tulip poplars and green-barked birch, rhodies and oaks. Drawing the eye away from the spectacular amanitas were colorful boletes, with unfamiliar genera names like Gyroporus , and Pulveroboletus , tucked amongst the many shades of forest green and brown. Patches of Indian Pipe, the ghostly white and transparently delicate, myco-het-erotrophs, obtaining both their carbon and mineral nutrients from ectomycorrhizal fungi, created more pockets of magic on the Southern forest floor. Farther along the deeply worn and root-crossed Appalachian Trail, I spotted a perfect, shiny-capped, cream-colored, pink-topped Amanita . Its membranous partial veil, bulbous base and sac-like volva proclaimed it a member of section phalloides , but no one had a clue as to its identity. Deadly or not, it was captivatingly beautiful. But a gal can't live on toxic mushrooms alone. There were plenty of varieties of edible chanterelles brought to the specimen tables: Cantharellus cibarius , C. minor , C. appalachiensis , C. lignicolor , C. lateritius , and the Eastern black chanterelle, Craterellus fallax . The bad news was two-fold... the fairly substantial " cibarius " that I collected near Coleman's cabin was too worm-ridden to eat, and most of the rest of the chanterelles, although handsome and no doubt tasty, were too tiny to matter! Be very, very thankful for our Left Coast fungi! Other examples of fine and locally popular edi-bles were two similar species of Lactarius : corrugis and volemis . Both bleed copious white latex, but corrugis has a browner cap, and volemus a more orange one. I tried this mushroom two years ago at the Pennsylvania NEMF foray, and it was excellent! There were a number of standout boletales. Coleman couldn't wait to have me slice into a pale and nondescript Gyroporus cyanescens in the field; the context instantly turned ink blue, and the entire mushroom turned blue-green within a few hours. Buttons of bright yellow Pulveroboletus ravenelii , with their flocculent partial veils, were very distinctive. The brilliantly red-capped Boletus frostii was also a stunner, although age and drying destroyed the deep and lovely reticulations on its stipe. Although common to our area as well, I was speechless to find myself amidst a fruiting of black earth tongues, Trichoglossum hirsutum , and delighted to find the rarely seen blue-green fruit-bodies of the common Chlorosplenium ( Chlorociboria ) aeruginascens , whose mycelia also stains its woody substrate a beautiful blue-green. I couldn't believe my eyes when I came across a log covered in the lovely and amusing orange eyelash fungus, Scutellinia scutellata . All of these fun bicoastal fungi traveled back home with us, along with a couple of exclusively Eastern oddities: the carrot-colored Calostoma cinnabarina , a gelatinous stalked puffball, and Xylaria polymorpha , the charmingly named "dead man's fingers.” Several fine fruitings of the Eastern Jack 'O Lantern mushroom, Omphalotus illudens , were collected, providing glow-in-the-dark room fun for the masses. A cluster of the unfamiliar to me Armillaria tabescens , a small species of honey mushroom, was also brought in, dashboard-dried, and flown back West. The uncommon saprobe/possibly mycorrhizal Limacella illinata var. illinata was collected with some difficulty and brought in to the specimen tables; it's hard to pick a mushroom whose genus name means slime! Hypomyces luteovirens on Russula . Photo by Debbie Viess Although few of the insect-eating Cordyceps species were collected, we did have a nice showing of parasitic Hypomyces , from the crisp and delicious, pimply, brilliant-orange lobster mush-room, H ypomyces lactifluorum , to the captivatingly colored, electric yellow-green H. luteovirens , both parasitic on Russula species. I was surprised to hear that H. luteovirens actually occurs in northern California. Also spot-ted was the transformer of Amanitas to lumpen phalli of the forests, H. hyalinus . I was thrilled to see many exclu-sively Eastern species of Amanitas . Section lepidella was well represented by A. rhopalopus , daucipes , longipes , cokeri and the charming black and white onusta . Many grisettes and several other members of section vaginatae were also collected: fulva , ceciliae , jacksonii , banningiana , and the unnamed grisette pseudoprotecta . Section amanita was represented by A. pantherina var. multisquammosa , A. farinosa and A. frostiana . Section validae sported the common A. brunnescens in brown and white forms, a few A. rubescens (not the same "blusher" as our novinupta in the West), A. volvata elongata , A. pseudovolvata and the colorful A. flavoconia . The deadly Amanita bisporigera was the dominant member of section phalloidae . Phew! That's quite a list, but only a fraction of what could've been found. Luckily for me, amanitas still fruit in dry conditions. Debbie Viess Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 2007 NAMA Annual Foray Report NAMA Foray Report: McCall, Idaho Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Potato and Chanterelle Soup This is a rustic soup featuring chunks of tender potatoes and chanterelles in a savory vegetarian broth. by John Brown Cantharellus formosus. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Method In soup pot, sauté chanterelles in 2–3 Tbsp. ghee or butter until liquid evaporates and edges turn lightly golden brown. Remove and reserve mushrooms for later use. In the same pot, brown onions in 3–4 Tbsp. ghee or butter over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until the edges caramelize (8 to 12 minutes). Add broth, herbs and potatoes, and cook until potatoes are tender (15 to 20 minutes). Add the sautéed mushrooms to the pot, add the Marsala, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Adjust seasoning as desired.) When reheating leftovers, refresh the Marsala as needed, to taste. For a thicker soup, you could use 4 or 5 cups of broth instead of 6; and mash a few of the potato cubes in the pot near the end of cooking. Recipe contributed: April 2009 Overcooked chanterelles taste remarkably like canned mushrooms. For this reason, the mushrooms are cooked separately and added last. This, of course, suggests that the soup might be made with canned mushrooms. Curious, I have also tried substituting 4 oz. drained canned mushrooms for a cup of raw chanterelles. I like the chanterelles better, but the soup with canned mushrooms was still delicious. You can, of course, spend a great deal of money buying your Marsala. I didn’t. I like the less costly brands better; their flavor is more pronounced. Both Gibson (Smart & Final) and Gambarelli & Davitto (Safeway) are less than $5 bucks a bottle, and are great for this soup. Of the wine, my encyclopedia said only that it was named after the Sicilian seaport. Historically, the seaport fares better. It was the site of ancient Lilybaeum, a Carthaginian fortress city, yielded to Rome at the end of the 1st Punic War, 241 B.C. Objective: Soup Total Time: 30-45 minutes Yield: 4 bowls 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 3 cups chanterelles (or a combination of mushrooms), chopped 1½ cup chopped onion 6 cups broth 3 Tbl. Marsala wine 1½ tsp. fines herbes or ¾ tsp. each savory and marjoram 6 medium potatoes, cubed 4-quart to 6-quart soup pot or Dutch oven. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Creamy Mushroom Penne Alfredo The tubular penne pasta traps the heavy cream, butter and Parmesan sauce, creating a luxurious canvas for wild mushrooms. by Rene Seltzer Hydnum washingtonianum. © Sadie Hickey (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 184796380) Method Start boiling the water in a large pan. In the meantime, chop mushrooms to an appropriate size and sauté in 2 Tbsp. butter until tender and golden (5 to 8 minutes). When the water is boiling, cook the pasta (as directed on package) until al dente, then drain (do not rinse). While pasta is cooking, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in saucepan or casserole (about 1 minute), then add the cream and the Parmesan and simmer gently over medium heat so the cheese melts and the sauce thickens (3 to 5 minutes.) Stir in the sautéed mushrooms, including any accumilated juices, and salt and pepper to taste (about 1 minute). Add the drained pasta and chopped parsley to the sauce. Fold the pasta and sauce together over low heat until the pasta is coated evenly (1 to 2 minutes). Transfer pasta to plates, grind more black pepper over the pasta, garnish with the extra chopped parsley, and serve immediately (before the sauce cools). Note : If you use dried mushrooms, you can strain the soaking liquid and use it to deglaze your pan and/or add a few tablespoons into the cream sauce. Recipe contributed: February 2001 Try a robust species with savory flavors to slice through the richness of the creamy sauce without getting lost, such as porcini, hedgehog, chanterelle, or yellowfoot. If you use Agaricus (such as A. bisporus , A. lilaceps , or A. croceolutescens ), note that mature specimens may turn your beautiful white cream sauce a muddy brown; whereas younger specimens with pale pink gills might stain less. Be sure to lock in their almond aroma by caramelizing them on the edges before mixing with the cream! If using oyster mushrooms, try sautéing them until their edges get nice and crispy before adding them into the sauce. Black trumpets can change the cream sauce to an interesting speckled grey-black color. Bite-sized clumps of cauliflower mushrooms hold pockets of cream sauce beautifully—just be sure to clean them well. Objective: Main course Total Time: About 20 minutes Yield: 3 to 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Black trumpet / black chanterelle (Craterellus atrocinereus, Craterellus calicornucopioides, Craterellus cinereus) Cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis americana, Sparassis crispa, Sparassis radicata) Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Giant cypress Agaricus (Agaricus lilaceps) Hedgehog (Hydnum olympicum, Hydnum repandum , Hydnum umbilicatum, Hydnum washintonianum) Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Portobello/portabella, champignon, cremini, button (Agaricus bisporus) The Prince (Agaricus augustus) Yellowfoot (winter chanterelle) (Craterellus tubaeformis) 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 oz. dried penne (or similar dried pasta) 4 Tbsp butter 1 ¼ cups heavy cream 8 oz. or more wild mushrooms ⅔ cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or your preferred Parmesan, as available) 1 tsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish Salt and freshly ground pepper Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe