Amazing forage

Latest Articles

Amazing forage
Page 1, 2, 3 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Foraging

Author

Message

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 8:15 pm Post subject: Amazing forage

What an amazing morning. I snaffled this lot in 20 minutes flat. I've been picking half a pound of tawny grisettes every other day for a month (i'm almost sick of them!!), today offered a pound and a quarter, plus the added bonus of the parasol and agaricus.

Spotted an apple tree on the common with lots of lovely windfalls to snaffle for chutney, which I shall get tomorrow.

And to cap it all I've found a supplier of the most amazing delicious free range organic chicken at £4 a bird. A local old boy who mostly sells eggs but has recently started raising meat birds.

A blimmin' good day on the downsizing front!

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 8:19 pm Post subject:
Wow Nettie, what a day!! I'm a mushroom virgin, so what's the big one? It looks huge compared to the others

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 8:20 pm Post subject:
And i am still scared of most mushrooms just in case Nice one

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 8:22 pm Post subject:
The biggun's a parasol. Nearly the size of a plate. Very delicate flavour, lovely grilled on a cast iron chargriller.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 8:29 pm Post subject:
Yummmmmmmm!!!

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 8:59 pm Post subject:
Well impressed, that parasol is huge! Four quid for an organic chicken??, and meat birds not ex layers?? That beats my brown crab for a quid hands down.

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:13 pm Post subject:

wow thats massive

Still not sure what to do re mushrooms. not sure if I'll like and if so what ones and that I'll be able to id them well enough to want to eat them. OH says he's not eating fungus full stop

last time I was in town I spotted an apple tree next to the railway line. walking past there this morning starving so reach over and picked one and wow sooo yummy I'm not a massive apple fan but this was delicious. (green and speckled red on the outside, white, crispy and a slightly tart inside)

Last edited by 2steps on Fri Sep 23, 05 9:18 pm; edited 1 time in total

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:17 pm Post subject:

I can't recommend enough going on some kind of formal foray to gain some confidence. Not that I have any confidence after going on a number but I will try a mouthful (down, boys) sometimes. Wildlife Trust is a good starting place (even if it will tend to focus on "what a lovely place this is" rather than "this goes well in an omelette") - if nothing else it's a nice afternoon's walk and a chance to learn something too.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:22 pm Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

Well impressed, that parasol is huge!

Four quid for an organic chicken??, and meat birds not ex layers?? That beats my brown crab for a quid hands down.

Definitely a meat bird. The tenderest, most tasty chicken I've ever tasted (and believe me I've tried a few different so called organic free range ones!!) The best price I've had before is £6.50 for non-organic free range from the farmer's market.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:23 pm Post subject:
Not bad at all Nettie! I wish I got more grisettes here, I never see them around Cambridge. I have a fridge full of parasols, puffballs, agaricus, fairy rings and agrocybe at the moment, but I'd swap some for some grisettes quite happily! Do you preserve the grisettes any way? Do they dry well or freeze at all?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:24 pm Post subject:
Oh, and that's a bloody good price for good chicken!

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:25 pm Post subject:

2steps wrote:

Get up there with a carrier bag young lady!!!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:28 pm Post subject:

2steps wrote:

Excellent

The best apples are the ones that grow over a fence. Scrumping makes them better eating, you know.

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:32 pm Post subject:
back up there tomorrow. to tasty to miss

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 05 9:34 pm Post subject:

cab wrote:

Not bad at all Nettie!

I wish I got more grisettes here, I never see them around Cambridge. I have a fridge full of parasols, puffballs, agaricus, fairy rings and agrocybe at the moment, but I'd swap some for some grisettes quite happily!

Do you preserve the grisettes any way? Do they dry well or freeze at all?

It's the first year I've come across them in any quantity; I have two "patches" that have been producing merrily for weeks. No one else luckily has a clue! The biggest problem is kids using them a football practice.

They're a very "wet" mushroom; you need to pick them on a dry morning and process them as soon as you can, otherwise they deteriorate very quickly, growing mould or just turning to mush. Good specimens dry quickly, but as yet i haven't reconstituted them to see what happens (too busy trying to munch my way through the fresh ones first!!)

They need to be cooked before freezing, where they give off a lot of liquid. Again, I've no idea what happens when they're reheated, although I suspect they'll dissolve.

They taste quite earthy and nutty, and can be a little bitter. I think they'll be great in risotto with a squeeze of lemon juice and maybe a pinch of sugar.

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Foraging	All times are GMT Page 1, 2, 3 Next
Page 1 of 3

View Latest Posts