Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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Minamoo
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Absolutely fantastic walk!Ooh I just had to share my excitement with you! We found my first ever beefsteak fungus today! I was literally jumping up and down squeaking with joy.  It was just a brilliant walk all in all really, we found loads of hen of the woods, some very past it chicken of the woods, honey fungus, jelly ears, various russulas, some clouded funnels and velvet shanks as far as mushies go, some stunningly beautiful crab apples that had bright pink flesh and loads of other green things. I still can't get over the beefsteak fungus! One of the guys on the walk spotted it just as we were about to walk out of the woods. Yay for loads of extra eyes!
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mihto
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If I ever rmanage to come to GB for a Downsizer meet I'll make sure to stop in Leeds for one of your walks. This is right up my alley, but I do not have enough knowledge to go on my own. I'm sure we have many of the same plants, however! 
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hedgehogpie
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We have a few spots for beefsteak down here Mina. I've just been using it in the last week - what did you make with yours?
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PeteS
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At last... it not just me... someone else has found a mushroom(s)! It's been a good year for Beefsteak Fungus. Since the end of August I have picked loads of it including around 4kg (over a couple of months) off a single old oak tree.
For me the key with eating this fungus is NOT to cook it. I have tried cooking it in various ways and to me it's always awful. When raw it has a firm texture and tastes sour with a hint of grape fruit - not like a mushroom at all. When cooked the sourness increases, the fruity note is lost and the texture becomes slimy.
All I do is slice it thin, warm it in some good quality olive oil, add a bit of salt - done. This is the way it is served in restaurants. Great with game, on top of a risotto or along side a steak.
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PeteS
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Here is a nice example from the weekend. It's big too, about 1ft across.
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fungi2bwith
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| PeteS wrote: | At last... it not just me... someone else has found a mushroom(s)! It's been a good year for Beefsteak Fungus. Since the end of August I have picked loads of it including around 4kg (over a couple of months) off a single old oak tree.
For me the key with eating this fungus is NOT to cook it. I have tried cooking it in various ways and to me it's always awful. When raw it has a firm texture and tastes sour with a hint of grape fruit - not like a mushroom at all. When cooked the sourness increases, the fruity note is lost and the texture becomes slimy.
All I do is slice it thin, warm it in some good quality olive oil, add a bit of salt - done. This is the way it is served in restaurants. Great with game, on top of a risotto or along side a steak. |
There are huge amounts of mushrooms here. The woods are are full of Italian and polish collectors, one collected 60kg (quite worrying! he piled them up in several locations and made several trips back to his car).
Even after that rape and pillage of the woods there are some ceps left for me. I have also collected chanterelles, hedgehogs, bay boletes and blushers. there are lots of other edibles but you can only collect so much. ( there are beefsteaks, scarletina boletes, loads of suillus species, decievers, shaggy ink caps, cauliflowers ect ect).
PS Loads of really good chestnuts around at the moment as well
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