| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| cab |
St. Georges shrooms, and rethinking old foraging hauntsCycling home just now, it occurred to me that I sometimes used to find St. Georges shrooms in the same places as I found field blewits when I lived in Nottingham (different time of year, of course), but that I don't here, except for one field. Then I realised that might be because I don't go to those places very often in Spring... And that a great blewit site is just around the corner...So now I have a lovely pile of St. Georges shrooms 
Turns out that sometimes its too easy to compartmentalise foraging spots, seasonally or just into what you expect to find there. Its easy to forget to rethink whats there, to revisit at different times to see what might be around. I'm often guilty of that, I'll head straight for what I know should be growing there and sometimes miss what else IS growing there (hence only recently discovering some sweet cicely growing in Cambridge, at a spot I've walked past loads of times). Anyway, I'm rambling. St. Georges and wild garlic omelette with green salad (muchly wild too) for tea
|
||||
| Jamanda |
Well I've never found a St George yet, but I do know where some blewits grow, so I'll have a wander down there at some point soon. | ||||
| PeteS |
All mine, and I've got a total of 6-7kg this season so far, have been found in the middle of town - on verges, in front of flats, common land, parks etc - while I've been walking to the shops, to and from work, outside my office, or even driving the car. I have not even had to go looking for them, they have just been there. A great season for St George's. | ||||
| slippery Jack |
I still haven't found a St Georges either and I am visiting Devon this weekend partially in the hope of rectifying that situation. Sounds like a bad plan to me! |
||||
| cab |
Had St. Georges in Devon before, picked some on holiday there a couple of years back. Seem to recall lots in parks in those parts. | ||||
| Jamanda |
Which bit of Devon? |
||||
| cab |
We stayed with one of her relatives near Dartmouth. I'm sure I've found St. Georges in a park in Totnes. On an Island. But I also recall spotting them in various other places in the county, think I even saw a ring of them on the North coast of Cornwall, Tintagel probably. So plenty of them around that whole peninsular, I should think. Look for grass, proper soft grass rather than the stuff nibbled by sheep, parks and verges, areas around and near trees and fences around fields. |
||||
| PeteS |
For St George's you want old grassland that hasn't been cultivated, or at least hasn't been cultivated for many a year. Something that hasn't been grazed too. I think this is why I have been successful in towns and cities. Parks and verges are good. I even found some on the grass verge around a B&Q carpark. Many can be spotted by a dark ring in the grass.
This reminds me. Fairy Rings are coming up too. |
||||
| cab |
Marasmius? Haven't seen any yet, but I'm on the lookout, theres usually a flush early if its wet. Wouldn't be in the least surprised to find some Agaricus this weekend too. |
||||
| dpack |
foraging is about knowing a landscape type and what may be availabe there at a particular season | ||||
| Truffle |
Very true, thats were I find all mine. However, all the regular spots round here haven't fruited yet??? We normally pick bags and bags throughout April but not even one full shroom yet. I'm guessing the colder spring has delayed them as we are quite high-up... very strange season- I'm quite envious of your hauls Pete! Also, with COTW- i find these in Oxford very early but they take a bit longer to appear round these parts. Amazing that you've got fairies already.... Truffle |
||||
| cab |
St. Georges are, what, a fortnight behind where they were two or three years back. Already had more, in one quick wander, than I had all last year (when it didn't rain in April!). | ||||
| Truffle |
yep! Its amazing, normally at this time of year in the 'known' fields, thy can be spotted from a moving car... haven't checked in a day or two so will have a wander this weekend. V.strange indeed. | ||||
| PeteS |
I picked my first St George's on the 31st march. A big ring (well 3 rings) with dozens of mushrooms. Going by the size they must have started to fruit about 2 weeks before this date. About a week later other patches started to fruit, some that I had not seen before. Last week, on a trip to Surrey, I picked a cloth bag full by spotting them from the car. My mother (in Surrey) has them in her garden too!
I have three rings of Marasmius oreades (Fairy Rings) starting to fruit. I picked the first just over a week ago, some of which were about 3cm across, and cooked them up with St George's. I checked out some others and although there were no mushrooms on these the state of the grass suggests that they are coming very soon. It has been strange - I picked my last few Blewits at the beginning of March! PS - whenever I go outside I am always foraging. I have also descovered that it's amazing what you can find on your doorstep, in town, walking to the shops, walking the dog, going to the bank, driving etc. |
||||
| bingo |
I'm always on the look out too, I have found now about 15k of St georges as they are everywhere around here and I'm looking big time........in hedges........sides of roads.......path edges.......edges thats the key but is with a lot of fungi. | ||||
| PeteS |
Nice little ring of St George's mushrooms (about 1/2kg). Carpark verge somewhere in Southampton.
|
||||
| fungi2bwith |
I found st george's in mid march (the earliest I have ever found them), but they are coming up in numbers now. I collected a huge amount today and there are now mushroom pate, mushroom source, and mushroom dumplings in the freezer. These include some chicken of the woods which I also found today. | ||||
| PeteS |
I have pickeld and dried St George's. I also made mushroom pate - fungi2bwith, is this the recipe in the River Cottage mushroom book? If it is it really is quite good. Have not put any in the freezer as my freezer is still full of frozen Blewits 
|
||||
| cab |
Dried some, didn't pickle any (as we never seem to eat them).
Not the hugest haul this weekend, but not bad. Oddly, the ones in woods aren't doing well, but the ones in fields are quite good this year. |
||||
| fungi2bwith |
Pete Yes, very similar, I used the RC recipe as a base and it tastes superb. I've dried them in previous years but not pickled any. I have just been introduced to pickling mushrooms, I did it in the woods! on Staurday with Jew's ears, on a course with Fregus Drennan. What great fun . I now have a jar labelled "pickled ears" in the fridge and can't wait to serve them to unsuspecting guests
Garry |
||||
| PeteS |
Most of my St George's are on or past their second fruiting and if this dry weather continues there probably won't be a lot more. I have learnt that St George's like it wet. Mind you, I still have some in the fridge and I've had loads this season - it's been a good year for them.
I pickled Chanterelles last season (when I had a glut - there were so many) and they turned out excellent. I think pickling works best with small firm mushrooms. They will shrink to about a third of their size during the pickling process. To serve think Italian - antipasto, salads and cured meat. You can add pickled mushrooms to a wild green salad or go more continental and do something with chick peas, pickled mushrooms and cherry tomatoes or something like this... http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,191,156185-237203,00.html Still never head of pickled ears. Not sure how they would turn out. Talking of Chanterelles reminds me. Can't be long before they appear! |
||||
| bingo |
I bet my early patch is fruiting now. 
Will check it out when I get some time off.......if I get some. 
|
||||
| Jamanda |
You a busy Bingo then? |
||||
| bingo |
There's not enough days in the week........making loads of wonga tho.
|
||||
| Jamanda |
That's good. As long as you're enjoying it too. |
||||
| bingo |
I sort of do.
In parts. Gotta work tho, init. |
||||
| bingo |
I love cooking and love being a chef.......it's all the silly people in my industry I hate. | ||||
| Jamanda |
Are you doing your own thing or working for the man? |
||||
| bingo |
I'm working self employed in troubled restaurants, kinda trouble shooting. | ||||
| Jamanda |
Sounds good - keeping you out of trouble too
|
||||
| bingo |
My business is on it's way but I'm in no hurry to push things........web site will ready very soon.
http://www.greenolivecatering.co.uk/ |
||||
| Jamanda |
I like it. |
||||
| bingo |
You aint seen nothing yet.
I take my time on important things for a reason. Rome wasn't built in a day. |
||||
| PeteS |
If you tell me where they are I'll check them out for you
|
||||
| bingo |
Naa. It's O.K. 
|