Saturday, October 07, 2006

Hen of the Woods Mushrooms

Ok my first edible plant I will be posting is a Fungi called Hen of the Woods also know as Maitake, Now let me tell you I am not a big mushroom fan so if I eat wild mushrooms they got to be pretty good, or I wouldn't waste my time. When I held this mushroom I could feel the good vibration that eminated from it they can get very big up to 40 pounds. Considered a "choice" mushroom I wanted to try this one tonight.

Characteristics: Found at the base of stressed hardwoods and dead stumps, They have a layer of petals that form the mushroom, these originating from a central base.

Preparation:

I separated the different layers of the mushroom into single pieces with a pairing knife, cleaning of any dirt and debris



For my first time experiencing (cooking) these mushrooms I wanted to take the basic approach. Sauteed in a large skillet with olive oil and onions in my case I also gathered some wild leeks in the forest and used them instead of the onions. Now the Hen of the woods takes a good 20 minutes to cook and I could have cooked them longer in my case, but neverless they were good.

1 comment:

B Wolfe said...

WOW, local mushrooms,they look great and yummy to.That must be alot of fun,picking then cooking them up.a nice way to spend the day outdoors.How about some more local plants an recipes to.Thanks.