Chanterelle Gathering

Just got back from the forest with a basket full of chanterelle mushrooms to use for my weekend menu. Even though the local area had a mushroom festival just a few days ago which had lots of folks scouring the forest, I still had no problem getting a good outings quota. One just has to be willing to dive into the forest and the steep fern laden hillsides with gusto.... not afraid to get wet, a little muddy and sweaty. Today I walked for some time without finding one and decided to channel a little mushroom chant... actually more as an offering of exchange. I often feel the need to give back something in that I feel so grateful and gifted with the delicacy that is so freely there for my harvesting. Today a song was my offering and, no kidding, soon after I started my chant they were every where! I found enough for what I want to do and started down to find the road. That part of the journey put me in touch... once again.. with my gratitude for the giant ferns. The place where I was coming to the road was very steep. I wasn't sure if it would dump me gently on to the road or not until I got closer. It was a VERY steep decline and those ferns are such a good anchor to hold on to. As it turned out when I finally got to the edge it ended up being too much of a drop down to the road after all... so with the help of the firmly rooted ferns I pulled myself back up (quite a ways) until I could traverse to find a way down. I think that is really one of my favorite forest experiences is bush wacking through the ferns... or would you call that fern wacking :)? The thought also crossed my mind today that maybe I should tell someone where abouts I am going when I go shrooming... as I don't exactly like to stay on any beaten path and I'm often alone.... hmmmm.
I think I am going to bake some spaghetti squash and mix into it a rich thyme scented chanterelle cream sauce this time.

Edible Flowers and more...

It has been a full on 3 months of one group after the other. While extremely grateful for the abundance of work during these times when many are struggling to find employment, I am deeply appreciating a week in between jobs to sit here and add SOMETHING! to this blog.
I love the late summer and fall 'season' of jobs in that it is the season of abundance. August still carries forth a few straggling cherries, strawberries and raspberries and hails in peaches, nectarines, melons and .... I don't even know why I started to list because the list goes on and on. My favorite aspect of this time of year though is the edible flowers that are so easily and abundantly available. I love using nasturtiums, bachelor buttons, johnny jump ups, pansies and borrage flowers along with the various flowered out vegetable tops. It is really interesting to watch peoples reactions to seeing so many flowers in their food. People are very often afraid to eat them. I am constantly announcing "the flowers are not only edible but tasty". It is fun to hear peoples conversations about eating them and just the extra delight it brings to their eating experience. They really add such a delightful and special touch to not only the presentation of the food but to the flavor. I always tell people that it will make them giggle if they eat the flowers... or at least smile... They certainly do make my heart smile.
I often hear of a certain flower that is edible that I don't tried and true know of. One of those has been the fuchsia. Many sources say that fuchsia is edible but I found information that says otherwise. Here is a blog link with some good information about edible flowers: http://blog.clareflorist.co.uk/flowers/2007/06/delicious_edibl.html You can find lots of different info on the web. My main recommendation is that you USE EDIBLE FLOWERS when ever available! :)