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.
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