Mushroom Hunting

I went Chanterelle hunting over the weekend.  It'd been two weeks since deer season ended, the last time we'd checked, with none spotted in Terry's favored patch.  Since then we'd had a hard frost and rain.  Torrential rains actually. 

Deciduous trees had dropped their leaves.  The road was blanketed in bright yellow alder and red maple; decaying leaf mold adding to the fragrance of damp moss and fir needles in the moist air.  I was instructed to watch for bright orange patches, large maple leaf size, as we languidly drove along.

And sure enough, I spotted some.  Ah, the thrill of the hunt!   The mushrooms were at the very end of their short season; the few still intact were water logged, spongy from all the rain, and kind of slimy.  So no Chanterelles this season.  I'm good though as there are some in the freezer.

I found this site that specialize in "wild-harvested, traditional and artisanal foods" from the wilds of the Mid West, well Michigan.  That's considered Mid West, right?  Earthly Delights

Last years bounty
I've got my heart set on foraging for fiddlehead ferns this spring. 

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