Mushroom foraging family

June 3, 2019 No Comments

Have mushrooms started popping up their little umbrellas all over your soggy autumn garden? We’ve seen a few, but are leaving these tiny and more importantly unidentified offerings for the fairies.

On the weekend we decided to take a treasure hunt. Not for buried gold, but something more ancient and fascinating. Mushrooms! The secret underground lives of fungi are incredible, their elusive above ground form being only the tiniest hint of their immense underground network.

The pine forest we visited in Macedon Regional Park would not even be there without a scoop full of soil from their native forest floor in the Northern Hemisphere. Even before their symbiotic partnership between trees and their particular fungi friends was understood by scientists, foresters saw that their exotic imports languished in this foreign soil without a little something from home. A mutually beneficial nutrient exchange necessary for survival, could you get more permaculture?

As we descended into the misty pine forest we were engulfed in memories of our San Francisco adventures. Mornings where the world was just a few metres of clarity and the rest all foggy shapes and shadows.

Ember, our baby stowaway, delighted our fellow foragers by disguising herself as a heavy backpack. It was pure joy to confirm that the adventure doesn’t end with kids, in fact it becomes even better.

We took the flat option whilst the others scampered down the steep slope despite no evidence steepness results in a better harvest or reduced competition. As autumn turns to winter these pine forest are descended upon by mushroom foragers and some even sell their finds at farmers’ markets! The forest is immense though so there are still mushroom to go around. Most mushroom foragers stick to the European species of mushroom because there is little documentation on Australian natives.

Dylan found our best edible mushroom closest to the car park! It’s a beautiful saffron milkcap (Lactarius deliciosus). We had always called these pine mushrooms when purchasing from the farmers’ market, but I guess there are lots of different pine mushrooms! I love these ones not only for their wonderful taste, but because they are so easy to identify. Food goes down much easier when there is no fear of poisoning! Aside from the orange colour the stalk snaps like chalk.

Next we found parasol mushrooms which look more like deathcaps than I feel comfortable. According, to our mushroom guide, Jim, deathcaps like to hang out with oaks so he has never seen one in these forests. Once Jim IDed these two shrooms the hunt was on!

The forest was gorgeously creepy in typical pine forest fashion. Pine mushrooms love to hide under the pine needles, cheeky things!

The big parasol was a bit past its prime, but all these mushrooms are edible.

Ember enjoyed herself so much she fell asleep!

Another forager’s haul. But watch our some of these aren’t edible. The red amanita is the most obvious.

Some mushrooms that others collected can make you vomit. I overhead Jim telling someone if a mushroom smells like marzipan they are good to eat, but if they smell like phenol they make you sick. They couldn’t get a clear read on that one, so best to chuck it.

Back at the Sanatorium Lake Picnic Ground, Jim, who was a chef in a past life cooked lunch with a mixture of farmed and foraged mushrooms.

Jim’s cooking tips

To stop the enzymatic browning cook the mushrooms as soon as possible. Jim explained the difference between enzymatic browning (like an old banana) and non-enzymatic browning (like caramelisation of onions). Reminding us how much of a science cooking is.
Mushrooms pretty much can’t be overcooked as long as they don’t burn because their proteins are heat stable.
Cook mushrooms without fats first to remove the water from the mushrooms. If fats are added at the beginning then the mushroom absorb large amounts as it replaces all its moisture with the fat.
It is also okay to wash mushrooms before cooking despite what people say, but cook straight after washing.
Add a little water to the pan so mushrooms don’t burn before they release their own juices. Jim washes down the sides of the pan with some extra water after they have cooked for a while to make sure he captures all the mushroom flavour stuck to the sides.
Once the cellulose has broken down in the mushrooms they are ready for the fat to be added. Only a small amount is required. Jim cooked one batch with olive oil, one with butter and one with cream. All were delicious.
The left over mushroom liquid can be drained off to be used later as a kind of gelatinous stock or left in for extra flavour.

After a delicious lunch of mushrooms and vegetable soup Jim checked our baskets for edibility.

Ember tasted her first mushroom and judged it to be acceptable. She tried a buttered one. Then she flicked off her sock-gloves for a spot of crawling practice.

Tour details

To book a mushroom tour of Mt Macedon contact:

Jan Claire – tour operator
0430 507019
www.cthemarket.com.au
www.facebook.com/cthemarket

Garden, Recipes

Elderflower cordial

January 6, 2017 No Comments

This scorcher of a summer’s day has sent me scuttling into my cool, dark blogging cave. The sweet, subtlety floral tang of elderflower cordial is on my lips, a perfect pairing with a 35C day.

Forever the victim of romantic rather than practical gardening notions I bought an elderberry in my first year of gardening. It soared skywards, exulting in the chicken yard muck it was rooted in. Three years passed and I never got around to doing anything with the flowers, I moved house with a broken elderberry branch in hand and just sort of stuck pieces of it in the ground. It really suckers like crazy so I was quietly hopeful that something would strike; the result was a mini elderberry forest outside my bathroom window. It is really a delightful plant for a capricious gardener, who flits from whim to whim and neglects everything but the latest obsession (which happens to be a mini lily pond).

My southern elderberry grove has thrived in shade with only the water that dribbles out of the tap. This summer its leaves are tickling the eaves and with base in the shade and tops soaking up the sun it seems to be taller each time I look at it. Its shallow, “non-threatening root system” and low water demand make it a lower risk for planting near the house. It has also thrived in full sun in the food forest when planted in the cooler months. (Not much has relished a high summer planting in full sun.) A fun fact about elderberries is that they are pollinated by flies, so I guess flies aren’t completely useless then. A less fun fact is that the leaves, stalks and stems contain a toxin called sambunigrin, that’s why a fork is part of my utensils list of this recipe. Intrigued? Read on!

Recipe

Makes 2 Litres (2.75 passata bottles full)

Takes 24 hours

25 Elderflower heads
Peel of 3 lemons + 1 orange
Juice of 3 lemons + 1 orange
1 kg sugar
1 tsp citric acid (optional – Citric acid is a preservative so if you are drinking within 2 weeks and keeping refrigerated it is unnecessary)
1.5 Litres of boiling water

My elderflowers are heavy with blossoms and all the trendiest cafes are serving elderflower soda, seems like a good time to try my hand at making my own. It turned out to be fairly easy, but you need to leave the flowers steeping overnight so make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Goes delightfully well with Tortilla de Patatas on a hot summer’s night. I’ve also added it to kombuca for some added fizz.

Elderflowers are antibacterial, antiviral and anticatarral, so with a little luck it will balance out that delicious kilo of sugar. When fighting a cold elderflower tea with a spoon full of honey might be a better medicine.

Your kitchen kit

For harvesting (Basket, Secateurs, Newspaper, Fork)
For infusing (Large bowl, Potato peeler, Sharp knife, Chopping board, Tea towel, Lemon squeezer, Jar (for citrus juice),
For straining (Large strainer, Cheesecloth/muslin, Springform cake tin (optional) – I used this to prop up the strainer while the syrup dripped through as my saucepan was shallow, Tea spoon)
For cooking (Saucepan, Wooden spoon)
For Bottling (Ladle, Sterilised bottles for cordial – I wash with soapy water, put in cool oven on top of tea towel and turn up heat to 150C. When they are dry I turn off oven and leave warm until ready for bottling.)

1. Pick elderflowers that have just opened as they will have the most pollen. If there are still a few unopened buds you will know they are fresh. — Pick elderflowers that have just opened as they will have the most pollen. If there are still a few unopened buds you will know they are fresh.

If you sniff them they should have a pleasant aroma. A flower that smells of bitter decay will make a drink only Tim Burton would enjoy.

Cut flowers on a warm, dry day as rain washes away the pollen that adds the flavour to the syrup.

Spread on paper to allow bugs to leave flowers. You don't want to wash the flowers. — Spread on paper to allow bugs to leave flowers. You don’t want to wash the flowers.

Bugs start leaving the flowers as soon as they are picked to find a happier home. In 1 hour most of them should have departed.

Stalks are bitter so roughly remove blossoms with a fork.

Use a fork to remove the flowers from the stalks. — Stalks contain toxins, but many people skip this step and have come to no harm.

Lemons contain citric acid (preservative) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

Peel citrus thinly as white pith will make it bitter. You can grate the rind as well, but I find peeling easier. The juice will be added the next day so pour it into a jar and refrigerate.

Ad 1.5L boiling water. Don't be alarmed if the flowers turn brown, it won't affect the flavour. — Ad 1.5L boiling water. Don’t be alarmed if the flowers turn brown, it won’t affect the flavour. Cover with a tea towel and leave it to infuse overnight.

Next day it went quite brown on top where the flowers weren't fully submerged. — Next day it went quite brown, on top where the flowers weren’t fully submerged.

Scald your cheesecloth/muslin by placing in saucepan of water and bringing to the boil to sterilise it even if new. I placed it in my strainer as it boiled to sterilise that too.

Place strainer over saucepan and drape muslin over the edges. I propped mine higher over my saucepan because it was shallow with a cake tin. — Place strainer over saucepan and drape muslin over the edges. My saucepan was quite shallow so I propped the strainer up with a cake tin.

Strain the infused elderflower liquid through muslin.

Press down with a ladle to squeeze out extra liquid. Leave for 15 minutes to drip through.

Cover with a plate while liquid drips through the muslin to protect from flies.

Add sugar. It is a preservative which prevents spoilage of foods, but more importantly serves to inhibit growth of food-borne pathogen. — Add sugar which is also a preservative which prevents spoilage of foods, but more importantly serve to inhibit or prevent growth of food-borne pathogen.

Add citric acid. 1 teaspoon powdered Citric Acid is equivalent to ¼ cup lemon juice.

Simmer saucepan on medium heat stirring to dissolve sugar.

Poor hot syrup into still hot sterilised bottles and screw on sterilised lids. Bottle must be warm or they will break with sudden change in temperature. As they cool the lids will seal as pressure changes. — Poor hot syrup into still hot sterilised bottles and screw on sterilised lids. Bottle must be warm or they will break with sudden change in temperature. As they cool the lids will seal as the pressure changes.

Elderflower punch - cordial, sparkling mineral water, passionfruit pulp, apple slices and ice. — Elderflower punch – cordial, sparkling mineral water, passionfruit pulp, apple slices and ice.

I hope you try this at home and enjoy on a balmy evening. Do you have any other recipes that are perfect for a hot day? Let me know in the comments below.

Links

Recipes, Travel

Watercourse & fairy lights

March 19, 2014 No Comments

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Denver, Colorado

shadow-house-sunset-timber-shingles-golden-light-sky

Yesterday’s sunshine vanished and a grey day swept in, I felt restless. The city had been fun for a day, but now I was keen to move on, we loved the airbnb, but they had their lives to live and their babies cough was worsening. Out of the suburbs in the process of being gentrified through the industrial district, to the river, bare branches and patrolling geese. Dylan ran, I wandered long.

A lunch of giant salad at The Market at Larimer Square and a deep fried donut to offset our health points. Across the road a homeless man had incongruously taken up residence underneath a giant hippopotamus sculpture. We wandered through the burbs, from a row house music blasted, packs of primary school kids were shepherded by young teachers and there was that whiff of weed on the breeze.

Warm sunbeams kissed the timber shingles of the neighbouring house as we waited for Sam and Laina to pick us up for a farewell meal, goodbye Denver and goodbye the last of the earthship crew. As we drove street art whizzed by vibrant in the setting sun. While we waited for a table at Watercourse a row of smiling Muslim refugees sat in a row before us, a beaming western woman informed us part of the profit from our meal would support their charity. Would these lovely ladies have to sit smiling in the entry all night? To their left a mural of floppy bunnies and ravens presided over the scene, lights were ensconced in fitting of fragile paper scales. The food was delicious, drinks were free due to slow service, desert was vegan mousse. Then we ended the night on a high Our mutual Friend, chatting, laughing under fairy lights floating in the dark sky.

Guides, Recipes

SPRING HAPPINESS PARTY – PART 2

September 24, 2013 2 Comments

SPRING HAPPINESS PARTY

PART 2
And on into the night

The day started oh so very dignified with a beautiful parrot and a pair of brown bears, but as night fell was invaded by a band of mischievous little monsters each naughtier than the last.

The perfect time to bring out the old Bee Pinata! Although the masses voiced regrets at destroying such a wide eyed, smiling guy all sentiments passed when the bashing stick fell into their hands.

There was a moment when all in sundry thought that the bee would never give up its inner treasures, too sturdily was he constructed of cardboard and tape. But they had forgotten we had a corporate lawyer in our midst. With three short, sharp wallops to the face the bee could take no more and spilled forth chocolate ladybirds, lollipops, summer seeds and knitted ornaments all over Carly’s rows of peas and beans.

Fire roaring the last to leave encircled the fire pit with jazz playing in the moonlight.

We gobbled left over treats of spanakopita (both vegan and otherwise), woodfire pizza with lanterns glowing pink savoring the last moment of the celebration.

All in all a most magical and beautiful day spent with new and old friends, this definitely will become an annual event worth every hour of slaving over crochet flowers and pinterest boards.

Perhaps we will see you at our next spring party dear reader.