Mushroom Foraging

 Fall is upon us! As we look forward to the winter months with the snow in the mountains and begin to miss our sunny summer hiking, some of us look for another way to enjoy the changing colors and the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. Why not try mushroom hunting? What better way to pass a beautiful fall day? Before you don your boots and head out, be warned: mushroom hunting is definitely an art. My first forging expedition was several years ago with my wife, Michelle, and some friends. My father-in-law, Steve, served as our field guide. We met early one morning near Monroe to start our day. At the time, my preferences for the weekend were having a coffee while leisurely reading the paper and heading out somewhere around mid-day. This was not to be. “You need to go early before anyone else can strip your spot of mushrooms,” I was told by Steve. So, early we left and after driving a maze to get to our spot, we parked our cars by the side of the road and rode our bikes up an abandoned logging road. We stopped at a trailhead and Steve said, “We’re going to hide our bikes on the other side.” Instead of asking why (Michelle later told me it was so others that happened by would not guess her dad’s secret spot), I helped as we piled our bikes up and covered them with branches.

 Now, I was ready to fill my bag. However, we had to wait to get direction from Steve. First was the safety tip. “Only get the chanterelles. While there are plenty of other tasty mushrooms out here, you are beginners and could get very sick.” He also warned us of what to look for in a chanterelle (a branch in the veins on the underside of the mushroom cap), because there is a similar looking mushroom that can make you sick. Next, we had to learn etiquette. “Never pull the mushroom out of the ground. Use your knife and make a clean cut.” Another courtesy tip, “stay on the path as much as you can to protect the wildlife and don’t litter.” Before I could get my backpack on, Steve was up the trail gathering his first mushroom. I set off with Michelle, not entirely sure what to look for, but before long she pointed one out to me. Soon I was souring the hillside for the golden domes, making careful cuts and filling my bag.

That night, over dinner (pasta with chanterelles, sage and a touch of cream), I had to admit to Michelle what a satisfying, tiring and amazing day I had. Now we make it an annual event with our kids. Although, even if I wanted to, I could not tell you how to get to Steve’s spot – we take a different route every year! If you’d like to try your hand at forging, the Puget Sound Mycological Society sponsors field trips in the spring and fall. Otherwise you can enjoy wild mushrooms on our Mushroom Primo or look for Foraged & Found Edibles' booth and your favorite farmers market.