Jacquelynn Baas recently foraged for edible, wild mushrooms on the Mendonoma Coast. Our early rains have brought an early mushroom season. Golden Chanterelles and Boletus edulis were the treasures she found in the forest - true gifts from Mother Nature.
Jacquelynn is a writer who lives on The Sea Ranch. Here is a link to her author page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jacquelynn-Baas/e/B001IU0Q28/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Irma Brandt was the lucky one who came home with this Boletus edulis, a choice edible mushroom. She brought it over and Rick weighed it. It was a mighty four pounds. When Irma sliced it for drying she found no bugs at all. That's a lot of porcini mushrooms for the months to come!
In the picture Irma is peeking out behind the big 'shroom. She is also holding a more normal-sized Bolete.
Rick and I, along with our friends Nan Brichetto and Frank Drouillard, went on a hike this morning with our two Golden Retrievers. We were shocked and amazed to come across this large group of Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus. They normally are found later in the fall and winter but I guess our weather has been so cool that they decided to make an early appearance. They are, of course, edible and delicious!
They were fruiting on a downed Tanoak, a hardwood that grows on the Mendonoma Coast. In this next picture they look like gardenias!
And we aren't the only creatures that covet these fungi. Check out the Banana Slugs feasting on these mushrooms on the picture below.
A gift in the forest - thank you Mother Nature!
To see another early fruiting mushroom, a Dyer's Polypore, click on this link:
http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/26/dyers-polypore-a-wild-mushroom-continues-to-evolve-continues-to-fascinate/
My best to you today, Jeanne Jackson