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Monday, November 04, 2013

To the mOunTaiNs for MuShrooMs

When on the coast of Oregon we like to go to a few of our favorite mushroom picking areas.

day 1 mushroom drive_001We drive east from the coast on to narrow winding mountain roads into the     Siuslaw National Forest.

Onto narrow winding roads.. 11 miles looking for our favorite spot..

..we never find it.

A few of the dirt roads are not marked and we must have missed our turn.

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So..Instead we go to plan B

and stop at a few areas that look promising.

day 1 mushroom drive_002We walk up hills to see what shrooms may be hanging out.

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Into the dark woods..

day 1 mushroom drive_003We are looking for Chanterelles

day 1 mushroom drive_004We see many Varied Thrush.

  Golden-crowned kinglets are chattering all around us.

day 1 mushroom drive_009I start finding Chanterelles 

day 1 mushroom drive_013While moving on to the next spot i spy a small Cauliflower mushroom.

Too small and a bit old to pick…

day 1 mushroom drive_016Below..

A nice Cat mushroom

Mock Matsutake or Swollen-stalked Cat - Catathelasma ventricosa

I pick this edible..at the time I was not 100 percent sure and was hoping we would see someone who could confirm my ID. Luckily, later in the day we met a fella who recognized us as attending one of his mushroom walks four years ago.

He confirmed my ID and I took this home and cooked and dried it.

The head of this mushroom is the size of my open hand. The stipe is 10 inches long.

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We drive out of the mountains with bags full of Chanterelles and huge smiles..

We decide to take one of our favorite walks in Cape Perpetua..through an old growth forest by the coast.

day 1 mushroom drive_018Some sort of Coral mushroom..

day 1 mushroom drive_026Its magical here…

Giant Spruce dot the trail..

day 1 mushroom drive_028Slugs like mushrooms too!

day 1 mushroom drive_034A conk type mushroom..with droplets.

 day 1 mushroom drive_039A fallen spruce gives birth to a family of shrooms..

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day 1 mushroom drive_040Everywhere you look moss and lichen..

day 1 mushroom drive_047

day 1 mushroom drive_049Another type of coral mushroom..

day 1 mushroom drive_051Fern shadow..

day 1 mushroom drive_056Do you remember eating dots of colored sugar off of paper as a kid?

I didn't eat these dots..

day 1 mushroom drive_058Jeff passes an huge old spruce tree..

day 1 mushroom drive_072A mushroom I have yet to ID..

day 1 mushroom drive_073No gills.. pretty smooth underside..

day 1 mushroom drive_077We added some Chanterelle mushrooms to our daily bounty..and head out of the forest…

day 1 mushroom drive_080it was time to go back and clean our finds.

We stop to take in the views..

day 1 mushroom drive_086Its beautiful here..

day 1 mushroom drive_088We are so very happy to be back after four years..

day 1 mushroom drive_090

day 1 mushroom drive_091

Back to the campground to clean the shrooms..

Chanterelles, Hedgehogs and a huge Cat mushroom!

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I sautéed Chanterelles with garlic and oil and froze several batches. I cooked and dehydrated the Cat mushroom and used the Hedgehogs in a scalloped potato dish.

More picking to follow!

I am in search of Porcini! Boletus Edulus!

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