These are the last varieties to appear of the year's 'edible' mushrooms. The white ones are Hedgehog Mushrooms, and the black ones are Trumpets of Death. They should be around for a few weeks yet; both have the advantage of staying fresh, in the ground, for quite some while.
The small haul above was fried ensemble to make a small lunchtime omelet; a couple of eggs and a few minutes in the woods produced a meal fit for a king. A very lucky king too.
"Trumpets of Death" sound like scary mushrooms to eat! I might have to pass on that omelet! :)
ReplyDeleteThey're delicious... very mushroomy. The other ones (hedgehogs) are rather bland.
DeleteI wonder who was the first one to give those names to a mushroom.
ReplyDeleteThe Hedgehog mushrooms have small 'spines' underneath, instead of gills, and the Trumpets of Death just look plain evil and deathly. I think the names probably arrived naturally.
DeleteI wonder if whoever gave the name Trumpets of Death lived long enough to tell the tale ! Will take your word that they are tasty - they don't look very appetising.
ReplyDeleteThey are often used in Paté making, in place of truffles. Being black they are easily substituted; I've done it myself!
DeleteIf you saw Trumpet of Death Omelete on a restaurant menu I wonder how many people would order it.
ReplyDeleteIn France; lots. Elsewhere; I have no idea.
DeleteIt has been a good autumn around here for fungi. A huge "clump" of something on our lawn. I am not tempted to eat any though as I have not much idea what they are. I did recognise " ink caps" round the local lake. Never seen them there before.
ReplyDeleteInk Caps can remain dormant for years, then come up after the ground has been disturbed. I hope your 'clump' isn't 'Honey Fungus', it might be an idea to look it up.
DeleteThere are mushrooms everywhere but not one of them would I touch. The trumpet of death sums up the way I feel about wild mushrooms ever since the late 1950s when a group of girl guides picnicking in a green and pleasant meadow in England died from eating the wrong sort, a fact my mother regularly reminded us.
ReplyDeleteQuite right; never touch anything you aren't 100% sure about.
Delete- I feel as Rachel - apart from the 'ordinary' field mushrooms - our fields are usually full of them - I dare not touch any. I see packs of wild mushrooms for sale in our supermarket but they always look sad and tired. How I would love to have tasted that omelette.
ReplyDeleteWe only had about 4 field mushrooms this year; I don't know what happened to them, we usually have lots.
DeleteHarry Potter and The Deathly Omelet....she missed a trick there....
ReplyDeleteGive her time Wanda; she might even read this!
DeleteThe 'trombetta del morti ' are delicious with pasta, a lot of garlic and herbs. Just to die for. And of course a glass.of 'bon rouge'.
ReplyDeleteThey have a very pronounced 'mushroom' flavour which would be perfect with pasta. If I find a whole lot, I'll try it.
DeleteMuch as I love mushrooms I'm too wary to trust my own judgement. When I was in Berlin we used to take them to a Pharmacy and they yea or naed them.
ReplyDeleteI believe you can still do that here in France.
DeleteHello from New York, long after you and most of the other commenters have said nite nite.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post, and wish that I might eventually be in a place during this time of year when wild mushroom gathering with a wise gatherer might be possible.
I also compliment you on that marvelous photo of Bok amidst the fallen leaves. Dio you think that dogs have an innate sense of composition?
Best wishe.s
Hi Frances. I'd love to take you out on a foraging trip. The woods are glorious at this time of year, and the mushrooms not difficult to find. One day perhaps. Bok would, of course, accompany us.
DeleteThank you, and Bok, so much.
DeleteYour mushers are so interesting!
ReplyDeleteAt first glance the photo looks like a whole lot of chicken bones and some crusts of bread.
My kids worry when I get and eat the boring pink-gilled things from off the playing field.