Last weekend I drove north into Sonoma county with my mycological guru David Bourn. We were on the hunt for edible mushrooms after the recent rains. We stopped in a mixed Redwood/Douglas Fir forest just a mile or so from the coast and stomped off into the duff. It took me a while to get my eyes accustomed to finding the various mushrooms and other fungi poking their heads up through the rich litter or hanging from the sides of fallen or living trees. But once I did there was an incredible richness and variety within just a few hundred yards of where we parked the car. Heres a sampling!

Into the woods ...

David with a nice Coral fungus

Pig's Ears

Pig's Ears

These Pig’s Ears were everywhere! Rather hard and stiff  but with beautiful taupe and salmon shadings. I found the same mushrooms today at Berkeley Bowl for $12/ lb.!! I guess we should have picked all of them.

The tiny, translucent Toothed Jelly Fungus

An almost electric, tiny, red Coral Fungus

The poetically named Earthstar

Classic form, but not for the plate.

The surprisingly edible 'snotty pus fungus' - actually a pat of 'Witch's Butter'

The pore pattern on the underside of a Boletes mushroom.

White Chanterelles peeking through the duff.

And at last the elusive prey reveals itself – the White Chanterelle

Yum!!

David sent me the link to this site which has great cooking hints and recipes for Chanterelles!

Tiny perfection.

If you want to hunt for your own this Fall and Winter there’s a great online guide here.

ENJOY!!

Chanterelles with red onions and homegrown cherry tomatoes on fresh spinach linguine