Fungi Forays

Fungi forays displays the edible fungi and plants that surround us plus the seasonal wildlife on view for free.


Hen of the Woods

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This bracket fungus grows at the base of deciduous trees (usually oak). It looks very unprepossessing and is well camouflaged, but appearances are deceptive . . . Its relative, chicken of the woods is better known and more visible, but as its name suggests it has a milder taste than the hen. Just as mutton […]

It Begins!

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Things are starting to kick off! . . . Newsletter21August

Smoked Mackerel Pate

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Again, this isn’t fungal, but it is very seasonal – nothing beats a really fresh mackerel, straight from the sea . . . well except, perhaps a really fresh smoked mackerel. 6 Smoked mackerel fillets 1 tbspn Horseradish 1 Small tub soured cream 1 Lemon Black pepper Oak sawdust First catch your mackerel (see Tim […]

Forager’s Frozen Yoghurt

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140g Seasonal berries (preferably foraged bilberries or wild strawberries) 500g Tub Greek yoghurt 400g Tin condensed milk Reserve half the berries and whizz the rest in a food processor to create a purée. Tip into a bowl and gently stir in the condensed milk and yogurt until well mixed. Fold through the chopped strawberries. Scrape […]

Grilled mushrooms with thyme and chilli

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1 lb Mushrooms (preferably meaty wild species such as Boleti, but cultivated work too) Olive oil 3 tbsps Thyme 2 Chillies, stemmed and thinly sliced Lemon wedges, for serving Flaky sea salt Slice the mushrooms and toss in a bowl with the olive oil, thyme, and chillies until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper […]

Mushroom Butter

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This is a slightly unusual way of preserving mushrooms, but it works better than drying for many aromatic species . . . 500g Chanterelles, hedgehogs or fairy rings 250g Butter 3 Cloves garlic 1 Small onion Roughly chop the onion, garlic and mushrooms and sauté in about half the butter for 5 – 10 minutes […]

Samphire

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Samphire is a strange-looking primitive plant which thrives in the brackish water and mud of a saltmarsh . . . Despite this it is one of the very few wild plants to be widely available in Britain. Upmarket fishmongers sell it at inflated prices while expensive restaurants use it to decorate choice dishes, but it […]