The best kind of hostess gift!
Look at the size of that mushroom! The aroma of the stem is deep and earthy and filled with saliva inducing umami notes. The underside of the cap is very fresh and almost odorless. What a beautiful work of nature. What an incredible gift! The first of this year’s crop from Kevin Kossowan’s yard. He is so fortunate to have a patch of these that reappear yearly, and that he nurtures, as he knows the value of what others may see as an annoyance and a garden invader.
The intricacy of the underside of the cap is fascinating. I know nothing about foraging for mushrooms. Zero. Nothing. I am interested. I started to become interested when I was a Brownie hunting in the urban forest for fungi and looking them up in our little identification manuals… until the instructor consistently pointed out: poison. It is just the past few years that I have come to learn how many of the mushrooms in my own backyard – and sometimes in my own front lawn – are edible. I said to Kevin, “This is a gorgeous mushroom. Why is it that more of us don’t know about these kinds of things?” And his insight was acute, “These are growing all over the city. It is simply a lack of knowledge: ignorance.”
He explained the carmely orange stem and how it looks when it breaks… and then, the aroma. Ignorance. There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of lack of knowledge. We should be teaching this in schools, yearly, as part of our Science program: what are the edible plants living wild within our own neighbourhood?
I had invited Kevin over to see my garden this year as this is the first year I have been home to tend it through an entire season on my own, for several years. (We usually travel for the entire summer.) And, it rained. It poured, so there was no garden tour. But, there was shaggy parasol fried in butter. (Thank you Kevin for taking the three pictures of the sliced mushrooms.)
Where did it go? This little bit in the bottom of the pan is actually the entire mushroom. I was incredulous. They may be gigantic, but they cook down one heck of a lot!
The price of dried porcini started to make a lot more sense to both of us. And the taste?
Well, it was so delicious that I actually licked the bowl (after they left). I was really stunned at how special the flavour of this local wild mushroom is. Almost as good as a porcini. Very different, but a similar appeal to me. Would I think that in a blind taste test, I wondered, or was it the local foraged provenance of this shaggy parasol that enhanced the flavour profile for me? I am not sure, and I don’t really care. It was delicious.
And then we made grilled pizzas. Everyone. And played. And ate, and laughed, and made a great big mess that took five minutes to clean up and had a wonderful day in spite of the ever present rain.
Miss E and Miss L each made their own half of a pizza! YEAH!!!! Baby H was sleeping through it all.
And the stringy cheese was very annoying.
But the shaggy parasol was the star of the meal. I learned so much by tasting, seeing, touching and smelling it. This was what I call mushroom “enlightenment”. May you each experience the same some day soon! 😉
Ohhhh I want one, it looks incredible and I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE mushrooms!!! Lucky you 🙂
Valerie, that this mushroom is edible is new to me. Thanks so much for sharing! I’m going to go check the big mushroom in my backyard after it quits raining (again). Thanks so much for your awesome blog!
Living in semi dessert I don’t see mushrooms often. I wish I had the knowledge to discern the difference between good and evil when I do come across these little treasures. There are some very large ones growing on the sidelines at the community garden a block away.
That is one BIG mushroom. Cooked, it looks very beautiful and tasty.
That sucker is huge! Is the flavor more meaty or earthy?
Kate,
Good question… wish I had some more to try to think about that answer. Not like a portobello – because the texture is not meaty. I guess I would say more earthy – but more than that. Definitely umami inducing.
🙂
Valerie
Couple quick points on ID’ing them. The white stem changes to a curry-orangy color when you scrape or break it. Also, the spore print is decidedly white. There is one in the same family that has a green cast in mature specimens due to greenish spores – so it also spore prints greenish – that will make you very, very ill. Google how to spore print a mushroom and print them before tackling what you might think is a shaggy parasol.
I found some epic, huge specimens last night in the river valley: http://www.kevinkossowan.com/?p=4738
Dearest Kevin!
Thank you. Very important information about identification – and love the spore print post on your site, too! I cannot wait to check out your post now. I was thinking – OH, SO lucky! Then I realized, no. Not luck. One has to be out foraging. Looking, and you will find treasures. It is hard work. And so much fun! Good for you!
🙂
Valerie
It’s a work of art!
Look amazing!!The girls are sooo cute!! lov them! gloria
Wow that is one amazing looking mushroom! I’ve always been interested in mushrooms but I find it too scary to go and forage for my own as I lack knowledge. I recently found out there is actually a workshop about this which I might decide to attend in autumn (not so much mushrooms around right now I think)
Love the pics Valerie and it looks like so much fun that pizza making!
What a glorious mushroom! I do feel enlightened! And I loved seeing the pictures of those cuties enjoying their pizza. Thank you for sharing with me tonight. I hope you have a beautiful Sunday full of laughter, love and more good food!
Omg! Look at the size of that! I’ve never seen a mushroom that big, well other than in those Chinese herbal shops. So funny how it shrunk to almost nothing after cooking it. Love love love that you guys had so much fun making pizza with the kiddies! I’ll bet it was all smiles and giggles despite the rainy weather. That stringy cheesy picture is just priceless! She’s so adorable! Another great post, my dear. Hope you and Vanja are doing well. Big hugs!
Wow, what a beauty! Mushroom picking is actually quite popular in Montreal, but it’s mostly for early birds (not me). How fun that the kids got to make their own pizza!
Excellent, I love your point on teaching kids. In my elementary school we used to go on “nature walks” with the gym teacher, but he literally taught us nothing about nature. Learning about what you can and cannot eat in the wild seems like it should be lesson one in school, not something you have to realize down the road in your adulthood and research on your spare time. I’m no conspiracy theorist but it really seems like society just wants you to go to the store and buy everything you need instead of get anything for yourself from nature. No lessons on gardening, hunting, fishing, or wild foods? No apple trees or berry bushes in any public parks? Why does the city only plant ornamental plants? Anyway good piece!
Thanks, Budd! I am with you on all counts.
🙂
V