Shaggymane Season

Day 359: I'd gone out of the house at a dead lope, hurrying to get down to the pharmacy before they ran out of vaccines again, and other than grabbing a "perhaps bag" and sticking it in a day-pack, did not really consider what else I might need. Halfway to Eatonville, I said, "Oh, dang. I think there's a 'shroom knife in here someplace," and there was, tucked in the console. It wasn't until I got out of the car at the trailhead and started up the hill that I realized I didn't have a hat. I never go out without a hat, and the problem was that I was walking into the sun and it was blinding me. I got up to my Shaggymane patch, looked in all the usual places, didn't see anything, and then continued on up the hill to check a second site. There was nothing there either, so I turned around and started down. Now that I was facing away from the sun, I saw what I hadn't seen before: a nice cluster of a dozen or so 'shrooms just begging to be cream-of-shaggy soup. I'd gone right past them! The biggest one had begun to turn to ink, so I left it, and there were quite a few end-of-thumb sized caps poking up through the grass, too small to pick. If the rain doesn't ruin them, there'll be another batch of soup next week.

Shaggies On The Menu

Day 1: Today, this blog enters its twelfth year of continuous daily publication of essays and photos covering natural history, botany and fiber arts. It has occasionally ventured into other tangential subject matter (including a rant or two for which I hope my readers will forgive me), but primarily, my goal has been to make science less scary, and to inspire creativity and learning among my readership. I always like to start the new "year" with something special, so please join me for a delicious bowl of Shaggymane soup.

Since Columbus Day weekend meant that outdoor enthusiasts from every walk of life were out for a last-gasp hike, I didn't return to Coprinus Corner until yesterday (Tuesday) when I thought I'd have the woods to myself. As soon as I rounded the bend, I saw that many of the nubbins I'd noted on Friday had matured and were already turning to ink. As I got closer, I found quite a few finger-sized specimens in the grassy verge, but the batch which always grows up right smack in the middle of the dirt road had been trampled by horses. I had to remind myself that the presence of horses may have contributed to the Shaggies' preference for this particular spot, but that's another story. In any event, I collected enough for a very large bowl of soup, and left many more behind to ensure the continuing fruitfulness of the patch. This will be the end of the Shaggies for this all-too-fleeting season. Oh, but it was good while it lasted!

The Best Soup

Day 360: Chanterelles are good for a fry-up. Morels are good on meat. Boletas can be sliced into steaks for frying, but if you want the best mushroom soup ever, you'll want Shaggymanes. I've been scouting my patch every few days for a couple of weeks now, not wanting to miss them. They're fairly short-lived once they come through the ground, turning to ink shortly after the cap loosens from the stipe and begins to flare. They're best at finger-size, but since I only found three as large as the one on the left, I selectively harvested half a cupful of thumb-sized nubbins for the remainder of my lunch. Don't worry! I left plenty behind, and Monday or Tuesday, I'll take another "mushroom walk" to gather another soup's-worth if the rain hasn't beaten them down. I take only enough for immediate use, and that's why this patch has been serving me well for four years now.

Shaggymane Soup (single serving)
Roughly chop 3/4 cup of Shaggymane caps, and fry in a tablespoon of butter with a little garlic powder, but don't overdo it. Cook until most of the liquid disappears. Stir in a heaping tablespoon of flour with salt and pepper and make a roux. Add 3/4 cup of milk. Stir while heating it until the first "boil bubble" comes to the top, and not a minute longer. Your soup is done! Enjoy!

She Scores!

Day 2: As a hunter-gatherer ("hunting" what I gather, you understand), I am keenly aware that timing is critical. Nevertheless, I very nearly missed the window for this score, although I was at this exact spot on September 29. That's fourteen days ago, and there was not a single Shaggymane in evidence at that time, not even a button. Today, there were at least a hundred, 75% of which were in some phase of turning to ink, many already long gone. The top left image shows the scene as I first perceived it with a heavy heart. How could I have possibly missed them? And then as I attempted to assess whether any of them were salvageable for soup, I realized that I was surrounded by younger, healthier specimens. I pulled my perhaps-bag out of my pack, grabbed my 'shroom knife and began severing stipes. Eventually, I said, "Okay, that's enough. The rest of you stay there and make lots more Shaggies for me for next year." To date, it was the heaviest yield I've seen at this particular location. It's almost as if they're benefiting from being harvested. End of story? I've just polished off an enormous bowl of Shaggymane soup: thick, rich and seasoned with salt, pepper and a light touch of garlic. You gotta love autumn.

Soup Mix

Day 10: I know I'm repeating myself here, but this has been an amazing year for mushrooms. I decided to take the long way around to Coprinus Corner, not expecting to find any Shaggymanes in good condition in the wake of our recent cold temperatures and rain. About three-quarters of a mile into my walk, I spotted a couple of Chanterelles, so pulled out my "perhaps bag" and knife on the principle that when Mother Nature offers you a gift of any size, you show your appreciation by accepting it. Three Chanterelles is enough for a cup of soup; five or six are needed for a lunch-size bowl. A mile and a half further on, I found my first Shaggys. Only one was in condition to pick, but I collected it and added it to my perhaps bag. In another hundred yards, I found myself in the middle of a Shaggymane supermarket. At that point, I could afford to be selective, taking only prime specimens and leaving those starting to ink or only a few inches tall. Before I'd finished up the five-mile loop, I had plenty for a lunch and a dinner, and I'd left dozens, a hundred or more, growing on the path to propagate future meals.

Shaggy Soup From Coprinus Corner

Day 363: I had the most delicious lunch from Coprinus Corner, my favourite spot in chswnekdisneld... "What's that, Crow? I didn't quite catch what you said." No, you didn't, nor am I likely to repeat it anywhere within the hearing of a friend of a friend of a friend who might possibly be the friend of a mushroomer. Knowledge of the locations of good mushrooming spots requires a security clearance which makes "maximum" look downright lax. I discovered Coprinus Corner some time back while exploring a disused trail for no other reason than I wanted to see where it wound up. I nearly tripped over a substantial colony of Shaggymanes growing smack in the middle of the path. Because it was autumn, I had a "perhaps bag" in my pack and the hope of chanterelles in my heart. I wasn't even thinking about Shaggys, my favourite soup 'shroom. Judicious harvesting practices have ensured the health of the patch, but this year, it went over the top with respect to production. I easily left at least half of what was available and choice when I gathered these, never mind the ones which had started to ink along the lower margin. There were many more buttons just barely peeping through the soil. Even so, this collection was sufficient to make two large bowls of Shaggy Soup, thick with mushroom bits.