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!