Boleta Trio

Day 336: "Edulis" means "edible," and that's not saying half of it. Boletus edulis is perhaps my very favourite wild 'shroom, edging Chanterelles into second place. I'd gone past one in the morning, electing not to pick it right then and there because I didn't want it to spend the day banging around in my pack, but on the way back to the car, I was dismayed to discover that I wasn't the only person who recognized the species. My intended dinner had been neatly cut off at the base. I used a little language unsuited to my uniform after checking to be sure no visitors were within hearing distance, but glad nonetheless that I'd managed to find one hiding under the low boughs of a subalpine fir. A search of the harvested area yielded up no more, although I did find two more by making a long detour on a connecting trail. Boletas are generally regarded as a fairly safe family, if not quite a "beginner mushroom." Any with red caps or red reticulation on the stipe are to be avoided, and those whose flesh or pores stain blue when broken or crushed may cause reactions in sensitive individuals. Edulis is easy to identify by its bulbous white/tan base and brown cap. The pores are also whitish. To prepare Boletas, cut the stipes crossways and discard any wormy portions. Remove the pores and if the cap is viscid (sticky), peel it away from the flesh. Slice into 1/4" pieces and fry in butter. Oh, so yummy!

Ma's Menu

Day 7: If there had been any question in my mind about what I should have for dinner tonight, Ma Nature took the issue out of my hands by placing five slightly slug-chewed but entirely worm-free Boletus edulis ("Boleti eduli?") between our parking place and the office. Rain notwithstanding, I stooped on them like a raptor on a bunny, leaving a few smaller ones behind as is my custom. As much as I love chanterelles, the King Boleta rules, and this particular spot has given me two nice meals this fall.

My late husband had a nose for finding this epicurean delight, whether in the lowlands, the high country, east or west side of the mountains. We often made meals of them while backpacking, although there is very little nutritive value in mushrooms of any sort. The stipes of the species are quite robust, yet are tender when cooked throughout. Backpackers may choose to fix them by simply frying in butter, but for a real treat, cut quarter-inch slices, dip in beaten egg and breadcrumbs and prepare as you would eggplant. They can also be used as the "meat" in a lasagna, layered with sauce, pasta and cheese.

As for the question of dinner, it only remains to decide how the King shall be served. That lasagna is sounding pretty good.

A Happy Hobbit

 Day 287: Like any Hobbit worthy of the name, when Mother Nature lays her finest at my feet, I do not hesitate to gather it in. Kevin and I left work together and walked toward the car, but as we rounded the end of a fallen tree, he heard me yell, "Oh, my gawd! DESSERT!" and just that fast, I'd swooped down and picked the best two of four specimens of Boletus edulis, a wild edible I have not found for decades. This, dear readers, is the King Boleta, and it deserves acclaim. It is, in my opinion, the best wild mushroom the Pacific Northwest has to offer. If plates of Morels, Chanterelles and Edulis were placed side by side within my reach, I would choose the Boleta without further consideration. Those massive, bulbous stems are edible as well as the fleshy cap, although oftener than not, one or both are riddled with tiny worms. In this case, the mushrooms had sprung up during the day; at least Kevin is certain they were not there when we parked the car in the morning. I made a side trip before going to the office and might have missed them. Freshly sprouted, there were still worms in the stems and a few in the caps. These were judiciously pared away, and the remainder of the caps were fried up in butter with only a little salt and pepper for a condiment. What a treat! Why didn't I pick the other two, you wonder? Because I never take them all. Ma wouldn't like that.